Inside of a home there can be a combination of things that are floating within the air of this enclosed environment. Whether it be cooking odors from your dinner last night, cleaning agents that you used to clean your home, pet smell from your wet dog, or even a musty odor that is running rapid in your home from an unknown source. A musty odor is an easily detectable smell that can develop in your home, however, identifying the actual source of this musty odor is not as easy.
The aroma of must can come from a variety of things such as from water intrusions, a vacant home, or even from lack of maintenance inside the home (like cleaning and upkeep). All of these sources can also further develop inside a home into something far more ominous and hazardous to the environment, the growth of potentially dangerous mold.
Mold is a fungus that can develop and grow quickly inside of a home. Often times it will be hard to immediately detect the growth of mold indoors, as most people don’t typically monitor walls and air quality conditions throughout their home. Also, the limited information that many homeowners have on mold can contribute to this unawareness of signs of mold growth within your personal indoor environment.
In this article we are going to discuss more on mold and the potential dangers that mold presents when it becomes airborne in the form of mold spores – as well as provide information on the best methods on how to get rid of airborne mold in your home.
What is Mold
Did you know that there are hundreds of different types of species of mold that can be found in both indoor and outdoor environments? What is Mold – it is not a plant or an animal but is classified as a fungus that can provide both benefits and downfalls to human health upon exposure. Some forms of mold are utilized in medicines like penicillium, which is a life-saving antibiotic, while other molds like stachybotrys chartarum (black mold) will have potentially harmful effects to human health when exposed to it in an environment.
Mold grows in damp conditions, where little light is present, and humidity is high. The ideal locations for mold to form inside your home will include basements, attics, crawl spaces, and even bathrooms where moisture is available for mold to thrive. Moisture is one of the most important conditions for mold growth, so any type of water intrusion inside a home like a leak, flood, or water buildup from poor ventilation can attract and promote the growth of mold in this environment.
How Dangerous is Mold
When it comes to mold growth within an indoor environment like a home it can be smelly and unappealing due to the potential damage it can cause onto the surfaces, but even more concerning is the dangerous effects it presents to human health upon exposure. Mold has been associated with both allergies and infections in those who are exposed to this fungus and react to it in their air. Depending on the individuals, some have a mold sensitivity to this type of allergen in their environment and it can lead to symptoms that can be constant when in the presence of this mold inside a home or other indoor space.
Mold allergies, in particular, are caused from the allergens that are produced from mold into the air that can enter into the human body from inhalation and ingestion. When this exposure occurs, signs of mold allergy will occur and it will elicit a bout of symptoms – the type that are commonly identified as allergy symptoms. If you begin to experience these symptoms in your home, this could be a good identifier of mold growth in the environment and even potential mold spores that could be traveling throughout your home’s air.
Health Risks of Mold Spores in the Air
Can mold make you sick? Among the potential health risks that are associated with mold, is the high level of danger that is produced from the tiny, microscopic spores that are reproduced from mold and travel in the air. Mold spores are lightweight particles that can easily travel throughout the air with the pursuit to settle onto surfaces inside the environment to begin the reproduction of mold onto other areas of the home.
As mold spores float throughout the air there is a high potential for inhalation of these spores to occur in the human body – and this can lead to an array of health risks. Due to the minuscule size of mold spores, they are easily inhaled into the human body and can enter into the deepest recesses of the lungs and even potentially make its way into the bloodstream causing a mold spore allergy and mold spore allergy symptoms. The first initial contact of mold spore inhalation will promote symptoms similar to allergies and overtime progress into more serious health issues.
What Do Mold Spores Look Like
As we discussed, mold spores are very small pollutants that can be found in the air from mold that is growing inside the environment. These spores can range in size from 40 microns to as small as 1 micron in size, which is simply undetectable to the human eye, especially when floating in the air. You may be thinking, 40 microns – is it really that small? And the answer is yes, it is. For comparison, a strand of human hair is about 40 microns in size, and if a mold spore is even smaller than this than the chances of detection of these spores is highly unlikely.
Dangerous Types of Mold
There is a large number of mold species that are produced each and every day into the environment, and some of these can be more dangerous than others and will make identifying mold types important. The level of danger that mold produces into an environment will depend on several factors – the species of mold, the amount that is present in the environment, and the length of exposure to this growing hazardous mold. In a home or other indoor environment, there are certain dangerous molds that are likely to grow within these areas, the types of mold are as follows:
Cladosporium Mold
A commonly identified mold inside of indoor environments, Cladosporium is a mold that will appear inside of a home in clusters of black, yellow, or green spots on the surfaces. This specific type of mold is very versatile which allows it to grow in both warm and cold climates and will ultimately feed on fabrics in a home such as furniture, upholstery, and carpeting.
Cladosporium will affect human health in different ways, such as through allergic reactions (nose, throat, and eye irritation), skin rashes, and even asthma and lung issues. If your home contains Cladosporium mold, it is in the best interest of your health to not handle this mold directly, and instead have a mold remediation specialist come in to properly contain and remove this mold.
Aspergillus Mold
The production of long spores shaped like a flask is an indicator of aspergillus mold growing inside your personal indoor environment. These spores will collect and further form on the surfaces in your home like a wall and creates a chain of mold growth on this surface. There are a large number of aspergillus mold species that can form indoors – with more than 185 different species that will each have a unique appearance in the environment.
Aspergillus is a mold that will spark allergies in those who are sensitive, and this mold also has the potential to become more toxic depending on the type of environment and the species present. Generally, aspergillus will strike up asthmatic attacks, lung infections, and even respiratory irritation and inflammation. An even more dangerous element to aspergillus is its potential to produce a carcinogen from some of the species of this mold called aflatoxins – which can be deadly.
Penicillium Mold
Penicillium mold that grows inside of an indoor space can be potentially dangerous as it can turn into an allergenic form that is easily recognized by the allergy-symptoms and blue/green discoloration that it leaves on surfaces. This type of mold is often found in environments where water-damage occurred and a build-up of water accumulated, this will lead to mold growth on carpets, wallpapers, and ducting.
The spores that are produced from this type of mold can actually be very hazardous to human health. Penicillium exposure for humans can result in respiratory inflammation and asthma, and even lead to chronic sinusitis.
Black Mold (Stachybotrys Chartarum)
Is black mold dangerous? The highly dangerous and well-known black mold is among the top of the list when it comes to hazardous mold species. Stachybotrys is a toxigenic mold that can cause an array of health issues upon exposure. This type of mold is identified not only by its potentially dangerous symptoms but also by its dark greenish/black appearance on the surfaces.
Stachybotrys is classified as a dangerous mold because of its production of mycotoxins in the air that can cause significant health problems including difficulty breathing, fatigue, sinusitis, and even depression. After prolonged exposure to this mold even worse symptoms can develop in the body including tightening of the chest, persistent cough, nose bleeds, fever, and neurological problems.
How to Get Rid of Airborne Mold
When mold is found in your home growing and thriving in this environment, it will be necessary to act quickly and effectively to stop the mold growth and rid your indoor air of potential airborne mold that has been released up into the air. Upon the first detection of mold it will be best to contact a mold remediation specialist that will be able to come into the home, locate the source of the mold, and properly remediate the mold from the surface -safely ridding the home of this potentially hazardous fungus. Although a mold remediation specialist will do a thorough job of eliminating the mold from the surface of the home, sometimes the mold will collect within the air resulting in airborne mold that can impact human health.
Airborne mold is difficult to completely remove from the air, especially when mold spores are floating in the air – as these small particulates can be difficult to remove. An air purifier may be the best option for the removal of airborne mold – even those pesky mold spores that can form in the indoor air.
Mold Spore Air Purifier
Mold air purifiers are designed specifically for the removal of airborne mold pollutants that form in the air, but the real trick is to find an air purifier that is effectively able to capture and destroy mold spores from the air. When you are looking for an air purifier that can accomplish this mold spore removal you will want to find an air purifier with a HEPA filter and even better one that contains UV-C lights that can effectively kill the spores.
The EnviroKlenz UV Air Purifier is a well-rounded air purifier that is able to effectively capture mold spore and other microorganisms inside the system through the use of a hospital-grade HEPA filter and as these spores are collected the two UV-C lights above the HEPA filter will effectively shine on the mold spores and kill them upon contact. In addition, EnviroKlenz also utilizes their own proprietary earth mineral technology as the first stage filtration in their purifiers to protect against toxic chemicals and noxious odors that can be produced into the air from the potential mold in the environment.
Airborne mold can be dangerous but there are solutions that you can implement to eradicate this potential hazardous pollutant in your personal indoor air. Having the tools to handle these toxic pollutants produced from mold that form in the air will leave you ready and armed to shield your indoor air and health from potentially hazardous substances and rapidly.
EnviroKlenz® Medical Disclaimer:
“Any information that is provided on this website is not for the use by any commercial or personal entity without expressed written consent of the blog author. The material and statements illustrated within this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or medical conditions. Nor does the author in any way guarantee or validate the validity, totality, or efficacy of any claims and will therefore not be held responsible for the content of any claims. Always consult your medical physician for any specific medical advice or recommendations.”
