Toxic Molds - from the Sac Bee

[Guest guest]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/mold/

This whole page is solely about toxic molds. Lot of links.

Thought I'd share this one story with you:

Experts taking issue with 'toxic mold'

The term is called alarmist because of so many unknowns.

By LePage -- Bee Staff Writer

Published 5:00 a.m. PST Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002

" Enough already! " comes the collective cry from public health experts who've

seen references to " toxic mold " multiply like mold spores in recent years.

The term " toxic mold " has become a buzz phrase among the news media,

attorneys and mold cleanup and testing firms that profit from society's

deepening concern over indoor mold and its potential health effects.

But for many scientists and doctors who follow the latest research, it's

still just plain old " mold. " They stress that it's an ecologically vital

organism that has always been found virtually everywhere, though it should

never be allowed to flourish indoors.

" We're not in some epidemic of new and mysterious attack of mold, " says

Tominack, associate professor of occupational and environmental

medicine at the St. Louis School of Medicine.

Many such public health experts loathe references to " toxic mold " because

they view it as an alarmist term originally propagated not by scientists but

by either the news media or trial lawyers.

Scoggins, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, sums up the use of the term " toxic mold " this way: " It

sells. "

The term is usually used to refer to molds capable of releasing toxins. Yet

many public health experts point out that not all molds capable of releasing

toxins will ever do so in a given building. And they're just as concerned

about the thousands of mold species that release various allergens as they

are about those capable of emitting toxins.

" What we routinely try to educate the public about is that even if molds did

not produce any toxic components ... we'd still be concerned about mold

growth in buildings because there are other components of mold that cause

ill effects in people, " said McNeel, one of the California Department

of Health Service's top mold experts.

She points out that, for the general public, a " toxin " is thought of as

something that could kill or do great harm. But among scientists, she says,

the term simply refers to a substance that can cause physiological change in

someone, and not necessarily a change that causes serious health problems.

In fact, that change could be so minor as to be undetectable, she said.

McNeel adds: " At this stage our knowledge of why mold causes health problems

in some people is so incomplete that there might be elements more important

than allergens or toxins, and we just haven't figured out what they are. "

Moreover, even though most of today's mold scare is focused on " toxic mold, "

commercial testing firms don't have the technology to document the presence

of mycotoxins (a toxin released by a mold) indoors or in building materials,

according to public health officials. So while one of these firms might be

able to confirm the presence of a mold capable of releasing mycotoxins, such

as a much-talked-about mold called Stachybotrys chartarum, it can't confirm

the mold actually released the toxin, officials said.

Also, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) explains in its

literature on mold that " there are no laboratory tests of blood, urine or

other body components that can determine if a person has been exposed to

mycotoxins. "

The literature on mold from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

states that " at present there is no test that proves an association between

Stachybotrys chartarum (often named in lawsuits claiming damaged health) and

particular health symptoms. "

While health officials agree exposure to indoor mold isn't healthy, the

notion of " toxic mold " is " a very controversial issue which is primarily

generated from animal-based studies and does not have a strong

evidence-based link to human reactions and human health, " says Dr.

Yip, chief of occupational medicine for Kaiser Permanente

Sacramento/Roseville.

Complicating research to determine indoor mold's specific health effects is

that people's responses can vary greatly, experts say, as does the amount of

mold necessary to trigger a response.

They contend " toxic mold " is also a highly misleading term because it

implies all mold is bad or that a " toxic mold " must be more dangerous than

others.

This helps explain why public health officials and others urged state Sen.

Debra Ortiz, D-Sacramento, to drop the word " toxic " from the title of her

mold bill last year: " The Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001. " In the end the

name stuck.

Despite their dislike for the term " toxic mold, " many health officials,

doctors and scientists do believe mold poses a potential health threat when

allowed to grow unchecked indoors. Those most at risk, they say, include

infants and young children, the elderly, and individuals with existing

respiratory conditions, such as allergies or asthma, or with weakened immune

systems, such as from HIV infection.

While acknowledging there's still much to learn about mold's specific health

effects, DHS states its position clearly in its citizens guide to mold

( " Mold in my home: What do I do? " ): " Exposure to mold is not healthy for

anyone inside buildings. "

Public health officials say it's clear some people have an allergic response

to certain molds, as they would to dust mites or cat dander, and they're

convinced mold can act as an irritant. The symptoms, such as watery eyes and

noses, go away after the affected person leaves the area with the mold, they

say. However, some experts contend that people who've had long-term regular

exposure to indoor mold can develop an allergy to it and eventually asthma.

DHS stresses in its literature that mold spores " are a natural component of

both outdoor and indoor air. " Health threats develop, the agency explains,

when molds germinate and grow indoors, thanks to the presence of excessive

moisture, perhaps from a leaky roof or from unventilated cooking, hot

showers or humidifiers.

This is why many health officials contend the real problem behind today's

growing mold problem isn't so much mold itself -- which is ubiquitous -- but

the presence of water indoors that doesn't belong there.

" Moisture control is the key to preventing mold problems, " says Tominack, of

the St. Louis School of Medicine.

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The Bee's LePage can be reached at (916) 321-1065 or

alepage@...