Re:Dr. Schaller HLA / MCS/formaldehyde/voc

[Guest guest]

Greg and ,

Mold degrades cellulose and other organic compounds, but it does not produce (or

release) formaldehyde from panel board (though the presence of moisture

increases the release of formaldehyde from the resin).

Mold does not release VOCs from carpeting either, and this played no role in the

Waterside Mall carpet disaster.

The off-gassing of VOCs from carpeting is independent of any microbial growth

and occurs because of the presence of residual chemicals, most often present in

the styrene-butadiene adhesive for the backing.

Microbes produce their own VOCs (MVOCs) as a result of their metabolism, which

depends on conditions (moisture, temperature) as well as what they are

degrading.

I just encountered a vinyl floor in a basement that had significant mold growth

beneath it; the overwhelming odor was that of amine (ammonia); this was a

first! After leaving the basement, there was no ammonia smell, but the typical

musty smell permeated my clothing.

Jeff May, author

May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

Cambridge, MA

www.mayindoorair.com

Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 05:37:20 -0000

From: " erikmoldwarrior " <erikmoldwarrior@...>

Subject: Re: Dr. Schaller HLA option/ MCS

" Greg Weatherman " wrote:

> Both of you are correct. Mold was present and mold caused the

> degredation of the panel board and the subsequent release of

> formaldehyde. Mold can cause the release of industrial VOCs from

> building materials (and carpet too - EPA Waterside Buidling in

> Washington DC).

Thanks. I read that this was the case, but being so mistrustful of

official research sources, I simply tested myself against various

sources of formaldehyde.

Had no effect on me similar to that of moldy panelling.

I didn't get that " formaldehyde " responder to do a similar test, but

I've since found other people who claimed they were responding to

formaldehyde but strangely failed to complain in areas like the

plywood section of Home Depot which reeks with the stuff, which makes

me suspect that the mycotoxins were the slightly more bothersome part

of the equation.

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Reply to:

Jeff@...

[Guest guest]

What is panel board made of? Is this particle board? Is this a special type of

synethic material of panels that mimic the look of wood paneling??

----- Original Message -----

From: Jeff@...

Greg and ,

Mold degrades cellulose and other organic compounds, but it does not produce

(or release) formaldehyde from panel board (though the presence of moisture

increases the release of formaldehyde from the resin).

[Guest guest]

--- Jeff@j... wrote:

> I just encountered a vinyl floor in a basement that had

significant mold growth beneath it; the overwhelming odor was that

of amine (ammonia); this was a first! After leaving the basement,

there was no ammonia smell, but the typical musty smell permeated my

clothing.

>

> Jeff May, author

Jeff, remember the discussion on the Air Quality board about the

flooring installers who tore up a section that gave them an immune

response comparable to burns?

I proposed that the immune modulating properties of mold allowed an

over-response to the chemical adhesives which resulted in a -

s Syndrome type auto immune response.

The chemicals by themselves are simply not known to have this

effect.

It would be awful hard to miss flooring installers dropping like

flies whenever they use the product.

It seems to me that great confusion in mold exposure lies not just

in the mold exposure itself, but in the misdirected focus on

opportunistic infections and strange " Never seen anything like it "

occurances that crop up in people living in moldy houses. These are

usually identified as " idiopathic " and the associated mold exposure

is denied as a factor, since " mold doesn't hurt anybody " .

Doctors don't seem to realize that having your immune system shut

off by mycotoxins might go unnoticed until that pathogen or chemical

exposure occurs, which is identifiable as an abnormality by the way

the doctor always says " But that isn't supposed to hurt anybody. You

must be a fluke " .

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