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Mould (Fungi): Its Uses and Effects
Mould or mould is a fungus that eats and grows on and in damp or high
moisture or decaying organic matter.
It comes from a microscopic fungi
microorganism in either air, water or insect-borne spore form.
Mould spores
are small
reproductive cells that are resistant to unfavorable environmental
conditions such as no water, and is capable of mould reproduction fungal
growth when water and organic materials exist.
They are very small in size & can easily enter the human body by breathing
[nose & mouth], eating mould spores [often IN food and landing ON food],
drinking mould infested water, entry through one's eyes, and entry through
open skin cuts and sores.
Moulds
are found in every environment and can be detected year round,
either indoor or outdoor. Mould growth outdoor is usually found in shady,
damp areas or places where leaves and other materials decompose. Indoor
mould growth, on the other hand, is common in elevated areas with high
indoor humidity levels such as basements, crawl spaces or showers.
Generally, moulds infest in dark areas with both moisture and nutrients.
They also like dusty or musty papers, cardboard, carpet, upholstered furniture
and bedding, damp wood, air-conditioner insulation, coils, and drain
pans, even in furnaces and automobiles, and drain pans under frost free
refrigerators.
Moulds contribute in the breaking down of leaves, wood
and other plant debris. Somehow without moulds, we would be on edge with
dead plant matter. They digest plant debris as their food.
While growing, moulds
produce acids such as citric, gluconic, and oxalic which can damage
paper, leather, cloth and other household properties. They are also
capable of producing stain causing color which are difficult to remove.
Some people are sensitive to moulds. For these people,
living or working in mould infestation can become permanent health
afflictions, allergies, sinusitis, or in worse cases, cancer and death.
Individuals with serious allergies to moulds may have more severe
reactions such as fever and shortness of breath. People with chronic
illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mould infections
in their lungs.
Exposure to moulds can
cause symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, runny
noses, eye irritation, congestions, asthma aggravation, severe headaches,
dizziness and fatigue. More severe symptoms may involve profusely bloody
runny noses, the coughing up of blood, severe headaches, fibrous growth in
the lungs, cognitive dysfunction and loss of memory.
Based on these and more other dramatic cases, moulds
are potentially dangerous and cannot be ignored. They must be removed as
soon as they are discovered.
Safe and effective
Mould
Remediation /
Mould
Removal is thoroughly explained in our
Do-It-BEST-Yourself Mould
Prevention, Inspection, Testing, & Remediation Mould Book.
There are several types of
moulds. Stachybotrys chartarum, deadly mould species, was reported already
of its toxicity even in the early 1920s. In general,
Alternaria and Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) are the moulds
most commonly found both indoors and outdoors throughout the United
States. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Helminthosporium, Epicoccum, Fusarium,
Mucor, Rhizopus, and Aureobasidium (Pullularia) are also
common. Learn about the different
Mould Species.
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