Mold in home can grow into health woes

[Guest guest]

Mold in home can grow into health woes

Greenwood Index Journal - Greenwood,SC*

By JENNIFER COLTON/Index-Journal staff writer

Saturday, January 12, 2008

http://www.indexjournal.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/news01.txt

From the space behind your washing machine to ventilation ducts

around your house, a common culprit might be contributing to your

cold-like symptoms this season: mold.

" There are some common symptoms that can happen from mold exposure:

watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, headaches, fatigue, upper

respiratory infections, " said Chanelle Webster, program coordinator

for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental

Quality Bureau of Air Quality.

" The more likely that you're exposed to it, the greater risk that

you're going to have these symptoms, and it could get worse. "

The extent of health effects varies with the sensitivity of the

person, Webster said, but mold problems are most dangerous for

pregnant women, the elderly, children and people with allergies.

Children in homes with high mold show persistent, cold-like

symptoms -- up to 300 percent more than average, according to DHEC

information.

Particles of mold are too small for humans to see, but mold spores

act like seeds and form new mold growth colonies when they find the

right combination of nutrients and moisture. Mold colonies can grow

on many substances, including wood, paper, carpet, insulation and

food. Since the ideal temperature for mold growth is between 60 and

86 degrees Fahrenheit, homes are the perfect location for a

metropolis of mold growth, said Josh , production manager

for the Greenwood SERVPRO office.

SERVPRO is a national company that offers services for building

cleanup and restoration, including mold mitigation and remediation.

Another Greenwood company, McWhorter Cleaning and Contracting

Service, also handles mold removal; however, a representative could

not be reached by press time.

Locally, said he sees mold most often in crawl spaces

underneath the house, but ducts, carpets and dry wall are also

common culprits.

" We see it all the time, " he said. " The houses today are sealed a

lot tighter than they used to be. The best temperature for mold to

grow is 60 to 80 degrees. With people wanting to be more

comfortable, they're providing the perfect atmosphere for mold to

grow.

" Any time you see some sort of growth on the wall or you have a

musty smell, it's never too early to call. "

Although proper mold remediation can be expensive, warned

against " quick-fix " home remedies such as spraying bleach on the

mold.

" The biggest problem we have with people trying to do it themselves

is they spread the spores, " he said. " When they're spraying or

scrubbing, they make the mold spores become airborne. Then those

spores can go through the heating and air-conditioning systems and

get everywhere in the house.

" It can be dangerous stuff, and you never know what kind it is. "

Once the mold gets into the ducts, it increases not only the health

risk, but also the removal cost.

" We've done removal where we've cleaned duct lines, but sometimes

you just have to replace them, " said. " Every single job is

100 percent different from the last job. "

The best way to limit mold damage to personal health and property is

to routinely check the home, said.

" You should be checking your attic, the crawl spaces. Check behind

your washing machine every now and then for leaks, " he said. " With

the proper conditions, it only takes 48 to 72 hours for mold to

start growing. There's not a lot you can do to prevent it other than

keep maintenance on your home.

" The big thing is, as soon as you notice something, go ahead and

call. "

Quickly drying out water damage is also important, said,

especially in carpets where padding can hold moisture. Other advice

he offered was to keep heating- and cooling-system filters changed

to prevent buildup and keep ducts clean.

To reduce moisture in your home, replace rubber washing-machine

hoses with steel mesh lines and leave space between large objects

like entertainment centers and the wall for air circulation. Running

bathroom exhaust fans and using dehumidifiers can also help prevent

moisture.

Once someone sees or smells mold in the home, the first step is to

have an industrial hygienist test the mold to find out what kind it

is and what levels are present in the home, said.

" In every room of every house, there are mold spores. Whether or not

the levels are elevated is what you should be concerned about, " he

said. " Depending on what kind of mold it is, it can range from not

very harmful to deadly, so there's a big gray area. You might see

something in your basement for 20 years and it never harms you, or

something can come up in a couple of days and (cause health

problems).

" We have calls all the time with, 'Ever since I've noticed this, I

can't stop coughing.' "

Some molds are more hazardous than others because they produce

chemical compounds call mycotoins, but all indoor mold growth is

potentially harmful, according to DHEC.

" Regardless of what kind of mold it is, we usually tell people that

it needs to be removed and the problem that causes it, which is

usually water, needs to be remediated, " Webster said. " Anything that

affects your health is serious, so if you think you have a problem

with it, you do need to contact a professional and get it looked at. "

For information and tips about mold, contact the SCDHEC Bureau of

Air Quality at (803) 898-4123 or e-mail airquestions@....

Online, visit http://www.cehrc.org/tools/moldmoisture/index.cfm,

http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/indoorair.aspx or

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html.