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Mold Review
A Brief Study on the
Dangers of the Toxic Black Mold Species
What is MOLD FUNGUS?
Mold, a common term for fungus, attacks
organic materials such as paper, books, cloth, photographs, leather,
and wood. Mold grows from spores, which are everywhere in our
environment. Usually these spores are inactive, but they will
germinate and multiply (grow) when the relative humidity exceeds
seventy percent (70%). Temperature above 65 degrees increase the
livelihood of mold growth.
There are more than 100,000 different species
of mold in the world. Neither animal or plant, molds are
microscopic organisms that produce enzymes to digest organic matter
and spores to reproduce. These organisms are part of the fungi
kingdom, a realm shared with mushrooms, yeast, and mildews. In nature,
mold plays a key role in the decomposition of leaves, wood, and other
plant debris. Without mold, we would find ourselves wading
neck-deep in dead plant matter. And we wouldn't have great foods and
medicines, such as cheese and penicillin. However, problems arise when
mold starts digesting organic materials we don't want them to, like
our homes.
Two of the worst features of mold spores are
that: (1) they are very tiny and therefore hard to filter out; and (2)
the spores are able to stay suspended in midair for hours and end,
making them easily inhaled by building occupants. One effective way to
kill all airborne mold spores, viruses, bacteria, and other germs
inside your home or office is to use the six-step Sun Pure Ultaviolet
Light Air Purifier [portable] or duct-stalled GermBuster, both of
which you can learn more about by visiting the website:
Mold Inspector.
What does mold need to grow?
For mold to grow, it needs all of the
following:
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Food Sources
(such as leaves, wood, insulation, wallboard, drywall, carpeting,
clothing, paper, and dirt)
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A source of moisture for at least 24 to 48
hours.
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A place to grow.
How can mold become a problem in
your home, office, or business?
Yes, if there is moisture available to allow
mold to thrive and multiply. The following are sources of indoor
moisture that may cause problems:
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Flooding
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Backed-up sewers
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Leaky roofs
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Humidifiers
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Mud or ice dams
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Damp basement or crawl spaces
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Constant plumbing leaks
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House plants -- watering can generate
large amounts of moisture
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Steam from cooking or boiling large
amounts of water
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Shower/Bath steam and leaks
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Wet cloths or indoor drying lines
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Clothes dryers vented indoors
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Combustion Appliances (e.g. stoves) not
exhausted to the outdoors.
You can
also find more relevant information in the
2004 Edition of
Mold Health Guide.
Other Mold Review Topics Included
Please
click on corresponding link to read mold review discussion.
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Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Solutions
Phil can help you fix your own property’s mold
problems at low-cost, more safely, and better-in- results than what is
done by many mold inspectors and mold contractors. How can Phil
help you?
1. Read Phil’s five plain-English,
mold advice books to master mold
inspection, testing, removal, remediation, and prevention for your house,
condo, apartment, office, or workplace.
2. Buy do-it-yourself, affordable
mold test kits,
mold lab analysis,
video inspection scope,
mold cleaner, and
mold killer, for the successful toxic and household mold
inspection, mold testing, mold species identification and quantification,
mold cleaning, mold removal, and mold remediation to find mold, kill mold,
clean mold, and remove mold from your residence or commercial building.
3. Get FREE mold advice, mold help, and/or answers
to your mold questions, by emailing mold expert Phillip Fry at
envirodangers@yahoo.com.
You can also email pictures of your mold problems in
jpeg file format as email attachments. |