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Toxic Black Mold

© Lisa Hart Daily

A Florida couple says their small children are sick from mold in their apartment. An Illinois woman claims she is moving from the house she rents because of an extensive mold problem. And in New Orleans, a group of state workers may be close to settlement on a case of claimed unsafe working conditions related to mold in a building where they were employed.

Mold has been in the news lately, as a growing number of people fear mold-related illness. The reports can be frightening, and the mental image of hidden, slimy mold creeping through the place where you live is more than a little disturbing, even without the possibility that it will affect your health. Many states are considering legislation to protect tenants, workers, and property owners.

What is mold, and what are the issues?

Mold is a fungus growth, which starts with a microscopic spore. In a damp environment, it will spread on organic material, such as food or wood. It can be beneficial; for example, the antibiotic penicillin is a mold.* Mold grows everywhere, but can become a problem when it grows in large areas inside a home, school, or workplace.

Many people are concerned about the potential health issues concerning mold in their homes. In particular, stachybotrys chartarum, which you may have heard about as "toxic black mold", has been blamed for causing health problems. It is greenish-black, slimy, and can grow in homes with water damage.

This is not the grayish-blue mold you see covering the spaghetti you forgot about in the back of the refrigerator.

Not all mold is a potential environmental health hazard. (You still should not eat the moldy spaghetti, but you knew that). However, according to the National Center for Environmental Health, stachybotrys chartarum and other types of mold may cause allergic reactions or asthma, or, in people with suppressed immune systems or lung disease, it may cause lung infections.

Research is ongoing to determine whether it causes more serious health conditions, such as acute idiopathic hemorrhage (bleeding in the lungs) in infants. In 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, toxic mold was implicated as the possible cause of this condition in 27 infants, nine of whom died

Mold may be found in damp areas of your home, such as the basement, around pipes, and in carpets, walls or ceilings that have sustained water damage. You may see it or smell it. It is recommended that apartment tenants immediately contact their landlord or building manager on discovering a mold problem. A condominium owner should contact the community association. They will be able to advise you regarding safe resolution of the mold problem, including initial cleanup and prevention of future growth.

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