"It's true that those who suffer from health problems are more inclined to have harsher side effects when exposed to mold, but it’s important to know that mold does not discriminate," said Rick Isaacson, executive vice president of Servpro Industries, Inc. "People of all ages and health statuses are vulnerable to health problems associated with exposure to mold. These side effects can include something as minor as a runny nose, sneezing or coughing, to things more intense like aggravation of asthma, sore throat and inflammation of the sinuses."
Water intrusions may lead to the growth of mold, and many times that intrusion is the result of storm damage, plumbing or equipment failures, long-standing leaks and poor humidity control. "If water intrusions are not addressed right away, the resulting damage may present an increased risk of harmful mold growth. Excessive mold growth can lead to indoor environmental conditions that pose a health threat," said Isaacson.
In observation of this month's awareness campaign, Isaacson is offering helpful information about the fungus that often lies hidden in many homes and business buildings in the local community. The following advice can help people tackle mold in its early stages: Understand Mold
There are over 100,000 species of identified mold, Isaacson said. We are consistently exposed to thousands of different types of fungi in our everyday lives. Certain types of fungi exist naturally in soils, plants, fruits and textiles and are generally not harmful, but others that grow in water, moisture and high humidity in buildings are just the opposite. Take Precaution
Mold is more likely to spread when an environment has been subject to moisture for a long period of time. If your property has sustained recent water damage, it is important to remove excess water and dry the structure promptly. If you notice an ongoing moisture problem, be on alert for the following signs:
▪ The presence of visible mold
▪ Strong, musty odors
▪ Evidence of past moisture issues that might have caused undetected mold growth
▪ Excessive humidity Fight Mold
▪ Periodically inspect your property. Look for water and moisture in and around your home. Pay special attention around pipes, in basements and crawl spaces, behind boxes and contents in dark areas of your property. Note: you may have to hire a professional, such as those at SERVPRO. Mold can live in unseen areas such as ceilings or wall cavities.
▪ Control the humidity in bathrooms and wherever water is repeatedly used. Exhaust fans, proper caulking and effective cleaning with an appropriate cleaning product will help keep mold problems away.
▪ Regularly have your HVAC system and air conditioner inspected to identify moisture problems or drain clogs. "By following these tips, you can help keep your insurance costs down and protect your property," Isaacson said. "Do not procrastinate. The most important step you can take is to identify any humidity, moisture or water damage problems before they create bigger problems such as mold growth or structural damage. In many cases, the mold problem can be addressed without having to make an insurance claim."
Beyond taking actions on your own to prevent mold, it’s important to know when it's time to call an indoor air quality professional who knows what he or she is doing,
Isaacson said. SERVPRO has been restoring properties since 1967. SERVPRO responds to mold problems around the clock and has equipment to professionally test for moisture, extract water completely and dry properties in the local community.
As an Environmental Consultant and building science expert I'm often called in to look at jobs performed by Serv-Pro franchises in four states. Some of the franchises are informed and perform quality work, but the majority are sub standard more often then not. Sorry if sounds harsh, but it's the truth. This is a service business and you must provide the best possible service to your clients. Although, not easy, the work you do is not rocket science. It's more high tech cleaning and attention to detail with at least a basic understanding of some basic physics principals.
Craig Camel
http://advancedbuildingstrategies.com/StuccoInvestigations.html
I am writing to you on behalf of millions of Americans who have been harmed by exposure to toxic mold. The following message has been sent to hundreds of elected officials including President Obama, all U.S. Senators, members of the U.S. House, the Governors of all 50 states, state legislators, state health departments, etc.
Toxic mold causes serious health problems. We need your help to get laws passed in order to ensure that the American people can get appropriate medical care and the correct information regarding the handling and remediation of toxic mold. We need laws and regulations in regard to people who test and remediate mold in order to stop the fraud and deceit that has been occurring throughout the country.
Toxic mold can happen to anyone. My family’s experience is a good example of what has been happening to families throughout the country. We had toxic mold in our home. We lost our home, our health, all of our personal belongings and our financial security. What if your family lost everything—your home, your health, your personal property, your family mementos, your financial security, and your children’s sense of safety?
For 50 years, the tobacco industry denied the truth about the health effects of tobacco. How long will the insurance industry and other stakeholders be allowed to deny the truth about the health effects of toxic mold? We need to expose the truth now and educate the public about the proper way to handle mold problems in our homes, schools and businesses. If your family was exposed to toxic mold, wouldn’t you want laws in place to protect your loved ones? This is all we are asking. We need your leadership and action on this very important issue.
The following information will give you a good place to start in understanding the issues that need to be addressed. These ten items are a very small sample of the thousands of documents available on this topic. I thought these items would be most helpful in your efforts to create new laws and regulations about mold-related issues. You might also review the mold legislation that was proposed by Representative John Conyers.
1. The following paper has an insightful discussion of whether mold contamination in homes can be regulated. “Can Mold Contamination of Homes be Regulated–Lessons Learned from Radon and Lead Policies”? The answer is YES.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es0620585
2. The State of California issued mold remediation guidelines. This is one of the most up-to-date reports available. It contains references to several important articles about the health effects of toxic mold. The U.S. Navy also has mold remediation guidelines.
http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/06/01/06-001.pdf
http://www-nehc.med.navy.mil/downloads/prevmed/katrina/ihfom_ch13-3.pdf
3. The State of Nevada recently passed legislation designating September 2009 as toxic mold awareness month, and the State of Arkansas passed legislation regarding standards and qualifications for mold investigators. You could use this information as a starting point for one part of your legislation, but you would want to get input from experts.
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/ACR/ACR7_EN.pdf
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Acts/Act1467.pdf
4. The U.S. Surgeon General just announced the federal government’s new Healthy Home Initiative which discusses mold and mold toxins, along with lead paint and radon, and other issues that can affect the indoor environment in homes.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/healthyhomes/calltoactiontopromotehealthyhomes.pdf
5. The Center for School Mold Help has a lot of valuable information about mold in schools and also has an excellent article discussing how certain stakeholders are trying to hide the truth about the health effects of toxic mold. Another group, Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, is focused on water damage and mold problems caused by construction defects.
http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org
https://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/content/view/1639/46/
http://www.hadd.com/
6. There are many books available on this subject including these two books:
Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control” This book was published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in 1999.
“Molds and Mycotoxins–Papers from an International Symposium” This book was edited by Kaye Kilburn, M.D. and was published by Heldref Publications in 2004.
7. Three of the experts who have been leading the way are James Craner, M.D., Jack Thrasher, Ph.D. and Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D. Dr. Craner has published several good articles and reports on this topic, including “A Critique of the ACOEM Statement on Mold.” Jack Thrasher, Ph.D., is a toxicologist who has assisted in many situations involving mold in homes, schools and businesses. Dr. Shoemaker has treated many people who have been exposed to mold and has written several articles and books.
http://www.drcraner.com
http://www.drcraner.com/images/ACritiqueoftheACOEMStatementonMold.pdf
http://www.drthrasher.org
http://www.biotoxin.info
8. The following links are from military textbooks. The first one is Chapter 34 on Trichothecene Mycotoxins, and the second one is Chapter 4 on Toxins (which includes information about mycotoxins). If the U.S. military can admit that mycotoxins are dangerous, then why are the insurance companies allowed to deny that mycotoxins cause health problems.
http://www.envirochex.com/Downloads/Chapter34_Military_Medicine.pdf
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1018.5/MR1018.5.chap4.html
9. The University of Connecticut published a handbook in 2004 titled “Guidance for Clinicians on the Recognition and Management of Health Effects Related to Mold Exposure and Moisture Indoors.”
http://oehc.uchc.edu/images/PDFs/MOLDGUIDE.pdf
10. There are thousands of articles regarding the health effects of toxic mold, including the following one which is titled "The Validity of Environmental Neurotoxic Effects of Toxigenic Molds and Mycotoxins."
http://www.ispub.com/journal/the_internet_journal_of_toxicology/volume_5_number_2_40/article/the_validity_of_the_environmental_neurotoxic_effects_of_toxigenic_molds_and_mycotoxins.html#h1-6
Toxic mold is a very serious health threat, and we need to do everything we can to help protect all Americans. I hope this information is helpful as you continue your work to develop laws and regulations about mold-related issues.