Mold Bacteria Consulting Services

Serving Ontario and British Columbia

  • Home
  • About MBS
  • Services
    • Mold Inspection
    • Bacteria Testing
    • Bioburden Testing
    • Legionella Investigation
    • Online Training
  • Equipment/Supplies
  • iBlog
  • Kids’ Corner
    • School Science Fair Projects
    • Bacteria Pictures
    • Fungal Pictures
  • Contact Us
  • Login
You are here: Home / Fungi / Factors that affect the growth of moulds

Factors that affect the growth of moulds

Jackson Kung'u

The major factors affecting growth of mould are nutrients, temperature, light, aeration, pH and water activity.

Nutrients
Nutrient requirements for moulds may vary from mould to mould. Some moulds may thrive well on substrates with high sugar or salt content. Some may prefer simple sugars while others have the ability to utilize complex sugars.

Temperature
The majority of moulds are mesophilic, i.e., they can grow at temperatures within the range of 10-35°C. Optimum temperatures for growth may range between 15 and 30°C. However, some moulds such as Chaetomium thermophilum and Penicillium dupontii are thermophilic, i.e., they can grow at 45°C or higher and fail to grow below 20°C. A few moulds are psychrophilic and are unable to grow above 20°C. A significant number are psychrotolerant and are able to grow both at freezing point and at room temperature.

Light
Many moulds species grow well in the dark, but some prefer daylight or alternate light and darkness for them to produce spores.

Aeration
Nearly all moulds require air to grow.

pH.
Moulds differ in their pH requirements. Most will grow well over the pH range 3-7. Some such as Aspergillus niger and Penicillium funiculosum can grow at pH 2 and below.

Water activity
All moulds require moisture for growth but the amount required varies widely. Moulds that are capable of growing at very low water activity are referred to as xerophiles, for examples Eurotium species and Wallemia sebi. Those that are capable of growing at very high water activity are referred to as hydrophilic, e.g., Stachybotrys, Chaetomium and Ulocladium.

Do you have a mould question? Call (905)290-9101

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Welcome Back!

No related posts.

Filed Under: Fungi

What’s New?

  • Indoor Air Quality Testing in Toronto, Ontario
  • Air Quality Testing in Vancouver, BC
  • Mold Testing in Toronto, Ontario
  • Mold Testing in Vancouver, BC
  • Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms
May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jun    

Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms

Salmonella food poisoning has been a growing concern in recent news. It has frequently lead to recalls of beef, salads and organic products and, even peanut butter products. Salmonella food poisoning occurs when one eats raw or undercooked foods such meat, poultry, eggs or egg products. Properly cooked food can get contaminated with Salmonella if […]

Legionella pneumophila – Guidelines for Laboratory Interpretation

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram negative, aerobic bacteria that is characterized as an opportunistic pathogen. It is the cause of Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia and, it is the cause of Pontiac fever, a non-pneumonic form of L. pneumophila infection. Legionella spp.’s mode of transmission is through aerosols or aspiration of contaminated water. The Public Health […]

The Indoor Mold Is An Early Warning Device

The mold (or mould, in the Queen’s English) has been the victim of a bad press. Mention the word and it conjures up an image of something rotting or in the process of decomposition. And yet, were it not for the mold that inspired the discovery of penicillin millions of lives would have been lost. […]

Copyright © 2025 . Mold & Bacteria Consulting Services (MBS). 1020 Brevik Place, Unit 1A, Mississauga, L4W 4N7. Log in