Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors

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Article Title:

Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors

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Article Description:

Questions about mold related health problems or toxic mold

and black mold problems? A Certified mold inspector and mold

testing firm offers info and help in regard to mold

inspections and mold biology.

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Distribution Date and Time: 2009-12-22 11:00:00

Written By: Daryl Watters

Copyright: 2009

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Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors

Copyright © 2009 Daryl Watters

A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.

http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/

The diverse fungal organisms on planet earth form an entire large

grouping of related organisms know as the fungi kingdoms. The

terms mold and mould are typically used to describe only a small

subset of this much larger kingdom.

What are fungi? Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, which means

unlike bacteria they all have true cells with at least one

nucleus in the cell and that nucleus is inside a nuclear

membrane. The other cell organelles also are in membranes. Fungi

are not photosynthetic like plants; thus, they cannot make their

own food using sunlight and carbon dioxide like plants. But like

bacteria and plants, the fungi have rigid cell walls, and like

bacteria and some primitive plants (Mosses, liverworts, and

ferns), molds produce spores for reproduction.

Fungi can be microscopic, one-celled organisms, such as yeasts,

or large macroscopic organisms, such as giant mushrooms.

According to the fifth kingdom (a popular mycology textbook)

there are one hundred thousand known fungi species; there may be

as many as 1 to 1.7 million species of fungi if we include

estimated numbers of fungi not yet discovered. During a mold

inspection service investigation, only a dozen or so different

types are typically encountered.

Fungi are saprophytes. In other words, they release enzymes onto

the substrate which they are growing in order to dissolve and eat

that substrate. They share this characteristic with bacteria. In

nature, two of mold's favorite foods are moist dead wood and

soil rich with decaying organic matter. During a mold inspection,

we find that most molds will grow on drywall paper found on both

surfaces of wet drywall. The reason for this is that drywall

paper is made of one of molds favorite foods, wood.

Several species of mold commonly grow on water damaged building

materials. The volatile organic compounds or odors they produce,

and the spores they release often result in allergy or asthma

like reactions in home owners and office building occupants.

Some fungi are infectious, growing inside or on other living

things. Some of the fungi cause ring worm, athlete's foot,

Candida yeast infections, valley fever, and most common sinus

infections.

A few infectious fungi have the ability to grow as a fuzzy white

decay fungus or (saprophyte) at room temperature. The same molds

will grow as a disease causing yeast-like pathogen when incubated

at body temperature. These fungi are called dimorphic which means

two body types and they can result in serious and sometimes fatal

illness when growing in the human body in its infectious yeast

form. These fungi are not typically found or identified during

mold testing or a mold inspection service investigation. Most are

found in pigeon or starling bird droppings, or in bat droppings,

other types live in dry soils of the South Western U.S. and South

America.

It appears that in order to keep from being eaten, various types

of fungi produce toxic chemicals known as mycotoxins. We know of

at least 200 types of mycotoxins. Toxic molds containing

mycotoxins are very dangerous or even deadly to humans and

livestock when eaten in moldy foods.

When you feel sick because of mold in your home, it is not likely

to be from mycotoxins. It is usually an allergic reaction or

asthmatic reaction. Molds cause many minor and many serious

allergy and asthma problems. Please see your doctor for

verification. Why do molds cause allergies? Mold produces

proteins that many people and even pets' immune systems see as

an invading pathogen, the immune system over reacts to these

harmless mold proteins attempts to get rid of them or destroy

them, and as a result your own bodies immune system makes you

feel sick. It is a fact that many persons die each year in

America from asthma attacks.

Mycotoxins (being large, low-volatile chemicals) do not readily

evaporate into the air, and antigens (being proteins) obviously

are not likely to evaporate either; thus, one has to breathe in

mold spores or other mold parts to have an allergic reaction to

fungi. One typically has to eat fungi-contaminated food to be

poisoned by mycotoxins. Breathing in very large amounts of spores

in industrial settings or during mold removal also known as mold

remediation may result in organic toxic dust syndrome with

flu-like symptoms.

Long term exposure to mold, bacteria, or thermophilic

actinomycets (a cross between fungus and bacteria), may result in

hypersensitivity pneumonia, a type of industrial-strength

allergic condition with possible pneumonia-like symptoms.

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Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection

Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality

testing in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms

designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer

generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports.

For more inspection and testing information visit:

http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/Daryl-Watters-Mold-Inspector-CV.htm

http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/

http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com/