Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Helping People Resolve Mold Problems

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Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101
Mobile: 437-556-0254

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AIHce 2010-Mold Training

Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD) provided a professional development course (PDC) at the AIHce 2010, in Denver, Colorado. Details of that course are below.

PDC 418: Denver, Colorado, May 23, 2010
Mold Recognition, Effective Sampling Strategies and Results Interpretation

Description: The PDC will enable participants to recognize indoor mold, develop effective sampling strategies and interpret laboratory results, all in the context of current mold-control and remediation principles. Participants will acquire a detailed understanding of the methods used to investigate mold growth in buildings and types of samples to collect. Discussions will explore the biology of molds, the causes of mold growth, as well as mold control and common indoor molds.

Check for our current mold courses at https://moldbacteria.com/training.html

 

Age Of Mold

Question: I would really appreciate an advice on a matter of mold.  I am having a hard time to get a straight answer locally.  I am a self-employed marine surveyor who, along with a food inspector, inspected and dumped about 200 bottles of jam that had broken in transit. This was on Christmas Eve. Because some of the jam had developed mold, I asked the food inspector if we could test for the age of the mold to determine the approximate time/location of the damage. He advised that to determine the age of the mold, the temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the environment in which it was transported was required. The jam had been transported in a shipping container but temperature or RH data was not available.

When I see forensics on CSI testing for age of dead bodies, I find it hard to believe that the age of mold cannot be similarly determined.

I would be grateful if you could let me know, for my edification, whether it is possible to test for the age of mold.

Thank you for your kind assistance. Best regards.

Answer: I am not aware of a simple test that could be used to determine the age of mold. Also, in the case of the damaged jam bottles, the age of the mold may not help determine the approximate time/location of the damage. If we define age as the duration of time during which a cell, tissue, or organism has existed as a distinct entity, defining the age of mold could be a problem. This is because the network of fungal filaments (the mycelia) or spores from which the visible mold develops could be several years old. Another fact that complicates defining the age of mold is that mold grows only at the hyphal tips, and therefore the cells at the advancing edge of a fungal colony are the youngest, and those progressively nearer the centre are older. If we could determine the time (and not the age) it took the mold to develop into visible growth, this could help us determine the approximate time of damage. From laboratory observations of the growth rates of molds under different growth conditions, we may speculate how long it took for the visible growth to appear on the jam if we knew the type of mold and the conditions under which the jam was transported.

Doctors Think It’s Lupus

Question: Hi, I don’t know if you can help me, I have worked every day for the past 6 years cleaning mold of mostly 100 plus year old paper which until recently no protective clothing was provided. I have now got an autoimmune disorder, they think it’s lupus, scarred bone marrow, scarred lungs, fungus of the nails, sinus problems, as well as slight bleeding of the lungs. I have done some reading on the net about the effects of mold and I have told the doctors that I think this is what’s causing my problems but I am always told no it wouldn’t be that. I cannot convince a doctor to do a blood test to see if this is what’s causing all my health problems. I don’t know where else to turn. What I am hoping is that you might know a doctor in the Sydney area (Australia) who will be willing to do a blood test. I would be forever grateful.

Thank you for taking the time in reading this.
 

 Answer: Thank you for your question. We really feel for you. Unfortunately we don’t know any doctor in Australia. It’s also possible that your doctors could be right. Give them a chance to try and diagnose your problem.

Mold Training Classes

Environmental professionals, city building inspectors, and other professionals seeking training in Mold Recognition, Effective Sampling Strategies and Results Interpretation can attend a one-day mold training course offered in Burnaby, British Columbia; Mississauga, Ontario and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Sponsored by Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) Inc., the course provides participants with skills and background information to enable them Recognize Indoor Mould, Develop Effective Sampling Strategies, and Interpret Laboratory Results.

Mold Training Course Materials

The MBL Mold Training Course provides insight into the causes of mold growth and control, the most important indoor molds, including important species of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Cladosporium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Alternaria and Scopulariopsis and also mycotoxins that may occur in an indoor environment.

Participants can develop a detailed understanding of the methods used to investigate mold growth in buildings, types of samples to collect as well as how to interpret laboratory results. The mold course provides a basic understanding of the biology of molds.

If you have been considering attending a similar course, don’t delay in registering as we have limited spaces! Click Booking Calendar to book for the course.

For more course information or to enroll by phone, please call 905-290-9101 or toll free 1-866-813-0648


Acceptable levels of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold in buildings

Question: What is the “normal / acceptable” level of total aerobic bacteria and yeast & mold in homes / buildings

Answer: There are no universally agreed acceptable levels of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold in buildings. However, you may find levels suggested by various organisations. I would say that since there will always be bacteria/mold/yeast in houses, any levels that appear abnormally high is uncceptable. However, apart from the levels, you have also to consider what organisms are present since some are more harmful or destructive than others.

The tables below show some levels published by the Commission of the European Communities in Indoor Air Quality & its Impact on Man: Report No. 12: Biological Particles in Indoor Environments. ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1993.

Categories of CFU/m3 (mixed populations of fungi) obtained with the Andersen six-stage sampler in combination with MEA, and with the N6-Andersen one-stage sampler in combination with MEA and DG18.

Category Fungal Counts (CFU/m3) in Houses Fungal Counts (CFU/m3) in non-industrial indoor environments
Very low <50 <25
Low <200 <1,000
Intermediate <1,000 <500
High <10,000 <2,000
Very High >10,000 >2,000

N.B.: These categories are based on the range of values obtained in indoor environments and not on a health risk evaluation.

 

Categories of CFU/g dust (mixed populations of fungi) obtained by direct
plating on V8 or DG18, and by suspension in peptone followed by plating on V8 or DG18, for houses and other non-industrial indoor environments

Category Method
  V8/directa DG18/directa V8/peptoneb DG18/peptoneb
Very low <1,000 <2,000 <10,000 <10,000
Low <2,500 <6,000 <20,000 <20,000
Intermediate <5,000 <9,000 <40,000 <50,000
High <10,000 <15,000 <100,000 <120,000
Very High >10,000 >15,000 >100,000 >120,000

a : direct plating of 30 mg dust

b: 100 mg dust suspended in a pepton solution (1 : 50), 0.1 ml of the solution plated on the medium

N.B. : These categories are based on the range of values obtained in indoor environments and not on a health risk evaluation.

 

Categories of CFU/m3 (mixed populations of bacteria) obtained with the
Andersen six-stage sampler or slit sampler (sampling time 10 – 15 min.,
incubation at 20 – 25°C for 3 – 5 days), for houses and non-industrial indoor environments.

Category Bacterial Counts (CFU/m3) in Houses Bacterial Counts (CFU/m3) in non-industrial indoor environments
Very Low <100 <50
Low <500 <100
Intermediate <2,500 <500
High <10,000 <2,000
Very High >10,000 >2,000

N.B.: These categories are based on the range of values obtained in indoor environments and not on a health risk evaluation