Will Toxic Black Mold In My Home Poison Me? Grrrrr

[Guest guest]

Will Toxic Black Mold In My Home Poison Me?

http://homeschoolingmaterials.org/will-toxic-black-mold-in-my-home-poison-me/

Toxic black mold or stachybotrys is found by certified mold inspectors about 6%

of the time in indoor air samples and about 1% of the time in outdoor samples.

According to literature and according to this inspectors experience it grows

almost exclusively on very wet cellouse containing materials including paper,

carpet backings, ceiling tile, and especially on drywall.

It is the most feared of all molds, due to the numerous news reports, newspaper

articles, and magazine articles attributing possible brain damage, infant

deaths, expensive property damage and other horrible consequences surrounding

its growth in residential settings.

Many molds produce mycotoxins (toxic chemicals that molds use in a type of

microbial warfare). Living things that do not possess claws, fangs, or a hard

shell to use in self defense or fast legs to run away from predators, will

typically revert to the use of camouflage or the production of poisons. This is

very common in nature.

In reality, toxic molds like Stachybotrys also known as toxic black mold and

others may have to be either consumed in mold contaminated foods, or physically

handled so that excessive physical contact is made between human skin and the

mold in order for toxic reactions to develop. At this time most scientists do

not believe that breathing in toxic mold spores can have toxic effects on humans

when inhaled at the levels typically encountered in homes and offices.

Public opinion may not be in support of the above statement and in the future we

may find that the above statement is not true and perhaps one day we will find

that toxic molds cause toxic reactions via inhalation but currently scientific

evidence does not support the view that toxic molds can poison you via

inhalation at levels found in indoor environments. To support this statement

please review the following abstract from the International Journal of

Toxicology Volume 23, Number 1 / January-February 2004 pages 3 to 10.

" Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins in Indoor Office and Residential Environments

Bruce J. Kelman A1, Coreen A. Robbins A1, Lonie J. Swenson A1, D. Hardin

A1 A1 GlobalTox, Inc., Redmond, Washington, USA

Abstract:

Mycotoxins are known to produce veterinary and human diseases when consumed with

contaminated foods. Mycotoxins have also been proposed to cause adverse human

health effects after inhalation exposure to mold in indoor residential, school,

and office environments. Epidemiological evidence has been inadequate to

establish a causal relationship between indoor mold and nonallergic, toxigenic

health effects. In this article, the authors model a maximum possible dose of

mycotoxins that could be inhaled in 24 h of continuous exposure to a high

concentration of mold spores containing the maximum reported concentration of

aflatoxins B1 and B2, satratoxins G and H, fumitremorgens B and C, verruculogen,

and trichoverrols A and B. These calculated doses are compared to effects data

for the same mycotoxins. None of the maximum doses modeled were sufficiently

high to cause any adverse effect. The model illustrates the inefficiency of

delivery of mycotoxins via inhalation of mold spores, and suggests that the lack

of association between mold exposure and mycotoxicoses in indoor environments is

due to a requirement for extremely high airborne spore levels and extended

periods of exposure to elicit a response. This model is further evidence that

human mycotoxicoses are implausible following inhalation exposure to mycotoxins

in mold-contaminated home, school, or office environments. "

Regardless of if toxic mold can poison you with mycotoxins via inhalation, it is

a fact observed by this inspector many times that mold can make some people very

sick. Asthma attacks, allergies, and sinus infections from mold appear to be

very common. Such conditions in turn can cause people to loose sleep, loose

energy and concentration, miss work, and in general feel as if they were being

poisoned by mycotoxins.