In recent years, concerns of mold and fungi growing in indoor environments have caused major upheavals among various building-related trades and businesses, as well as insurance companies and different levels of governmental agencies. Today and tomorrow we’ll try to separate the truth from the hype, and we’ll provide you with some tips for preventing or dealing with mold in your workplace.
BLR’s Guide to Mold Management tells us that much of the concern over mold growth indoors is due to worry over exposure to mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are chemical metabolites produced during the growth cycle of some mold species. However, only a small percentage of molds have been screened and tested for their mycotoxin production—the majority of fungi have yet to be screened.
Unfortunately, many mold and fungi, which grow on water-damaged materials indoors, are known to produce mycotoxins (e.g., species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys).
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It is true that mold and fungi can cause a variety of diseases, including infections, allergies and hypersensitivity diseases, mycotoxicosis, and irritation. Safety and human resources managers need to respond effectively to mold concerns in the workplace both to protect employee health and to mitigate potential damages.
Water-Related Problems
In addition to concerns of health impacts on building occupants, mold and fungal growth in the indoor environment is always associated with water-related problems. Water-related problems not only allow growth and amplification of bacteria and fungi but also attract insects and other creatures, such as mites and rodents.
Mold and fungal growth can cause deterioration of building materials. Wood-decay fungi cause decays of wood structures. A variety of wood decay may be discerned. They are brown rot (sometime erroneously referred to as dry rot), white rot, and soft rot. Brown rot and white rot are caused by Basidiomycetes, which include mushrooms, and bracket and cone fungi. Soft rot is caused by many species of molds.
Much Misinformation
Because of the tremendous awareness, concerns, and interest in mold over the last few years, misinformation and misguided practices on handling and dealing with mold growth were disseminated and used by special interest businesses and groups. This very often leads to unnecessary conflicts, arguments, and lawsuits.
Mold and fungal contamination can be easily and effectively removed and cleaned with proper scientific and engineering understanding of problems leading to mold growth. However, delays in response to water damage and mishandling of mold growth in buildings can often lead to complicated issues.
To avoid or minimize mold growth and contamination indoors, the key is to control moisture. Water and moisture indoors must be channeled within the appropriate conduits and to the right locations. In the event that catastrophic water damage occurs, emergency responses must be rapid, swift, and complete to avoid mold contamination.
Remediation Steps
Mold growth may occur in every corner or on every inch of building surfaces. Some mold growth may be quite visible because of contrasting colors. On the other hand, a significant portion of mold growth indoors is not readily visible or detectable. A comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the building and associated systems by competent consultants is often necessary. Samples are collected by consultants and analyzed by the few qualified, competent laboratories in the country. Results from such testing must be expertly interpreted and correlated with the building conditions.
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In the event that mold growth is identified in a building, remediation and cleanup is often necessary. Several governmental and professional guidelines have been published and made available in the last few years. However, these guidelines do not provide details or define specifics for the remediation.
Tomorrow we’ll give you some tips on preventing mold in your workplace, along with some advice for cleaning up small-scale mold problems.