Toxic black mold or Stachybotrys is found by certified mold inspectors about 6% of the time in indoor air samples and about 1% of the time in outdoor samples. According to literature and according to this inspectors experience it grows almost exclusively on very wet cellouse containing materials including paper, carpet backings, ceiling tile, and [...]
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The diverse fungal organisms on planet earth form an entire large grouping of related organisms know as the fungi kingdoms. The terms mold and mould are typically used to describe only a small subset of this much larger kingdom. What are fungi? Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, which means unlike bacteria they all have true cells [...]
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BASIC MOLD BIOLOGY: Fungi share some basic similarities with plants and bacteria but are not plants nor are they bacteria. They are in their own kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom. The terms mold and mildew are often used interchangeably by lay persons, but according to some more specific definitions, mildew is a powdery growth that attacks [...]
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You may be ill because of mold in your home or place of employment, your property value may fall because of mold that bleach and paint just cannot control. If you have a compromised immune system mold may even grow in you lungs or other parts of your body in the form of a systemic [...]
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Mold And Water Damaged Building Materials When leakage occurs it results in the growth of mold that in turn results in the release of pungent smelling and irritating volatile organic compounds, and allergenic mold spores into your air. Persons with allergies or asthma often have reactions to such contaminates in the air while others may [...]
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Ok the title is a bit over the top but in a round about way it is true. Many swimming molds live in and swim through the thin film of water on wet plant leaves and ruin many important crops during extra wet growing seasons. These molds often have a very negative effect on agriculture [...]
Volatile organic compound also known as VOCs are common indoor pollutants composed of organic chemicals that evaporate into the air easily at room temperatures. VOCs often cause chemical odors, respiratory irritation, headache, and other indoor air quality related complaints. At certain high levels they can be dangerous. These chemicals are released by paints, paint thinners, [...]
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We have recently seen that some mold inspectors are quoting the article titled “Indoor Mold, Toxigenic Fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum” and other similar scientific articles to support the belief that toxic molds poison people in their homes. A link to the article is listed below. It looks as if the article is stating that toxic [...]
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When a mold inspector takes bulk, tape, carpet/dust, or swab samples, spore numbers are not compared quantitatively to outdoor levels. Thus, the number of spores in these types of test samples often are not as meaningful as the numbers found in air testing samples. Also, because the air is not being tested, your inspector cannot [...]
Molds are part of the natural environment, outdoors molds play a significant part in the environment by breaking down dead plant matter such as dead trees and fallen leaves. Molds that grow inside homes should be best avoided. Mold has some resemblance with plants as well as bacteria, but is neither a plant nor a [...]
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