How do I get rid of mold? A common misconception is that bleaching or disinfecting mold will get rid of it—this is not the case. Bleach may temporarily “kill” the mold, but with a moisture source still present, mold will continue to grow. Moreover, even if the moisture source is eliminated so that mold can no longer reproduce and grow, the existing mold must be removed because dead mold is just as harmful to humans as live mold. It is always recommended that a state-licensed mold remediation company be hired to perform the remediation to insure that proper steps are taken to avoid causing cross-contamination of the structure. Contaminated building material that is porous must be removed under proper containment because disturbance of the spores during removal can cause them to become airborne and cross-contaminate the rest of building. In most cases, non-porous and semi-porous materials can be treated by implementing high- efficiency particulate air (HEPA) removal procedures and wiping with an anti-microbial solution, and airborne spores are removed by running air scrubber units within the contaminated space. If air sampling reveals that there is an elevation of spores in the air, rather than just resting on a surface, it will be necessary to have the heating and ventilation ducting cleaned. The goal of mold remediation, or removal, is to create an indoor environment with a similar fungal ecology to that of the outdoors. This means that not only should the same types of spores be found inside and outside, but the percentage of each spore type indoors should be similar to those found outdoors. Once remediation is complete, a detailed inspection and also sampling can confirm that the remediation was successful. |
http://www.epa.gov/iedmold1/moldresources.html http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/oii/mold/index.html Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. Board on Heath Promotion & Disease Prevention. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. The National Academic Press, 2002. Washington D.C. Richard F. Progovitz. Black Mold: Your Health and Your Home. Phylogenetic Relationships of Memnoniella and Stachybotrys Species and Evaluation of Morphological Features for Memnoniella Species Identification Richard A. Haugland, Stephen J. Vesper and Stephen M. Harmon http://www.inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/moldclasses.htm http://healthandenergy.com/mold's_harmful_effects.htm http://www.auuuu.org/respiratory/aspergillosis/ |
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