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Should We Throw Away Our Furniture, Books, Photo Albums…After Mould Contamination?

We got this email from one of our readers…..
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Sir or Madame:
My asthmatic husband, 5 year old granddaughter and I were advised to vacate a rental house by a health inspector. We had been experiencing health problems – my husband was having serious respiratory problems, and my granddaughter had recurring body rashes. By the time we moved I also had to seek medical attention for cough and throat problems.

We subsequently found out that the house had been re-rented by the landlord without a follow-up inspection (after he did clean-up) after the previous tenants had been experiencing health problems and advised to move out by the same inspector. We sent mold samples from the basement to a lab. An engineer, a clean-up business and the health inspector all advised we remove our possessions from the house asap and put them in storage. Suddenly we found ourselves without a house and without furniture or belongings to move to another property while our retirement home was being built.

It has been several weeks since the upheaval and we just now have verbal results from the lab. The written report is in the mail. We are informed that there was a 15,000 count (whatever that means) and that Aspergillus and Penicillium were found. Can you please provide any information about what this means for clean-up of furniture, clothing, books, photo albums, etc. We are not willing to move anything into another house if it means contaminating another home. Any information and advice will be appreciated. We have just retired for health reasons!

Thank you.
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Dear Madam:
I can understand the situation you are in. Personally, I try not to create panic. Your dilemma is whether to throw away your furniture, clothing, books, photo albums, etc. I have no idea how contaminated these items are and so it would be hard for me to tell you to throw them away or not. However, in most cases, it is not necessary to throw away such items especially if they were not water-damaged. Do they appear like they have mould or damaged? Probably what you need is to have them HEPA vacuumed and those which can be cleaned (such as clothes), cleaned and dried before moving them to your new home.

Hope this helps,

Jackson.

Do you have a mould problem or do you want samples tested for mould? Call (905)290-9101 now.

Moulds as Indicators of Dampness in A Building

Some moulds and bacteria when found growing in indoor environment are indicative of the level of dampness in the building or potential health hazards.

Indicators of severe moisture damage in a building
Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma spp, Exophiala, Stachybotrys spp, Phialophora spp, Fusarium spp, Ulocladium spp, yeasts such as Rhodotorula, Actinomycetes and Gram-negative bacteria and Phoma spp.

Indicators of moderate damp building environment
Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus sydowii, Emericella nidulans, and Cladosporium spp

Indicators of relatively dry building environment
Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium spp, Wallemia sebi, Penicillium spp such as Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium aurantiogriseum.

Do you have a mould question? Contact Jackson at (905)290-9101

Health Problems Associated with Indoor Moulds

Exposure to indoor mould has been associated with the following health problems:

  • respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing
  • respiratory infections such as aspergilloses
  • allergic diseases, including allergic asthma and bronchitis
  • unspecific symptoms, e.g., eye and skin irritation, fatigue, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

The moulds most frequently encountered in indoor environment are Penicillium, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Ulocladium, Stachybotrys, Cladosporium, Acremonium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, Alternaria, and Trichoderma. These moulds are all known to cause different types of inhalation allergy. Some moulds such as Chaetomium, Stachybotrys and Ulocladium thrive under very wet conditions. Their presence in indoor environment is an indication of water problem.

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

Indoor Mould: Which are the Bread Moulds?

People will normally talk of bread mould. But which mould is the bread. Bread mould could be any of the moulds that commonly occur on bread. Some of the common bread moulds are Rhizopus stolonifer, Chrysonilia sitophila (red bread mould), species of Aspergillus, species of Penicillium, and Monascus ruber. However, any of the indoor moulds can grow on damp bread.

Mould growth (white stuff) on rye bread

Bread moulds can cause significant losses in bakeries and stores. An outbreak of bread contamination by mould would require careful investigation of the whole bread making and storage processes to identify the source of contamination.

Do you have a mould question? Send to My Question.

Indoor Mould Infection: Can Mould Cause Bad Breath?

A person was exposed to mould in an office and they have developed bad breath which they didn’t have before. Could the bad breath be due to mould infection in their lungs? This is not a ‘yes/no’ question because whatever answer one gives should be supported with facts derived from documented evidence or tests conducted to such as person by a qualified person. The first answer that came to my mind was to say no. But then I realized there is still a lot that is not known about mould and their health effects. I was imagining that if the person had mould infection and the mould was actively growing in their lungs to the level of causing or producing odour, such a person would be critically ill. But my thinking is not based on any facts. It is just thinking.

The most well known lung mould infection is aspergillosis caused by some species of Aspergillus (hence the name aspergillosis). Moulds that are known to cause aspergillosis are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and occasionally Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and Aspergillus niger. These moulds are widespread in the environment. They are found in soil, decomposing organic matter, household dust, building materials, and air. The people at risk of infection by these moulds are mainly those undergoing certain medical treatments that affect their immune system. In these people the disease is manifested as invasive pulmonary infection, usually with fever, cough, and chest pain. In healthy people, the disease is manifested as localized pulmonary infection. Aspergillus species also cause allergic reactions.

Do you have a mould question? Send it to us.

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. […]