Mold
Heightened media and industry attention on mold and fungus compels us to make information and resources on the topics available to you. It is our hope you will find these enlightening and helpful; that so armed you will make informed decisions and take the action you deem appropriate. While it is not Total Home Inspection's intent to create undue concern, it is important for all of us to become and remain aware of this emerging issue. By acknowledging mold related issues and concerns and by providing information resources, we can all continue to serve and support our clients and professional counterparts in the manner they richly deserve, and potentially avoid or prevent illness and unnecessary litigation.
Biologically-Derived Contaminates
"Mold" and "Fungus" are actually a small subset of a broader family of "Biologically Derived Contaminates", which include a spectrum of Bacteria, Viruses, Mycotoxins and Endotoxins.
Biologically Derived Contaminates are ubiquitous…in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the things we touch on a daily basis. To grow, they require suitable conditions: moisture, temperate climes and a food source. With these, BDCs can grow at a rapid rate. In some cases BDCs become visible to the eye; in others, they remain concealed, growing under, behind and within materials in the home.
What's the Issue?
Without mold and fungi we might never have known the pleasures of a fine cheese or the miracle of a lifesaving revolution in medicine: Penicillin. These are the results of carefully controlled and benign manifestations of BDCs. In sharp contrast, certain molds in an uncontrolled or hostile state can, for some, represent a substantial threat to health.
Certain types of mold have been found to be toxic, with properties that can cause serious illness in humans. Highly publicized among these mold types are stachybotris and aspergillis, containing mycotoxins that enter the body and accumulate in the lungs and bloodstream. Each of us reacts differently to various exposures to mold and related contamination - but the claim has been made, and evidence exists, that there is a clear causal relationship between mold and health issues.
We cannot eliminate mold. However there are many steps that can be taken to help minimize the threats to health represented by indoor mold growth.
We encourage you to visit these web sites for a wealth of information on this and related topics:
