Vickie Said:

How do you know HOW toxic BLACK mold is? How much is a home test ?

We Answered:

There is no definition of levels of toxicity when it comes to mold because each individual is different and may be more or less sensitive than others to mold exposure. The toxins that are produced are called mycotoxins and can be produced by pretty much any of the mold species. Some forms of aspergillius are actually just as dangerous or can be more dangerous than stachybotrys chartarum. So looking for just one genus of mold is not valid as there could be other species that are toxin producing. The only way to verify that they are is to have a professional take samples for mycotoxins and have a certified lab test them for the mycotoxins being produced.

Home tests are unreliable and usually give you data that has no relations to quantity or type of mold in your house. These are typically petri dish samples where you set out a petri dish and mold will start growing on it. This doesn't give you a representative sample because it relies on the mold spore landing on the dish and growing. 1. Mold will almost always grow on these because there is always some mold in your home. 2. If there are multiple different types of mold growing in your home if you have 1 species that has 1000 spores per cubic meter and you have another species that has 10 spores per cubic meter what are the chances that you will see the 10 spore species at all. 3. This also gives you no idea of what levels are in your home as they only tell you species. So you could have no mold problem at all or you could have a massive mold problem. Since you don't know what mold spores are in the outside air then you have no idea what mold spores would naturally be in your home and at what levels.

Can mold effect your health - absolutely but again this gets into levels of sensitivity, mold spore types, if they are toxin producing or not and length of time exposed.

Finally to clear up a common misconception about mold: stachybotrys as seen to the naked eye is commonly black, however the color can vary from white to black. Also species of cladisporium are black to the naked eye and can be confused as "Black Mold" when in reality they are not a commonly toxin producing species at all. So just because it is black or not does not mean you are or aren't dealing with toxin producing mold. The only way to determine what mold you are dealing with and if it is potentially toxin producing is to have a professional sample the air and take bio-tape samples or swab samples to have them verified at the lab for genus and species and potentially have samples taken for mycotoxins.

I hope this answers your question in regards to how to proceed with determining the extent of the problem that you are dealing with. Also in regards to the people that I know will tell you to just wash it down with bleach: all that will do is send the mold spores into the air where they will possibly carry the mycotoxins, if the mold hyphae is producing mycotoxins, and potentially into your respiratory system which could make the health concerns worse and this would give you a false sense of security because you no longer see the mold, even though it is potentially in much higher concentrations in the air now.

Enrique Said:

Could a very short period of time exposed to black mold cause noticeable health effects?

We Answered:

Most probably you have allergy to black mold.
There are many routes of exposure to molds including dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation. The health risks associated with mold exposure include, but are not limited to: allergic reactions, irritation associated with volatile organic compounds, invasive disease, mycotoxicosis.

Lucy Said:

Side effects of Black Mold

We Answered:

Debbie,
Yes it sounds like you and your baby are living in a Toxic Mold environment. You can get the mold analyzed to know for sure. Sounds like the very very dangerous mold called Stachybotrys. Once the mold spores break off from the original source and go airborne the spores become 400x more toxic. The spores will be all over your home, in furniture, clothes etc. Its imperative that if there is toxic mold in your home that you and your baby leave immediately!! Only take clothes that you will wash immediately. Dont go back into this home until its totally remediated. Toxic Mold can kill you, its that dangerous and will not spare the richest man or the poorest baby. Tell your doctors that you need anti-fungal medication immediately for both you and your baby. They will look at you like your crazy but keep the pressure on them. Once Toxic Mold gets into your body it will not come out naturally. God Bless you and your baby.

Colleen Said:

Mold in a concrete council house in the UK?

We Answered:

Very sorry to hear of your problems. Unfortunately a lot of postwar housing was built like this and there is so much of it the authorities do not have a lot of choice. Get out if you can but meantime-
Concrete cannot breathe so you must have ventilation all the time to let the water vapour out. That probably means windows open a slit all the time or more for at least five minutes a day and dont be too quick to shut doors between rooms except for damp generating rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. Try and clear steam out of these rooms as quickly as possible. The aim is to circulate fresh air. In cold weather heat as much as you can so that water vapour does not condense on cold walls into running damp. In hot weather open windows wide if safe.
Meantime get rid of mouldy carpets and wallpaper and then scrub down with bleach solution or whatever is recommended by a home decorator eg b&q. Live on bare floorboards with scraps of carpet or corrugated cardboard until you are sure the mould is not coming back. Dont repaint or wallpaper in too much of a hurry either. You can paint a woodworm treatment on woodworm wood if the plank is otherwise in good condition but do not use the room until the room has time to get rid of the fumes. Ventilation again.
You are all feeling ill because of the mould and its spores so you must scrub them away ard throw away items too badly affected. Take one room at a time and remember about heat and ventilation afterwards. Move items especially beds away from exterior walls which are the coldest and most prone to condensation. Mop up pools of water and running windows as quickly as possible. If they sit they are adding to the problem. We all breathe out a lot of water vapour at night so have your windows open a bit to ventilate. It is better to be a bit colder than sick. Do not store a lot of books or paperwork in a bedroom as it absorbs water vapour and will not dry out easily. The more people sleeping in one room the more water vapour they create.
So be ruthless in getting rid of the mould and any standing pools of water and also be ruthless about airing the house/flat by opening doors and windows for a short time every day and leaving them open a slit all the time you are at home. Air the bedding and other textiles and wash away small mould patches by washing if you can. And keep the air and walls as warm with heating as you can afford. Dont worry about redecorating until you are sure you have beaten the problem. And then paint is probably better than wallpaper and vinyl than carpet or laminate. And the best of good luck!

Ramon Said:

landlords' responbility for black mold?

We Answered:

he should have paid you for the work he was supposed to do. take him to court

Jennifer Said:

What are the most common household BLACK molds ?

We Answered:

Call the health dept on her. She has not just a duty to protect her investment, but also to provide a service to you by giving you what you pay for in the form of rent.
It really doesn't matter the type of black mold to be honest. The safest way to deal with it is to be careful no matter what it is. A lot of them are harmful and can cause serious health risks.
The way to deal with molds like that are to find the source.
Usually moisture, cold or heat in an area not designed to be in contact with either.
For example the inside of a wall in a bathroom. Designed to hide plumbing, insulation, whatever. Imagine the pipe going through the wall springing a leak, maybe a hot water pipe. Then you have moisture coupled by the added heat collecting in the wall. Spores collect here causing the mold you see coming through the other side.
The health department can be summoned by you who may in turn contact her with the results from any tests that may be performed. She will then be forced to comply according to the results of the tests.
At least I hope I'm right, the legalities and processes are different in each locale.
It wont hurt to try though.