Re: mold odors

[Guest guest]

nancy humphreys <nancy99sue@...> wrote:

> Does anyone know what causes the odor we associate

> with mold? Is it from active mold, spores,

> mycotoxins,

> all of the above, or something else?

>

> I know men and older people are less aware of smells

> in general. I wonder, does long-term mold exposure

> make one more aware of mold smell? I feel like it's

> my

> body's early warning signal now--at the first whiff

> it

> feels just like I've walked into a wall and I can't

> go

> a step further.

>

>

A nice explanation of mold odors was referred to on this site several

months ago, listed below. Simply summarized, if you can smell mustiness,

there is active mold present. The odor is not the mold itseld, nor

mycotoxins, but simply volatile metabolites from the mold, just as methane

and carbon dioxide are metabolites from mammals. Read further:

http://www.startremodeling.com/mycotoxins_voc.htm

Volatile Organic Compounds

As mold “consumes” it’s food, the chemical reactions of enzymes, substrates

and mold growth produce carbon dioxide, water, and volatile organic

compounds (VOC’s). Because these items are a result of actions essential to

the growth of the organism, they are classified as primary metabolites.

For mold, many types of VOC’s are produced and typically include aldehydes,

alcohols, keytones, and hydrocarbons. They have complex structures and names

like “2-methyl-1-propanol”, so if you are going to dig deeper into VOC’s,

get ready for chemistry class.

They are called volatile in that they evaporate easily at room temperature

and pressure. Fortunately, this volatility aids in dilution with fresh air

to minimize concentrated build-up of these chemicals. Testing for VOC’s is

often accomplished by using vacuum cylinders to obtain samples of the air

with laboratory analysis obtained from sophisticated test instruments (gas

chromatograph/mass spectrometer).

When you smell a “musty-moldy” odor, it’s generally the VOC’s you are

noticing. VOC’s are often considered irritants to mucus membranes, however,

are also capable of both short-term and long-term adverse health effects. If

you do smell these odors, it’s a sure sign the mold is consuming and growing

and you need to take action. (Note that VOC’s may also be derived from

non-mold sources including natural materials used in cleaning agents.)

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