When dealing with mold and mildew, the first thing you must remember is that no geographic location is really immune from mold problems. For some it's just an unsightly nuisance—but for others, it can cause severe health problems.
The perception that the South has the biggest mold problem in America just isn't true, according to Bob Thompson of the Environmental Protection Agency (see Resources, below, for more mold and mildew information from the EPA).
"Most people—when they think about mold and what states—they would think the Southeastern states like Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Actually, all states are having problems," he says.
The Science of Mold
What is mold exactly? The easiest answer: a type of fungi similar to mushrooms and yeasts. Even though mold is receiving ample media coverage these days, it's actually been around for centuries.
George Bean, Ph.D., a biologist in the department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Maryland, says we really don't know how many different types (thousands, most likely) of mold there are.
"What we do know is they have tremendous variability in what they look like, where they're found, what they produce and so forth," he says. "Technically speaking, they're (mold) called filamentous fungi in the classification scheme of all living things, " he adds.
To most, mold only exists when they see it growing, however, the fact is that mold spores—the microorganisms that become mold -- are always present.
Did You Know?—There are more than 100,000 species of mold, and at least 1,000 are common in the United States.
How Do These Microscopic Spores Turn Into What's Called Mold?
"It's critical that if the organism wants to establish itself it's got to land on something it can grow on or into," Bean, who has studied mold his entire career, says. "The only way they can get nutrients, is by absorbing it through their systems through the microscopic threads that they have."
Mold spores use those threads to suck nutrients from dead organic materials, such as paper and other wood products. Mix in lots of moisture and you have the ingredients for mold!
"We have a number of examples of fungi that actually attack plants and produce lesions and reduce the yield and so forth that literally cause the loss of billions of dollars worth of foods and feeds each year in the world," Bean says.
Believe it or not, the same characteristic of mold—its ability to decompose other materials -- plays a crucial role in the environment.
"When one living thing dies there must be some decomposition. If there weren't decomposition, the total amount of organic matter that we are all composed of would continue to increase and increase, meaning that virtually there would be no room left," Bean says.
Mold can be beneficial in other ways as well, including statin drugs, which are used to treat high cholesterol and are the result of a byproduct created from mold. The antibiotic penicillin is derived from the mold fungus penicillium, which is also the source of those blue streaks in Roquefort cheese. The scientific name is penicillium roque fordi.
Exactly why some molds can be harmful and others relatively harmless is still somewhat of a mystery to scientists. There's not even agreement on the extent to which mold causes health problems in humans. It's known that mold can aggravate allergies.
Molds release spores (much like plants release pollen) as part of the reproduction cycle. The spores released cause the allergies people experience when exposed. In fact, mold allergies are so common that spore counts are frequently posted on weather websites and in newspapers. (A blood or skin test can determine whether someone has mold allergies.)
Mold can also cause other problems ranging from irritation of the eyes, skin, nose and throat to conditions far more serious.
"We definitely know that some molds produce toxins," Thompson says. "And we also know that if you ingest or eat some of those molds, they can have some fairly severe health implications."
The Most Notorious of the Toxic Molds
Stachybotrys, the so-called "black mold," is the "bad boy" of molds. A written history documents the appearance of mold in the 19th century, but is only known to be problematic for humans and animals since the 1930s. Even though scientists have known about stachybotrys for decades, it's still unclear what level of exposure triggers serious health problems in humans. Nonetheless, this mold is an unwanted invader in anyone's home. The good news is that it doesn't show up very often, mainly because this fungus requires high levels of moisture—which means you should always be aware when your home has had extensive water damage.
How Can Mold Spores Enter the Home?
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Bags
- Open windows
- Air-conditioning systems
Click here for resources and in-depth information on this topic.
The Mold Quiz is provided courtesy of our sister site, DIYnet.com
