Toxic Mold

Mould Training Course: October 30, 2008

2008-10-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

The awareness of the impact of mould growth in buildings and facilities is increasing every day. People not only consider mould unsightly in homes and workplaces, but they are also aware it can effect the indoor air quality and cause or exacerbate health symptoms. Many claims for damages, replacement of building materials and health effects as a result of exposure to mould have also been filed successfully across north America and more so in the USA.

MBL provides a unique, comprehensive one-day mould training course on how to recognize indoor mould, how to develop effective sampling strategies, how to interpret laboratory results and how to pprevent mould growth in homes and work environments. This course has been designed to aid those who would like to learn more about how to investigate mould problems in a building, current mould guidelines/remediation techniques. Participants will gain an understanding of where and what types of moulds are typically found in the natural environment, what factors influence the growth of moulds in indoor environments, tools and techniques to identify moulds, health effects associated with mould exposure, classification of work for remediation techiniques, Canadian Construction Association mould guideliness and other guidelines, and prevention of mould growth.

The course is intended for OHS/EHS Specialists, Building Maintenance Personnel, Health and Safety Committee Members, and Plant and Operations Mangers.

Mold Training: October 30, 2008

2008-09-30T10:00:00.002-04:00

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) is pleased to offer the Mold Training Course on October 30, 2008. Learn how to recognize mold, perform effective sampling, and interpret laboratory results. For course fee and other details, please click Mold Training Course.

Air Sampling For Total Fungal Spore Counts

2008-07-25T09:14:00.005-04:00

We have compiled a short flash video demo on how to sample air for airborne fungal total spore counts. To see the video, please click Air Sampling For Total Fungal Spore Counts.

After seeing the video, please be kind enough to suggest how we could improve the video.

How To Sample For Mould

2008-07-21T23:51:00.003-04:00

We have compiled a short flash video on how to sample for mould using clear scotch tape. To view the video click "How To Sample For Mould Using Clear Scotch Tape". For comments or questions regarding the video or mould sampling please call (905)290-9101

What Are Mold Spores?

2008-06-21T14:29:00.002-04:00

Mold spores are tiny propagative units similar in function to plant seeds but they do not contain preformed embryo. They can be produced by sexual or asexual means.

Types of Mold Spores
Various terms are used to describe mold spores:

Ascospores: spores produced by ascomycetes, e.g., those of the mold Chaetomium;
Basidiospores: spores produced by basidiomycetes e.g., those of mushrooms;
Conidiospores (conidia): spores produced by most members of the deuteromycetes, e.g., those of molds such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Stachybotrys;
Sporangiospores and Zygospores: spores produced by Zygomycetes, e.g., those of the mould Rhizopus.

Some mold spores can remain viable for many years.

Bacterial and Fungal Contamination of Metalworking Fluids (MWFs)

2008-03-21T10:33:00.003-04:00

Metalworking fluids are used to cool and/or lubricate metal works during machining, grinding, cutting, milling, etc. MWFs can get contaminated when good hygiene practices are not followed or when fluids are not properly managed or maintained. Bacterial and fungal contamination of metalworking fluids (MWFs) is a major concern in the industries which use these fluids. Contamination may cause equipment malfunction, off-odors, degradation in the fluid quality, economic losses and finally, they pose as a major health hazard. Several Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria are found as contaminants. These include Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp. and Coliforms. Fungal contaminants include, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. and Cephalosporium sp.

Major health concerns of bacterial and fungal Contaminated metalworking fluids include skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and, occasionally, breathing difficulties such as bronchitis and asthma. Learn more about contamination of metalworking fluids.

How Do I Know If I Have Black Mold in My Home

2008-02-14T10:37:00.004-05:00

The only way to know whether you have black mold in your house is to have the mold tested by a qualified mold laboratory. If you have visible mold growth, you can easily take samples for laboratory testing by using clear scotch tape. All you need to do is to cut 2-3 inches of clear scotch tape and stick it onto the surface with mold growth. Then remove the tape and stick it onto a plastic bag and then send it to a lab. For details on how to take air samples, please visit http://www.moldbacteria.com/moldtesting_for_homeowners.html

If the mold is not visible but there is musty smell, you can take air samples. While negative air samples do not necessarily mean there is no mold growth, air samples can help in detecting hidden mold growth. For details on how to take air samples, please call 905-290-9101.

Canadian Mould Remediation Guidelines

2008-02-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

There are a number of mould guidelines in Canada. These include:

Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry

The Guide prepared by the Canadian Construction Association offers practical advice on mould-related issues (legal, insurance, and health considerations). It also offers helpful information on how to minimize mould growth, identify and measure it, and step-by-step instructions on remediation.

The guide is free to download from the CCA website http://www.cca-acc.com/documents/electronic/cca82/cca82.pdf and hardcopies can be purchased from your local construction associations.

EACO Mould Abatement Guidelines

Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario prepared this guideline to assist building owners, constructors, contractors, subcontractors and workers who have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations to safely perform work activities involving Mould (Microbial) Abatement and remediation. A free copy is available on their site at http://www.eacoontario.com/downloads.htm

OAA Mould Control Practice Guide

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) issued the Mould Control Practice Guide to assist and educate its members with respect to certain matters related to mould and mould in buildings. The guide is available at their website at http://www.oaa.on.ca/client/oaa/OAAHome.nsf/web/Mould+in+Buildings+-+OAA+Mould+Practice+Guide?OpenDocument

Fungal investigations in public buildings, workplaces, and homes

2008-01-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Investigation of fungal contamination in indoor environments normally includes visual inspection and sampling. The samples to collect, the number, when and where to collect them and the methods to be used for sample analyses depends on the objectives or goal of the investigation. The samples that may be collected include air, dust or bulk samples. Swabs or clear cellophane tape can be used to sample for fungi from contaminated surfaces. The samples can be analyzed by either direct microscopy or by culture methods depending on the type of data required.

Symptoms Of Mold Exposure

2008-01-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Mold exposure through inhalation of airborne spores may affect human health in many ways. Some of the severe diseases associated with mold exposure include infection of the respiratory system (including the lungs) by species of Aspergillus. Aspergillus fumigatus, for example, is a common cause of Aspergillosis in individuals with weakened immune system.

A variety of other health problems have also been associated with airborne mold spores, such as chronic respiratory infections, dry cough, eye irritations, skin symptoms, asthmatic symptoms and allergy. Non-specific symptoms include headache, fever, and lack of concentration.

Cladosporium herbarum

2007-12-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Cladosporium herbarum is a common outdoor and indoor mold. It is commonly found on dead herbaceous and woody plants, textiles, rubber, paper, and foodstuffs of all kinds.

In the indoor environment, Cladosporium herbarum is found in floor, carpet and mattress dust, damp acrylic painted walls, wallpaper, HVAC insulation, filters and fans. It is frequently the most prominent mold in air-spora. It grows over a wide range of temperatures, and has frequently been reported causing spoilage of meat in cold storage.

Cladosporium herbarum is not known to be toxigenic but can be highly allergenic to sensitive individuals. For more information about Cladosporium herbarum and other species of Cladosposporium, click http://www.moldbacteria.com/learnmore/cladosporium.html

Indoor Air Quality: Biological Pollutants

2007-11-25T09:52:00.002-05:00

Indoor air quality is compromised by both biological and non-biological pollutants. Sources of biological pollutants include microorganisms, animal, insects and related organisms.

The most common biological pollutants include molds and their byproducts, dust mites, pet dander (scales from hair, feathers, or skin), droppings and body parts from cockroaches, rodents and other pests or insects, viruses, and bacteria. Due to their small size, many of these biological pollutants are airborne and easily inhaled deep into the lungs.

Health Effects From Biological Pollutants
Some biological pollutants may cause serious health problems including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and some types of asthma. Other health problems attributed to biological pollutants are sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, shortness of breath, dizziness, lethargy, fever, and digestive problems.

It is believed allergic reactions occur only after repeated exposure to a specific biological allergen. The reaction may occur immediately upon re-exposure or after multiple exposures over time.

Testing For Airborne Mold Spore Concentration

2007-11-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

Testing for airborne mold spore concentration is achieved by impacting a known volume of air onto a surface coated with sticky material. As the air hits the sticky surface the spores and any other particulates in the air are trapped. In the laboratory the spores are identified under a microscope, categorised into various groups and counted. This method is excellent for estimating how contaminated the air is but it does not tell us what proportion of the counted spores are still viable. If an estimate of the proportion of viable mold spores is needed, then the air has also to be impacted onto some growth agar media. Viable mold spores would then grow on the media and appear as mold colonies, usually referred to as colony forming units (CFU). CFU is not a very accurate way of measuring the viable proportion of airborne mold spores. This is because a single colony can develop from one spore or a group of spores. Secondly, fast growing colonies tend to overgrow slow growing colonies. Also, the agar media used may not support the growth of all categories of viable spores present in the air.

Testing For Mold Requires Training

2007-11-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

Testing for mold is not difficult. But you need to know not only where to look for it but also which species are toxigenic or allergenic. One also requires to have a clearly defined objective for the testing. If the objective of testing for mold requires that samples be taken, it is important to know what types of samples to take and the limitations or disadvantages of different types of samples. The type of samples to take is determined by the type of data the mold investigator requires. The type of data required, on the other hand, is determined by the objective(s) of the investigation.

There are some mold training courses out there that can provide you with basic skills necessary for mold investigation. You may want to review the Mold Training Course offered by MBL. This unique, comprehensive one-day training course focuses on how to recognize indoor mold, how to develop effective sampling strategies, how to interpret laboratory results and current guidelines on mold remediation. Course dates are found at http://www.moldbacteria.com/training.html.

Is Air Sampling Of Mold Necessary?

2007-11-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

Is air sampling of mold necessary? Any type of mold sampling whether air or surface sampling should be based on a well defined objective. For example, if the objective is to determine whether occupants were exposed to airborne mold spores, then air sampling would be recommended. Air sampling may also help to detect hidden mold growth.

Before sampling for mold, it is important to have a well defined objective.

Mold Information

2007-11-10T07:26:00.000-05:00

Mold is a recognized health hazard. Every single day thousands of people who suspect they or their families are sick due to mold are looking for mold information from the Internet. But how reliable is the information posted on the Internet? Most of the mold information on the Internet is intended to create fear and panic so that the consumer of this information can buy a service or a product.

Where can one get reliable mold information?

Reliable information can be obtained from government sites, academic sites and a few private sites owned by mold experts. By mold experts, I mean people who studied molds at universities for their higher degrees. There are many self-proclaimed "mold experts" online.

Before believing what you read about mold online be sure you can trust the source of the information.

Black Mold Fungus Called Stachybotrys

2007-11-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

Many people get concerned if the black mold fungus called Stachybotrys appears in lab results even if only a few spores were reported. Some people conclude the results are okay if Stachybotrys was not present even when counts of other mold spores are relatively high. But is Stachybotrys the most dangerous indoor mold? Possibly not. Species of Aspergillus such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger (A. niger is a black mold too) are well known health hazards. Personally I would not be concerned if a few spores of Stachybotrys are reported in air samples especially immediately after mold remediation.

How To Take Bacteria Samples

2007-11-02T07:22:00.000-04:00

Sampling Air For Bacteria
Bacteria air samples are taken by impacting air onto some suitable growth media. Two of the commonly used samplers are Andersen (N6 Single Stage) and Reuter Centrifugal sampler (RCS). The Andersen sampler uses petri-dishes while the RCS uses agar strips. For environmental bacteria, a general purpose media such as Tryptic (Trypticase) Soy Agar (TSA) can be used.

Sampling Surfaces For Bacteria
Sterile cotton swabs can be used to sample for bacteria contaminating surfaces. The swabs are then sent immediately to a laboratory for culturing and identification of the bacteria to genus or species.

How To Collect Swab Samples For Microbiological Testing

2007-10-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

Sterile swabs can be used to test the level of microbial contamination on various surfaces such as air conditioning units, kitchen equipment, hospital wards, spas or any other place. The samples can be analysed for total viable counts (usually referred to as colony forming units) or specific indicator organisms for food spoilage or sewage contamination.

How To Collect Swab Samples

Wear gloves

Select a sampling area of about 10 cm X 10 cm (or 20 cm x 20 cm)

Break the seal round the tube containing the swab

Remove the swab from the tube and rub and roll it firmly several times across the sampling area.

Return the swab into the tube and label the sample

Send the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

If one is sampling a dry surface, it is recommended that a wet or moistened swab is used. The swab test method has proved a popular testing method with flood damage insurance claims, where there may be sewage contamination.

Airborne Bacteria In Indoor Environments

2007-10-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

Significance Of Airborne Bacteria In Indoor Environments

Indoor Bacteria have not received as much publicity as the mould. Are indoor bacteria of health significance?

Cladosporium cladosporioides in Homes

2007-10-14T11:31:00.000-04:00

Cladosporium cladosporioides is a common household mould found growing on damp walls in the bedroom, living room, bathrooms, around tubs, shower stalls, or window frames and ceilings. It may appear as dark brown or black scattered colonies or patches. Cladosporium cladosporioides is a common cause of mould allergy. But, not everybody is allergic to this mould! So, if you see this mould growing in your house and you or your family members are not feeling sick, do not panic. Just have the mould cleaned up.

Sick Building Syndrome

2007-10-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

The causes of sick building syndrome (SBS) are still not well understood. SBS has always been associated with poor ventilation in airtight energy efficiency buildings and biological and chemical pollutants. In the April issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dr. Stafford and colleagues suggest that job related factors could be a major contributor to sick building syndrome.

How To Collect Mold And Bacteria Samples From Air

2007-10-06T11:55:00.000-04:00

Collecting mold and bacteria samples from air is very easy. The first thing to decide is the kind of results you want and for what purpose. This will help you to decide on the sampling equipment and the media to use. For example, if sampling for a specific bacterium or fungus, you would want to use a sampling agar media that is suitable for the growth of the target organism. The efficiency of the air sampling pumps for the collection of the target organism has also to be considered.

Sampling equipment can be expensive. However, for a company that does not collect air samples every other week, renting the equipment is a better option. Sampling media can be obtained directly from the manufacturers or their resale agents. For companies collecting only a few samples in a month, sampling media can be obtained from a good mold testing laboratory.

Colony Forming Units (CFU)

2007-10-05T09:07:00.000-04:00

A colony of bacteria or yeast refers to a mass of individual cells of same organism, growing together. For moulds, a colony is a group of hyphae (filaments) of the same mould growing together. What are colony forming units then? A colony forming unit refers to an individual colony. It is used as a measure of the number of microorganisms present in or on surface of a sample. Colony forming units may be reported as CFU per unit weight, CFU per unit area, or CFU per unit volume depending on the type of sample tested. To determine the number of colony forming units, a sample is prepared and spread or poured uniformly on a surface of an agar plate and then incubated at some suitable temperature for a number of days. The colonies that form are counted. CFU is not a measure for individual cells or spores as a colony may be formed from a single or a mass of cells or spores.

Moulds commonly found in carpet and mattress dust

2007-09-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

A number of moulds are frequently found in carpet and mattress dust. Eurotium repens is the most frequently detected mould in mattress dust. Others include Aureobasidium pullulans, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus penicilloides and Aspergillus restrictus.

More than 100 species of moulds have been recorded from carpet dust. As with mattress dust, the most frequently isolated mould in carpet dust is Eurotium repens. The others are Penicillium chrysogenum, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans and Phoma herbarum.

Concentrations of these moulds in carpet and mattress dust can be as high as 70 million colony forming units per gram of dust. Such high concentrations of moulds are likely to cause respiratory allergy or irritating symptoms. Therefore, it is import to regularly HEPA vacuum the carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture to reduce the dust and spore concentration. If people are suffering from reoccurring respiratory allergy or irritating symptoms in a building where there is no visible mould, it is suggested that dust be tested for the types and concentrations of mould present.