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Molds can be found wherever there is moisture, oxygen, and a source
of the few other chemicals they need. Mold is the single greatest
problem in Indoor Air Quality. At the same time, many situations
attributed to molds are actually due to bacteria.
Sick Building Syndrome and Building Related Disease are most often
due to mold. Water intrusion, coupled with an elevated temperature and
a food source create the environment for molds to propagate rapidly.
Floods, sewer back-ups, or the presence of bird droppings, domestic or
wild animal wastes increase the likelihood that bacteria is involved.
We are familiar with the health effects from molds such as Stachybotrys,
Actinomycetes, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria, and many more.
Our goal is to identify and quantify the microorganisms in a building. Human beings can be
allergic to
- The living mold
- The mold spores
- The residual portion (the “carcass”)
- A mycotoxin – which is a byproduct of their food cycle.
The symptoms or reaction from these sources can be radically different.
A living mold may induce a stuffy nose or an asthma attack whereas the
mycotoxins from the same mold may leave the person feeling weak and
lethargic for days.
Regardless of the source or the symptoms, the objective is to eliminate
the problem. This can be accomplished through careful cleaning, application
of a fungicidal agent, or removal of material where they are growing.
Equally as important is elimination of the cause of their ability to grow
and multiply. This can be MOISTURE, FOOD AND HEAT.
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