Toxic Mold News

Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, details instructions for diagnosing and treating a house affected by toxic mold. "[The priest] shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place…this is the law of leprosy." (Leviticus chapter 14, verses 40 and 57) The writer of the Book suspects the health effects of toxic mold. While, it is possible to document those effects, there is room for uncertainty.

Mold or fungus is ubiquitous in warm, moist environments. Basements, bathrooms, and steam rooms often smell of mold or mildew. Leave a wet towel on the bathroom floor, or walk through a damp basement a few days after a heavy rain, and the odor is unmistakable. Even folds of skin and favorite pairs of shoes harbor these hardy organisms.

The term "toxic mold" refers to various species of fungi including Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus versicolor, and several species of Penicillium. These fungi cause airborne toxins by producing spores and by releasing volatile organic chemicals (VOC). Some of the health effects of mold are specific such as invasive aspergillosis and athlete's foot; some effects are not as clear, such as increasing the ferocity of asthma attacks.

Those most susceptible to fungal infection, have lower host response due to age (very old or very young), medication (anti-rejection mediation or corticosteroids), or preexisting disease such as infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), leukemia, and diabetes. Many fungal infections and toxins are a danger to healthy individuals as well.

VOC are responsible for the odor of mold. More benignly, VOC give cheeses their characteristic odors and moldy foods their off taste. VOC are biological irritants. "Exposure to high levels of volatile organic compounds, from any source, such as industrial work places, can irritate the mucous membranes and affect the central nervous system, producing such symptoms as headaches, attention deficit, inability to concentrate, and dizziness." (Molds, Toxic Molds and Indoor Air Quality," by Pamela J. Davis, March 2001, CRB Note. Vol. 8, No. 1)

Molds produce mycotoxins, another airborne contaminant. Mycotoxins form on the mold itself and the material it grows upon. These chemical byproducts may provide mold with an advantage over other small organisms by decreasing their viability in the presence of the mold. Penicillin's action on bacteria shows another way that humans use mold's properties for benefit.

The EPA and some state health agencies warn that mycotoxins affect the host through skin contact, ingestion, and inhalation. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus release the best-known mycotoxin aflatoxin-B1. Human and animal foods such as grains and peanuts support the grown of Aspergillus sp. Refrigerate open jars of peanut butter to prevent growth of Aspergillus sp. Ingestion may cause liver cancer, while inhalation may cause lung cancer.

Many researchers and agencies insist that mycotoxins present an environmental hazard in the home. Conversely, the CDC asserts, "There is currently no conclusive evidence of a link between indoor exposure to airborne mycotoxin and human illness." ("Mold Prevention Strategies and Possible Health Effects in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Brandt, M; ET AL, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2005.)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes that more research on mycotoxins is necessary. "Much of the information on the human health effects of inhalation exposure to mycotoxins comes from studies done in the workplace and some case studies or case reports. Many symptoms and human health effects attributed to inhalation of mycotoxins have been reported including: mucous membrane irritation, skin rash, nausea, immune system suppression, acute or chronic liver damage, acute or chronic central nervous system damage, endocrine effects, and cancer. More studies are needed to get a clear picture of the health effects related to most mycotoxins. However, it is clearly prudent to avoid exposure to molds and mycotoxins." (EPA 402-K-01-001, March 2001, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/append_b.html#Opportunistic%20Infections)

Mold reproduces by spores. Spores are microscopic, nearly weightless particles that carry the DNA of the parent fungi. Spores are dry, and easily travel through the air. Spores cause disease and toxic effects when inhaled, ingested, or contacted.

Inhalation of mold spores, VOC, or mycotoxins can occur in mold-infected homes, offices and by smoking mold-infected tobacco. People with allergies develop common symptoms when in a moldy environment such as runny nose, stuffiness, and headache. Inhaled mold can be a trigger for asthma attacks. According to the CDC, asthma affects about 15 million people in the United States. There are between 400,000 and 500,000 hospitalizations each year due to asthma. Asthma kills hundreds of children each year.

Inhalation of spores of the fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum, causes the disease blastomycosis. Inhalation of these spores may cause infection even in otherwise healthy individuals. Blastomycosis causes symptoms like bacterial pneumonia or tuberculosis. Ulcerative lesions (painful, oozing sores) on the skin and necrotic bone lesions (dead areas of bone) in the vertebrae, skull, and long bones may accompany the pulmonary symptoms. Blastomycosis is of special concern in Mississippi and Louisiana since the recent flooding of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. H. capsulatum infection is relatively common along the Mississippi river and especially in an area 70 miles north of New Orleans. Handling decaying vegetation, working, and recreating in that area, increases the risk of contracting this disease.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) is an ailment that occurs with repeat exposures to mold bearing dust. It is possible for HP to result in permanent lung damage, but removal of the antigen (the mold) usually allows a full recovery. Over 300 antigens cause HP. Lay people, physicians, and epidemiologists refer to HP by many colorful names to identify the source of the antigen such as farmer's lung, grain handler's lung, humidifier / air-conditioner lung, bird breeder's lung, cheese worker's lung, malt worker's lung, and paprika splitter's lung.

Pulmonary Hemosiderosis (PH), an unusual pulmonary condition associated with mold, an ailment that results from bleeding in the lungs. A 1994, CDC study of 27 infants in Cleveland, OH, who developed PH following flooding in 1993 links the infection with exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum. Nine of those children died. A later paper by a different set of researchers at the CDC does not find a convincing link between mold exposure and PH. The possible link between mold and PH is controversial and requires further study.

A single heavy exposure to mold laden dust may result in Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS). ODTS causes flu like symptoms from which the patient will recover fully. This is not an allergic reaction to mold bearing dust. ODTS is 30 – 50 times more common than Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

Bronchitis, a relatively common inflammation of air passages in the lungs, may have similar symptoms to HP. Bronchitis is far more common than HP, and may not relate to mold exposure.

Mold causes opportunistic infections in immune compromised individuals. Aspergillosis is the most common of these infections. Flu like symptoms characterize allergic aspergillosis. The more serious, invasive aspergillosis causes increased sputum production, which may be bloody, blood in urine, weight loss, visual impairment or blindness, endocarditis, meningitis, and sinusitis. Aspergillus is not likely to affect healthy adults. The fungus Trichoderma can affect immune compromised children similarly.

Athlete's foot and yeast infections (candidiasis) are common, opportunistic infections of healthy skin that result from mold or fungus exposure.

Aspiration of water may result in fungal brain abscesses. This rare condition is more common after near drowning in sewage-laden water. The incidence of fungal brain abscess rises after natural disasters.

Small amounts of mold, a damp load of laundry, a small pile of leaves, or an old loaf of bread are unlikely to cause serious harm. Workplace exposure, regional flooding, or a very wet basement can result in more significant harm. The health effects of mold are usually characterized by irritation, and incapacitation. Some molds cause rare conditions that might result in permanent disability or death. Treatment usually begins with treating the symptoms and removing the source of the mold.