Washington State DOH 1

MOLDS

WHY DO WE CARE?

Washington State DOH 2

MOLDS

Health effects Common molds Testing for molds Clean-up of moldy environments Levels of concern

Washington State DOH 3

HEALTH EFFECTS

Allergens Toxic materials Infections Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Washington State DOH 4

ALLERGENS

Asthma– Can be caused by spores, hyphal

fragments and metabolites Allergy

– Sinusitis– Allergic Rhinitis– Conjuctivitis

Dermatitis

Washington State DOH 5

TOXIC MATERIALS

Mycotoxins– Secondary metabolites not necessary for

life functions– May be produced to gain ecological and

reproductive advantage– Only well studied in animal ingestion

situations

Washington State DOH 6

TOXIC MATERIALS (con’t)

Volatile organic compounds– Primarily short chain alcohols and

aldehydes– Associated with moldy, musty smell– Health effects of combinations not well

studied in humans– May cause headache, dizziness, mucous

membrane irritation

Washington State DOH 7

INFECTIONS

Aspergillosis “ABPA”– Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Candidiasis “thrush” common in babies Histoplasmosis Rare except in immune compromised

individuals or in the case of aspergillosis in the asthmatic

Washington State DOH 8

HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS

Susceptible individuals about two percent of the general population

Caused by exposure to many organic dusts

Can cause permanent lung damage and corresponding gas exchange impairment

Washington State DOH 9

COMMON MOLDS

Most saprophytic decay organisms– Includes Penicillium, Aspergillis,

Cladosporium, and Alternaria Stachybotrys chartarum the poster

child of toxic molds– Not associated with bleeding lung issues in

infants– Very high water requirements

Washington State DOH 10

TESTING FOR MOLDS

Bulk sampling– Visual identification may be difficult

Tape lifts– Visual identification difficult

Air sampling– Should include outdoor and indoor

samples for relative comparison

Washington State DOH 11

TESTING (con’t)

– Should include viable and non-viable samples

– May not capture full spectrum of particle sizes

– May not capture robust viable sample– Need to know what to provide for growth

media– May provide false negatives

Washington State DOH 12

GUIDELINES

New York City guidelines for Stachybotrys clean-up

Small isolated areas (10 sq.ft. or less)

Mid sized isolated areas (10 to 30 sq.ft)

Large isolated (30 to 100 sq.ft.)

Extensive contamination (100 sq.ft. or more)

Washington State DOH 13

CLEAN-UP OF MOLDS

Stop the water leaks Determine the extent of growth Isolate the affected area Wear goggles, skin protection and

breathing protection Remove moldy materials Bleach the molds at 1/4 cup of bleach

per quart of water

Washington State DOH 14

CLEAN-UP (con’t)

Bleach again and let dry Rinse the affected area with a detergent

rinse to remove allergens and toxins Replace materials as needed HEPA vacuum as needed

Washington State DOH 15

LEVELS OF CONCERN

ACGIH outdoor levels routinely exceed 1,000 CFU/cubic meter– May exceed 10,000 CFU/cubic meter in the

summer Not uncommon to find 150 CFU/cubic

meter in homes– 500 CFU/cubic meter in the summer

Individual susceptibilities vary

Washington State DOH 16

MOLDS MADE SIMPLE

Stop water leaks Testing is ambiguous at best If you see or smell molds it’s time to

clean-up Isolate the affected area Remove moldy materials Bleach at 1/4 cup per quart of water

Washington State DOH 17

MOLDS MADE SIMPLE (con’t)

Rinse with detergent solution to remove allergens and toxins

Replace molded materials with new

Washington State DOH 18

RESOURCES

www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/iaq.htm www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/cmhc.html www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/resources.html www.ci.nyc.ny.us/health DOH (360) 236-3363 EPA (206) 553-2589

Washington State DOH 19

MOLDS

Questions Questions Questions