Enmedex - Mould Facts for IAQ

mould facts

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Mould - A Brief Overview (or go direct to “Health Effects”)

Some Definitions

Fungus – (plural – fungi) 1. Any of a large group of thallophytes, including moulds, mildews, mushrooms, rusts, and smuts, which are parasites on living organisms or feed upon dead organic material, lack chlorophyll, true roots, stems, and leaves, and reproduce by spores.

Mildew – 1. Any fungus that attacks various plants or appears on organic matter, paper, leather, etc., especially when exposed to damp, resulting in a thin, furry, whitish coating or discolouration. 2. Any plant disease caused by such fungus.

Mould – (from Middle English “mowlde”, meaning furry, fuzzy, links to Danish “mulne”)
1. A downy or furry growth on the surface of organic matter, caused by fungi, especially in the presence of dampness or decay. 2. Any fungus producing such growth. 3. A subgroup of mycelial fungi.

Mold – (from Old French “molle” or “modle”, meaning shape, pattern)
Common US spelling of mould.

Toxigenic – Any organism capable of producing toxins (unstable, poisonous compounds).

Mycotoxins – A chemical substance produced by some fungi to inhibit the growth of competing organisms.

Pathogen – Any microorganism capable of producing disease.

Fungi – The Global Recyclers

It has been estimated that fungi (plural of fungus) make up about one-quarter of the Earth’s biomass. Fungi and related organisms break down dead material and reduce it to basic elements, minerals and compounds that can be re-absorbed by plants. Without this continuous recycling, we would quickly become buried under dead organic material, while plant life became starved for nutrients.

Fungi (Moulds) and Buildings

Buildings are dead. The wood, paper, fabric (ie cotton, canvas) and leather that make up our buildings and their contents were once part of a living organism, but now alas, are dead. Fungi are eager to recycle our buildings back to the elements from which they came; however, this is extremely inconvenient for us. To thrive, fungi need three things:

>>>>> ~ Food (dead organic material)
>>>>> ~ Heat (a moderate temperature)
>>>>> ~ Water activity, “Aw” (chronic dampness)

The Difference between Indoors and Outdoors

Fungi are everywhere. Moulds, their spores and fragments are everywhere inside and out. It is normal for healthy homes to have quantities and types of moulds commonly found outside the home. Depending on where you live, outdoor mould levels vary widely; urban areas are low, rural areas are higher. Weather, winds and seasons will also vary outdoor mould levels from one day to the next.

Problems begin when the indoor environment becomes conducive to mould growth. A building with favourable growing conditions will begin to show signs of mould quantities and species not typical outdoors. The building is then said to have a “mould amplification problem”.

Consider the infamous “toxic black mould” Stachybotris Chartarum. Stachybotris is common outdoors, but not necessarily abundant. However, given a warm, wet cellulose environment indoors, Stachybotris thrives. The difference is consistent temperature, high moisture content, few competitors and no ultra-violet light. Therefore, “problem” indoor moulds are often found in the minority outdoors, but soon rises to majority status indoors due to favourable conditions.

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