Question for Dr. R. Lipsey-----Why No Research on the Hazards of Molds

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In a message dated 3/24/2002 9:03:24 PM Eastern Standard Time, MLMJ75 writes:

Subj:Question for you

Date:3/24/2002 9:03:24 PM Eastern Standard Time

From:MLMJ75

To:Rllipsey87

Dear Dr. Lipsey,

I have a question for you. If some of the mycotoxins appear on state hazardous substance lists, then why is there even a question about removing employees from exposure or at least warning employees about the presence of these substances in their places of work, i.e., Right to Know laws. I just don't understand.

ANSWER------------------------------------

Go to your nearest Federal Bookstore and get the latest copy of the NIOSH- Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards , which is about $14 and it will list the most toxic chemicals and the safe levels in the workplace and the symptoms expected, etc., but there are no molds or mycotoxins in the handbook because the research has not been done on "dose and response". Who would do the studies on lab animals? Ans: Someone wanting to sell molds and mycotoxins as products, ........which will never happen. Dow Chem sold dioxin in 2,4-D/2,4,5-T (Agent Orange) as a product. We know dose from animal studies that Dow conducted and from epidemiological studies done later (and reviewed by me as a consultant for EPA and as a professor at the University of Florida. I did similar studies with test animals as a UF professor to establish dose for various pesticides for different chemical companies. So we would know symptoms expected at different doses. This has never been done for molds and mycotoxins.

Some "experts" who are industrial hygienists and not toxicologists and who work mostly for the defense, will say it is because we do not know dose, or the amount of the mycotoxin a person got into their body by oral, inhalation or dermal exposure. We usually do not know the amount of a mycotoxin in a home much less how much got into a person's body. Each sample costs $250 to analyze in the lab. We can do blood tests to find antibodies to show you have been exposed, but to establish a "dose/ response curve" for cause and effect that could be peer reviewed and stand up in court, we must do animal studies and there is no one to pay for those million dollar studies, so it will probably never be done. A couple of states are currently working of establishing guidelines for safe levels of molds in a home, but not the more deadly mycotoxins.

DR. RICHARD L. LIPSEY

PROFESSOR AND TOXICOLOGIST

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA (OSHA)

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA MEDICAL CENTER-JAX

(POISON CONTROL)

DR. R. LIPSEY WEBSITE(www.richardlipsey.com)

Dear Dr. Lipsey,

I have a question for you. If some of the mycotoxins appear on state

hazardous substance lists, then why is there even a question about removing

employees from exposure or at least warning employees about the presence of

these substances in their places of work, i.e., Right to Know laws. I just

don't understand.