| Toxic black mold or stachybotrys is found by | | | | Residential Environments Bruce J. Kelman A1, |
| certified mold inspectors about 6% of the | | | | Coreen A. Robbins A1, Lonie J. Swenson A1, |
| time in indoor air samples and about 1% of | | | | Bryan D. Hardin A1 A1 GlobalTox, Inc., |
| the time in outdoor samples. According to | | | | Redmond, Washington, USA Abstract: Mycotoxins |
| literature and according to this inspectors | | | | are known to produce veterinary and human |
| experience it grows almost exclusively on | | | | diseases when consumed with contaminated |
| very wet cellouse containing materials | | | | foods. Mycotoxins have also been proposed to |
| including paper, carpet backings, ceiling | | | | cause adverse human health effects after |
| tile, and especially on drywall. It is the | | | | inhalation exposure to mold in indoor |
| most feared of all molds, due to the numerous | | | | residential, school, and office environments. |
| news reports, newspaper articles, and | | | | Epidemiological evidence has been inadequate |
| magazine articles attributing possible brain | | | | to establish a causal relationship between |
| damage, infant deaths, expensive property | | | | indoor mold and nonallergic, toxigenic health |
| damage and other horrible consequences | | | | effects. In this article, the authors model a |
| surrounding its growth in residential | | | | maximum possible dose of mycotoxins that |
| settings. Many molds produce mycotoxins | | | | could be inhaled in 24 h of continuous |
| (toxic chemicals that molds use in a type of | | | | exposure to a high concentration of mold |
| microbial warfare). Living things that do not | | | | spores containing the maximum reported |
| possess claws, fangs, or a hard shell to use | | | | concentration of aflatoxins B1 and B2, |
| in self defense or fast legs to run away from | | | | satratoxins G and H, fumitremorgens B and C, |
| predators, will typically revert to the use | | | | verruculogen, and trichoverrols A and B. |
| of camouflage or the production of poisons. | | | | These calculated doses are compared to |
| This is very common in nature. In reality, | | | | effects data for the same mycotoxins. None of |
| toxic molds like Stachybotrys also known as | | | | the maximum doses modeled were sufficiently |
| toxic black mold and others may have to be | | | | high to cause any adverse effect. The model |
| either consumed in mold contaminated foods, | | | | illustrates the inefficiency of delivery of |
| or physically handled so that excessive | | | | mycotoxins via inhalation of mold spores, and |
| physical contact is made between human skin | | | | suggests that the lack of association between |
| and the mold in order for toxic reactions to | | | | mold exposure and mycotoxicoses in indoor |
| develop. At this time most scientists do not | | | | environments is due to a requirement for |
| believe that breathing in toxic mold spores | | | | extremely high airborne spore levels and |
| can have toxic effects on humans when inhaled | | | | extended periods of exposure to elicit a |
| at the levels typically encountered in homes | | | | response. This model is further evidence that |
| and offices. Public opinion may not be in | | | | human mycotoxicoses are implausible following |
| support of the above statement and in the | | | | inhalation exposure to mycotoxins in |
| future we may find that the above statement | | | | mold-contaminated home, school, or office |
| is not true and perhaps one day we will find | | | | environments." Regardless of if toxic mold |
| that toxic molds cause toxic reactions via | | | | can poison you with mycotoxins via |
| inhalation but currently scientific evidence | | | | inhalation, it is a fact observed by this |
| does not support the view that toxic molds | | | | inspector many times that mold can make some |
| can poison you via inhalation at levels found | | | | people very sick. Asthma attacks, allergies, |
| in indoor environments. To support this | | | | and sinus infections from mold appear to be |
| statement please review the following | | | | very common. Such conditions in turn can |
| abstract from the International Journal of | | | | cause people to loose sleep, loose energy and |
| Toxicology Volume 23, Number 1 / | | | | concentration, miss work, and in general feel |
| January-February 2004 pages 3 to 10. "Risk | | | | as if they were being poisoned by mycotoxins. |
| from Inhaled Mycotoxins in Indoor Office and | | | | |