US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine

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http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/mold/

Mold

Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance

when moisture is present. Outdoors, many molds live in the soil and play a

key role in the breakdown of leaves, wood, and other plant debris. Without

molds we would all be struggling with large amounts of dead plant matter.

Molds break down plant materials by digesting them, using the plant material

for food.

Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce, just as plants produce seeds. Mold

spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores

land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever

they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on

wood, paper, carpet, foods, even dynamite. When excessive moisture or water

accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the

moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed. There is no practical

way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way

to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

Molds can trigger asthma episodes in individuals with an allergic reaction

to mold

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