10 Health Risks of Toxic Mold
Are you Living in an Area with Risks of Toxic Mold?
If you are living in an area where the relative humidity is above 55%, you are very much liable to health risks caused by toxic molds.
Black Mold, also known as Stachybotrys Chartarum.
Stachybotrys Chartarum is a greenish-black fungi found worldwide that colonizes particularly well in high-cellulose material such as straw, hay, wet leaves, dry wall, carpet, wall paper, fiber-board, ceiling tiles, thermal insulation, etc. The fungus, before drying, is wet and slightly slimy to touch.
Stachybotrys is considered a toxic mold and is one of the major health risk providers.
Species of Black Mold
There are about fifteen species of Stachybotrys worldwide. Contrary to popular belief, this type of fungus does not grow on plastic, vinyl, concrete products, or ceramic tiles. Neither is it found in the green mold on bread or in the black mold on shower tiles.
The toxic mold environmental risk may be one of the next major real estate “due diligence†concerns, especially in property development areas where major flooding has occurred.
The problem is that the existence of toxic molds not only includes residential and commercial area flood incidents, but also numerous minor water releases due to plumbing failures, conductive condensation, house water leaks and accidents.
The toxic mold concern could also be a problem where fires have occurred on residential properties.
For some people, exposure to the toxic mold spores may stay just a “risk”. To others, it may be a real health hazard, with life-threatening results.
Health Risk or Health Hazard?
Whether a potential liability concern is just health risk or a major hazard, there will be paramount in defining the critical level of due diligence and disclosure response by responsible parties.
There are already several major lawsuits concerning toxic mold exposure in residential and commercial buildings throughout the United States.
The 10 most common health risks associated with toxic mold are:
1. pulmonary hemorrhage or pulmonary hemosiderosis (primarily in infants)
2. nose bleeds
3. immune system suppression (resulting in increasing numbers of infections)
4. hair loss
5. dermatitis
6. chronic fatigue
7. psychological depression
8. diarrhea
9. sore throats
10. headaches and other flu-like symptoms
Can All Toxic Mold Be Eliminated?
One of the major concerns that many experts have is that one might not be able to permanently eliminate ALL of the toxic mold from a structure.
There also remains a great propensity for future reoccurrence. It is therefore recommended that great care be exercised to remove and dispose of all products that have been contaminated by the toxic mold.
Another concern is that state’s Health Departments will consider ambiguous and genetic disposition as a response to the inquiries about toxic mold that is made by the public.
There will be some people, especially children, which will exhibit more adverse reactions than other persons exposed to the toxic mold. Some of these reactions will include death, lung tissue damage and memory loss.
This may also depend on the chemical sensitivity, genetic disposition, and predisposing health history.
Currently, most health organizations consider exposure to toxic mold a health risk and hazard. Keep in mind that most responses leading to testing, investigations, and abatement of the toxic mold are due directly to occupant complaints or documented detrimental health effects.
Liability Concerns
Toxic molds may even evolve to a point where it is regarded with the same cautions, response and liability concerns as those attributed to lead-base paint and asbestos.
Health hazards and risks associated with concern to exposure to these types of mold are currently considered as short-term effects as opposed to exposure to radon gas in houses, which is considered a long-term health risk.
The Stachybotrys fungi cannot be identified by a routine visual inspection. All black molds are not necessarily Stachybotrys. It could be non-toxic black mold.
The only method to determine the type of mold present is by sample analysis by an accredited laboratory. Also, it is important to keep in mind that the mold is only a toxic risk or hazard if a person breathes or comes into contact with the spores.
Wet mold is not an indoor air quality health risk, but there is a significant potential for the mold to dry and released into the air.
Be wary of continuous health problems you might be having. If you cannot find the cause of these problems, chances are they are not really that visible to the eyes. Toxic molds can be as risky to your health as any other environmental factors.
Further Recommended Reading :
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
I am a victim of toxic mold. My symptoms include an inability to recall short-term memories, walking problems, shaking, and major changes in peronality, like outbursts of anger. We lived in two houses that we had to move from because life became impossible due to mold. It is so much more than watering eyes and a runny nose - it is every system in the body. My vision became foggy and my eyes literally sunk in my head. My skin became wrinkled and I developed black circles under my eyes. I looked like a crack addict. So, anyone whose life begins to change, relationships begin to fall apart, and anger becomes a way of life, consider moving! There is no amount of bleach that will make it okay for the person who has developed the allergy. Plus, the bleach is really bad for people like us. We couldn’t even take one piece of paper with us, as it is now contaminated and it makes me sick. Now we live in a tiny, 2-bedroom, very clean apartment on a slab (leaving my 3,000 sq. ft. house). It is worth it! Next house we buy will include an very thorough testing before signing the contract!
Holly on January 6th, 2008I lived in an apartment that started to flood and never stopped. Mold had grown everywhere. The manager was aware of this and was cited to have a mold level test and fix other serious deficiencies that they never did. I have a compromised immune system and liver disease. My ammonia level went sky high. It was not like that until I moved into this apartment and stopped when I moved out. It was a revolving door. I was hospitalized and had many ER visits buy rescue.
I was in Respiratory ICU for three weeks after two months at new place. The last time I became ill was right before I moved out. My family had not heard from me for four days. My son crawled through my bedroom window and found me sitting in bed, half dress, knotted hair, and dry bloody lips, semi-comatose and half-dead. I had not left my bed for four days, so you can imagine what my son saw. He called 911 and called my mom sobbing. I was rushed to the Trauma Center, last rights, admitted into ICU. I didn‘t know anyone and I did not talk, I babbled. I have three sisters that are nurses; they said they believed they were going to leave the hospital without me.
I barely made it, and then I went to a psychiatric hospital. I could not talk right, I forgot common words, did not recognize my sons, grandchildren and family. I could not write legibly, make change from $1 and I was talking as if it was 1976-1979 when I was in high school. I was talking about the blizzard of 1978, high school friends & boyfriend, my teachers, a fatal car accident I saw, my Spanish teacher. When my sons and grandchildren came up to see me, I was confused. I knew them, but I could not figure out who they really were. I did not want to tell anyone about all of this; because I was afraid, they would not let me go home.
Finally, my dad told me that was many years ago. I was puzzled. I did not know how he could have been so old. I did not want to hurt anyone feelings, so, I shut up, and lived in my world. I became very angry and demanded to go home. They discharged me. I did not know why they did that until I went home. I had Hospice Care. My family told me that they take care of people who are very sick and not necessarily dying. They tried to talk me into going to a nursing home. When I got home, I could not figure out why I had my own apartment. I was so mentally messed up. The Hospice nurses did not believe I had much more time to live. I did.
I could not dress myself, bath myself, fix my meals, drive my car and did not want to answer my phone. I did strange things, and I still do not know what I was thinking. I took pictures of my family and started tearing them up. I saved some people’s pictures, but I through out the other half. Hospice helped me find another apartment, pack and move. I do not know how I did it, but I did. I moved into my new apartment, Hospice discharged me within two weeks, and I have not been sick since then. I still feel beat up by all that happened physically and mentally. I am well, but still not as I was before this happened. I never told my family this story; it was too hard to explain everything. Now, I will let my family read this email, so I do not have to relive this nightmare ever again.
lorraine decristoforo on March 15th, 2008Lorraine, thank you so much for your story. That’s amazing and truly shows the damage that mold can make in one individual’s life.
I wish you the best of health,
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger team
Joslyn on March 17th, 2008Hello Joslyn and the team,
Thank you for your reply and your determination to get this out there to the public. I would like to express my sorrow to those who have lost loved one, and thank them for their courage of carrying this important message despite their pain. Sadly, the owners of the apartment complex could not wait for me to move. They had full knowledge of the mold infestation and my many hospitalizations nearly dying. I did call Housing Authority, and they were cited. I was moving anyway, however, not as quick as they would have liked. They would not receive rent, until the deficiencies were fixed. Therefore, they eliminated the least costly problem, me. Now, they are renting to others. I do not want to be arrested for trespassing; however, I will find a way to reach other tenants. Any suggestions…..
Lorraine DeCristoforo
lorraine decristoforo on March 20th, 2008Lorraine,
I think you’ve done a wonderful job in letting others know.
With such a heavy mold infestation, it won’t be long before the new renters realize the problem. Then, with more supporters against the landlords, there will be a higher chance of getting action for mold remediation procedures.
I would, without trespassing or imposing on their rights, talk with the new tenants to see if they are experiencing the same or similar problems, and if they would be willing to join the fight against mold with you.
Have a Wonderful Day!
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger team
Joslyn on March 26th, 2008Hi Joslyn and team,
It has been quite sometime since I visited this website and read my blog and other’s.
Lorraine on April 14th, 2008Often, I have this terrifying feeling inside, and I have to stop to think about what it is that is so tragic. When I realize that my sons are OK, I then realize it was the, “mold.” What a frightening word. Something I never thought about before. I still break down and cry, which is quite odd for me.
I’ve been through some tragedies, but this one “gets me.”
An attorney said something like, you’ve faced terminal illnesses before, like I have had practice at this, a pro… I thought it through and realized, I have been given a death sentence with my liver disease, but I never look death in the eye. For me, that is a huge difference.
Lorraine