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To
find a Certified
Mould Inspector
or Remediator in Canada,
or to be trained and certified as a mould inspection, testing,
remediation, and prevention expert, please visit:
Mould Professional.
For in depth
information about the health effects of exposure to toxic mould and
how to diagnose and treat mould illnesses, read our new book
Mould Health Guide.
Stachybotrys
Mould
[Also known as the "Toxic Mould" and "Black Mould"]
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Stachybotrys
mould growing on
drywall.
[Courtesy of Case
Western Reserve University]
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Several
strains of Stachybotrys [Stachy] produce spores with poisonous toxins. Chronic exposure has caused
cold and flu symptoms, fatigue, diarrhea, headaches, sore throat, hair
loss, immune system suppression, memory loss, and severe brain damage.
Whereas most mould spores can begin growing after just 24 hours of wetness, Stachybotrys mould spores take at least
48 hours of wetness to begin
growth. Stachybotrys survives and grows best in a continually wet
environment like a slow water leak in a wall. Stachybotrys spores are
rarely airborne. Stachybotrys toxic mould is best detected by a careful physical
examination of a building. Stachy is usually identified by direct swabs or lift tape
or bulk samples of the mould itself with laboratory analysis. When active
and growing in a wet environment, the mould can look black, shiny, and
slimy.
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Questions and
Answers About Stachybotrys Mould
[Feb. 17, 2003]
Q. I was
curious about whether or not you were familiar with health effects from
stachybotrys. I need to find some information about who I need to go see
regarding exposure/contamination because I have been very VERY sick and
has happened recently.
A. Be sure to read our Stachybotrys report in the mould species
pages of
mould. Although Stachy can cause severe respiratory problems and overall health damage to
your body, Stachybotrys is most famous for its destruction of brain
tissue. If someone starts developing memory problem, starts to lose the
ability to think logically, and feels disconnected from the world around
him or her, those are possible symptoms of both Stachybotrys and of
Alzheimer's disease. The first step should be the thorough inspection and
mould testing of both one's home and work place by a
Certified
Mould
Inspector. If the problem is solely the infestation of the
toxic black mould Stachybotrys, that problem is much easier to fix than
having incurable Alzheimer's Disease. The second step would be to have a
complete physical exam by a pulmonary specialist [lung medical doctor] to
detect signs or proof of lung disease [a frequent medical problem caused
by not only Stachybotrys, but by other types of moulds]. The lung
specialist can do a lung biopsy to check for lung tissue damage, and
conduct a mould antibody blood test to see if there has been mould
interacting with one's body. Another type of useful physician is a
neurologist to check for possible brain damage caused by either Stachy or
by Alzheimer's. The next step would be to live somewhere else in a mould
safe place during mould inspection, testing, and remediation of your home
or workplace to stop possible mould worsening of your health.
Q.
What are
the health signs to look for caused by black mould? What are some of the
treatments? Are there cures for black mould? and can it show up in the
lungs and on the liver?
A.
If you mean Stachybotrys mould when you use the Stachy mould nickname of
black mould,
here are some thoughts. The most tell-tale sign of a human being affected
by Stachybotrys mould infestation is loss of brain functions, such as
having trouble thinking and remembering, and of feeling distance or
disconnected from the world around oneself. The health symptoms of
Stachybotrys mould are very similar to Alzheimer's disease. In fact,
if someone is starting to shown signs of Alzheimer's disease, the first
step would be to thoroughly mould test the person's home and work
environment for the presence of Stachybotrys. Because Stachy is rarely
airborne, you need to do a very thorough physical inspection, including
INSIDE hvac, walls, ceilings, floors, attics, crawl spaces, and basements
to locate mould deposits that should be directly sampled for laboraory mould
analysis by the Mold Inspector Laboratory. If a person is
experiencing possible health effects from Stachybotrys mould, the first
step for that person and all other residents is to leave the home or
workplace until thorough mould inspection and mould testing has been
completed. If Stachy causes brain damage, the brain damage is usually
permanent and irreparable.
Q.
My husband has been working in a science building which had a bad problem
with stachybotrys mould due to an air conditioning and condensation
problem. We also found out that the building had zero air pressure
for years, because the hoods were not open. You can imagine a
building like that with mould, chemicals, and animal dander from the
various rooms and labs. He has a very bad allergy to mould. For
years, he doctored for joint/muscle pain (fibromyalgia), sleep apnea, and
then pulmonary problems with resulting low lung function. Memory
loss and loss of being able to think logically and stay focused, along
with personality changes have also resulted in the past two years.
He has been doctoring recently with a pulmonologist, neurologist, and
neuropsychologist who are now monitoring his condition. He has had 3
MRI scans of the brain. The first showed an injury, and the second a
year later showed numerous spots located in front, back and both sides of
the brain. His most recent MRI showed no change. He was
ordered out of the building for 2 years now by the pulmonologist, until
the renovation on the air system is completed. His pulmonary
function has been become quite a bit better. My real concern is to
the brain injuries that have occurred. Do you have any knowledge of
this kind of problem? Is there any hope of these brain injuries
getting better or is this what we will need to live with, or maybe get
worse? Can anything else develop in the brain at these sites
of the injuries in the future? My husband was always a very quick
thinking and quick learning individual who has a doctorate in biology.
This has been extremely difficult for him and our family. I would
appreciate any info and referrals to information on this subject that you
can give to me. Thank you very much.
A.
First, may I express my sadness and sympathy to you and your husband
because of the severe health problem that has been caused by Stachybotrys
to your husband. Second, the information that I have read and heard about
Stachy-caused brain damage is that it is permanent. Second, the most
important safeguard you can take is to make sure that your husband is not
experienced to any other mould-contamination of any kind anywhere. For
example, a large number of hotel and motel rooms are mould-contaminated,
including some of the more expensive facilities. I would suggest that you
avoid staying in hoels and motels during any travel, if that is possible;
otherwise, before renting a particular room, you alone should carefully
inspect the proposed motel/hotel room with your eyes and ears for mould
mould problems. Third, if you have not already done so, install very strong
ultraviolet light lamps in both the supply and return side of your heating
and air conditioning system in your home to kill all mould spores and other
germs in your household air. Fourth, have your home tested for mould
including inside hvac (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning)
equipment and ducts, inside walls, above ceilings, below floors, and in
attic, basement, and crawl space areas.
Q.
Just
exactly how dangerous is black mould; how many kinds of mould are there;
what would lead a person to suspect they have mould? Is mould and/or mildew
one and the same? What do you suppose the reason is that mould has just
become a concern in the last couple of years, at least here in Texas? Due
to the extremely high cost of mould insurance, if a house is reasonably
sound, how much mould insurance would be prudent?
A.
If you mean the toxic mould Stachybotrys, it can cause numerous health
problems including permanent brain damage with symptoms very similar to
having Alzheimer's Disease [cannot remember well, difficulty in thinking,
feeling "disconnected" from the world around oneself]. If
someone in your family is starting to show
Alzheimer-type of health
symptoms, the first thing to do is to do complete mould testing of their
home and workplace environments to identify any dangerous moulds present in
elevated levels. Mildew [part of mould family] is a less risky form of mould
in terms of health effects. The reason that mould is so prominent in the
Texas news media and in higher Texas homeowner's insurance rates is the
much greater awareness today of the serious health consequences of living
or working in a sick environment such as mould infestation.
Q.
Please
explain just what "Black mould" looks like and where would be the
most likely places to find it within an office setting.
A.
Tens of thousands of mould species are black in color. One of them is the
famous toxic mould Stachybotrys [nickname: black mould]. Stachybotrys
[another nickname: Stachy] is usually found by direct sampling rather than
by air testing. When having access to water and growing, Stachy can be
wet-looking, glistening, shiny, and shimmering [jelly-like]. The best
places to locate not only Stachybotrys black toxic mould but also other
moulds in the office are moulds hidden: (1) inside hvac equipment and ducts;
(2) above ceilings; (3) inside walls; (4) beneath floors; (5) in crawl
spaces, attics, and basements; and (6) wherever they have been roof leaks
and other water leaks. A good way to know if there is mould contamination
in an office is to do mould testing in each area of the office, as well as
testing air flowing through the hvac ducts. See:
Mould Testing.
[March
31, 2002]
Q.
I
recently bought a home that was built in the 30's and is built from
sawmill lumber. There where no sheetrock walls, all where solid wood with
old wallpaper with the cloth paper behind it. When I took down most of it,
it had black dust everywhere, some I left up and sheetrocked over. We have
sheetrocked the whole house now. There were spots on the walls and ceiling
that had a lot of crystallized places on the wood, now covered. There were
places in the floor that were rotted and we cut out the rot only and
replaced, but some of the black was still there. We covered with thin
paneling in the kitchen, and plywood in the bedrooms. Can this still leak
out from the walls? This house was very musty when we got it, had no idea
about mould at the time. I am remodeling the house, since i started living
in it as i work on it , I have started noticing that I can't stay interested
in the same project very long, had headaches, nosebleeds, a lot of mood
swings, a lot of forgetfulness, my joints all over hurt, and very
unrestful at night and during the day. I usually am constantly working on
anything, but fill lightheaded a lot. When I leave and go visit
friends for two - five days , I always feel better there. By
covering all that black dust up, how can I test for mould now. I know that
there was a lot of it. Could it of been mould dust , I know it wasn't just
dirt. And will my insurance pay if the house was like that to begin with?
Please advise before i sink more money, which I've already have, into it
to finish.
A.
Move yourself and your family out of this mould hell immediately.
Don't
take anything with you so you don't cross-contaminate your temporary
living quarters.Don't
spend any more time in your contaminated home without wearing personal
protective gear such as one-piece, 3M brand face shield with breathing
respirators [from Home Depot], rubber gloves [paint dept., Home Depot],
and complete body suit [available from mould Inspector]. Some of
your mould health symptoms [can't stay interested in the same project very
long, headaches, mood swings, forgetfulness] are a strong indication that
the hidden mould might be the deadly toxic mould Stachybotrys that destroys
brain tissue. You need to have the covered up mould tested by fiber optics
inspection and inside wall direct mould sampling and air mould testing, plus
air mould testing of the various rooms of your home. To find a Certified Mould Inspector in your area, please visit the website:
Certified
Mould Inspectors.
If mould testing confirms that you have covered up mould growth in the wood,
all of your new wall coverings will have to be removed to facilitate mould
remediation. The steps involved in effective and safe mould removal are
explained on the website: Mould Testing.
You also need to have your body tested for the presence of mould growth in
your body. The best type of medical doctor to visit [for blood testing for
mould antibodies and lung biopsy for mould growing in your lungs] is a
pulmonary [lung] specialist.
Stachybotrys chartarum under the microscope.
From the book The Fifth Kingdom. |
