The University of Texas at Austin
College of Engineering
IGERT - Indoor Environmental Quality
A Healthy Home is in Your Hands

mold

Mold

What is mold?

Molds, also commonly referred to as mildew and fungi, are neither plants nor animals, but rather organisms that belong to the Kingdom Fungi1. Molds found indoors typically belong to one of five groups: Alternaria, Penicillium, Cladosporum, Stachybotrys and Aspergillus3. There are three major effects mold can have on the indoor environment of your home2:

  1. Damages to the structure of the home
  2. Unpleasant spots, stains, and smells
  3. Adverse health effects for occupants


Where does mold come from?

Mold spores can be found both indoors and outdoors at all times of the year. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems4. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, bags, and pets can and be carried indoors. Mold needs moisture and a source of food to grow. In your home, damp areas such as bathrooms, where water leaks have occurred, and in moist soil of potted plants are ideal mold breeding grounds (Figure 1)11. Mold can grow on building materials (drywall, wood, wallpaper, carpet and painted surfaces), paper and paper products, cardboard and upholstery5.

Figure 1


Can mold affect my health?

Molds produce allergens and mycotoxins, and mold spores can cause asthma attacks in sensitive people10. The data available to establish a direct correlation between mold exposure levels and adverse health effects, however, is limited8.

  • Allergens are substances that can cause allergic reactions. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Mold does not have to be alive to cause an allergic reaction6.
  • Mycotoxins are chemicals produced by fungi. Mycotoxins have both positive uses (antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals) and negative effects (causing disease and adverse health effects in humans at low concentrations)7.


How can I reduce my exposure to mold?

The Environmental Protection Agency provides helpful tips for reducing and preventing mold growth indoors9:

  • Prevent problems - Perform routine maintenance, cleaning, and repairs. Conduct regular visual inspections of your home, looking for signs of water leaks and water damage. If you do have a water leak indoors, dry everything out quickly (within 24 to 48 hours).
  • Control moisture - Keep your home and furnishings dry. Ideal indoor humidity levels are 30-60%.
  • Reduce humidity indoors - Ventilate showers, laundry rooms, and cooking areas.
  • If you believe you have mold in your home, consult the EPA's publication, "A Brief Guide to Mold and Moisture in Your Home" for information about clean-up.


Where can I find more information?

For more information on mold, contact:


References:

  1. Environmental Protection Agency: Mold Course http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/, Accessed March 21, 2008
  2. Portnoy JM, Barnes CS, Kennedy K, "Current reviews of allergy and clinical immunology - Sampling for indoor fungi", Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Volume 113, Issue 2, 2004, pp. 189-198.
  3. American Academy of Pediatrics - Committee on Environmental Health, "Toxic effects of indoor molds", Pediatrics 101, Volume 4, Part 1, 1998, pp. 712-714.
  4. Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/mold/dampness_facts.htm, Accessed March 21, 2008.
  5. National Academy of Sciences, Committee on the Assessment of Asthma and Indoor Air. Clearing the Air: Asthma and indoor Air exposures (Washington, D.C.:National Academy Press, Prepublication copy, copyright 2000), accessed March 21, 2008, currently posted at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/9610.html .
  6. Environmental Protection Agency: Mold Course Chapter 1, http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/chapter1/lesson3.html, Accessed March 21, 2008.
  7. Bennett, JW, Klich, M, "Mycotoxins", Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2003 July; 16(3): 497-516.
  8. Genuis, SJ, "Clinical medicine and the budding science of indoor mold exposure", European Journal of Internal Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 7, 2007, pp. 516-523.
  9. Environmental Protection Agency: Mold Prevention and Control, http://www.epa.gov/mold/preventionandcontrol.html, Accessed on March 21, 2008.
  10. Environmental Protection Agency (2008), Environmental Asthma Triggers: Mold, access April 2008, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma/molds.html
  11. Picture from Kentucky Division of Air Quality, http://www.air.ky.gov/FAQ/Mold.htm, Accessed April 2008

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