Re: UV Lights

[Guest guest]

Please Please remember that you never want to kill mold, removal is the only

option. If you try and kill mold, with ozone, UV light, bleach, disinfectant, or

EM1, it will cause the mold to fight back, and pump out toxin. Many people are

harmed when they try and do this. Cleaning with a product like Simple Green is

safe, it will wash away the spores without irritating them, after everything is

clean, you might apply a natural anti-mold product, like moldzyme, but even that

can be dangerous, because it is almost impossible to remove all the spores. I

would reccomend a dehumidifier in the basement. If it is kept dry ,if will not

mold.

>

> Do UV lights work to kill mold? Can I use them in my basement effectively?

> I dont know what's going on down there-the basement has been dry and clean for

2 years and then last week-I smell mold. Maybe some water got in somehow?

> I'm upset, I'm discouraged, and I don't want to do this again. Thinking maybe

UV lights are the magic wand I need-everything will be made better somehow.

> I need to catch this before I start sliding down to complete mold sickness

victim-if that happens I can't get anything done.

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting information-Ok so just to be clear-if I maintain a clean and dry

basement a UV light (like the Germ Guardian) will help in maintaining a mold

free space or not? Sorry to be so amateur but I just need a yes or no answer

really. Thanks!

>

> UV does not kill mold it dis-activates it by destroying it's DNA. The

> UVC Germicidal wavelength is effective in penetrating the cell membrane

> of the microorganism breaking its DNA structure. When the microorganism

> DNA sterilization is finished it can no longer reproduce. The purpose of

> UV is to control the exponential growth of various types of

> microorganism. Depending on the energy intensity and time exposition it

> will destroy not only mold, but also bacteria and viruses. To control

> mold as many already are aware it is important to maintain areas free

> from dampness, humidity and dust, and if anyone wishes to explore the

> possibility of using sterilization or particle capture; It could be an

> option. Using any sort of cleaning chemistry may exacerbate the problem.

> Controlling microorganism, that can effect us at times, needs to be done

> continually and consistently.

[Guest guest]

Yes, the word kill was used not in the scientific sense. Mold spores, being

neither dead or alive, cannot be killed, only made non-viable. But my trials

have shown that UV lights, like moldzyme, bleach, vinegar, ozone, do indeed

de-activate mold, and when the mold spores or heavens forbid , a mold colony

feel a threat, they pump out toxin before they de-activate, making the ambient

air full of mycotoxin that took your problem from one that might have been easy

to clean up to a whole new level. Then you need months of strong UV or weeks of

ozone to clean up the mess, and probably in the process degrade other products,

such as plastics, causing more chemicals to be released. Those of us that are

extremely sensitive to the by-products of mold that are produced when spores are

de-activated , or when they grow, know not to irritate them.

-

>

> >

> > UV does not kill mold it dis-activates it by destroying it's DNA. The

> > UVC Germicidal wavelength is effective in penetrating the cell membrane

> > of the microorganism breaking its DNA structure. When the microorganism

> > DNA sterilization is finished it can no longer reproduce. The purpose of

> > UV is to control the exponential growth of various types of

> > microorganism. Depending on the energy intensity and time exposition it

> > will destroy not only mold, but also bacteria and viruses. To control

> > mold as many already are aware it is important to maintain areas free

> > from dampness, humidity and dust, and if anyone wishes to explore the

> > possibility of using sterilization or particle capture; It could be an

> > option. Using any sort of cleaning chemistry may exacerbate the problem.

> > Controlling microorganism, that can effect us at times, needs to be done

> > continually and consistently.

>

[Guest guest]

ok Carl I get it.

I ventured downstairs yesterday to find the smelly culprit (picture me sniffing

away at the walls and floor). Anyway, I think it was a piece of that cement

sheetrock that people use for showers. It was leaning up against the wall and I

smelled something off. Also there were a few 2 x 4's up against the wall. I

threw everything out and hosed down the area with a little hydrogen peroxide

(bleaching stuff makes me feel safer).

Now if you say, Surella, I thought you gutted that basement. Why so much stuff

lying around? I'd say, I have NO idea. It seems to spontaneously appear. Every

single time I go down there I find something (it's a big basement) and then I

swear everything is gone. I hope this was the problem.

Otherwise, basement is dry, dehumidifier rarely fills up and the air is good

down there. Hopefully this was just a blip.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

>

> Sorry, but yes and no.

>

> The UV light shining directly onto the A/C cooling coils can be

> very beneficial to prevent mold and bacterial growth on the

> cooling coils. But UV will not help with mold spores already in the

> air circulating through the forced air system. The spores don't

> stay in the UV light long enough.

>

> I disagree with the previous post that claim UV destroys the DNA

> of the mold. PCR and ERMI will still identify mold after UV

> exposure because they detect only the DNA which means (some

> of) the DNA remains. UV is able to kill and destroy but it takes as

> long as 5 minutes of exposure for the larger and darker spores.

> Not very practical for a forced air system.

>

> Perhaps intense UV shining everywhere in the basement all the

> time would help. But is the basement is clean and dry you don't

> need mold control because clean and dry IS the mold control.

>

> Even if the DNA were destroyed, the other components of mold

> may not be. Such things and glucans, protease, allergy triggering

> proteins and the irritants from the particulate remaining. Many of

> which, by the way, will now be ultra-fine particulate with their own

> set of physical and chemical characteristics.

>

> Removal, removal, removal.

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC