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Do You Have Normal Mold Levels For Various Types Of Mold?

Question: Do you have the normal mold levels for various types of mold, i.e. Cladosporium cladosporioides? Thank you.

Answer: Currently there are no widely accepted normal airborne mold levels. Although no exposure standards have been established that relate health effects to specific airborne mold levels, there are concerns from public health agencies regarding exposure to mold. Much evidence exists indicating that indoor exposures to molds contribute to occupant respiratory disease and symptoms. Mold levels are used to give us an indication of whether the occupants are exposed to mold originating from indoor environment. According to the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), indoor mold levels should be less than 1/3 of outdoors levels.  If indoor levels are above this amount, action should be taken to identify the source or location of mold growth and remove it.  It’s important to note that the outdoor levels of mold can vary quite a lot over the different seasons and even week to week and the same is reflected indoors.

In the literature, 3000 spores per cubic meter of air is quoted as the allergenic threshold for Cladosporium. More recently a figure of 4000 spores per cubic meter of air has been cited. For Alternaria, 100 spores per cubic meter of air is cited in the literature as the allergenic threshold.

It is normal to find mold spores in any indoor environment in the air and surfaces such as clothes, walls, and furniture.  Most of the time mold spores found indoors during a mold inspection is from outside sources and do not pose a hazard. Regular housekeeping cleaning helps keep mold levels low. Cleaning small areas of visible mold, like the mold around your shower, is important to maintain sanitary conditions.

References

  • Hollins, P.D., P.S. Kettlewell, M.D. Atkinson, D.B. Stephenson, J.M. Corden, W.M. Millington and J. Mullins. Relationships between airborne fungal spore concentration of Cladosporium and the summer climate at two sites in Britain. International Journal of Biometeorology Volume 48, Number 3, 137-141.

Any Input Relative To The Spore Levels Identified?

Question: My daughter and her room-mate have been housed in a room that has an elevated mold count. The outside mold count on the day of the test was 2,600 spores per cubic meter of air while the count in the dorm in the dorm room was 10,300. The preliminary test identified three different types of mold spores with readings elevated above outdoor readings. These spore types and readings were as follows:

  • Penicillium/Aspergillus:
    • Outdoor count: 907 spores/cubic meter of air
    • Dorm room count: 6,880 spores/cubic meter of air
  • Cladosporium:
    • Outdoor count: 533 spores/cubic meter of air
    • Indoor count: 3,150 spores/cubic meter of air

    • Both girls are experiencing some health issues. My daughter is currently in the hospital with some respiratory issues and an infection of the colon. Can you provide me with any input relative to the spore levels identified? Also, I realize that most problems associated with mold are of the respiratory nature, but I am concerned that the colon infection could also be a result of mold toxins. Is this possible? Any input would be appreciated.

    Answer: Currently there are no acceptable levels of airborne mold spores. However, it’s generally agreed that mold is a health hazard and should not be allowed to grow in occupied indoor environments. The common indoor molds are unlikely to cause infection to health individuals. People with weak immune system (immunocompromised), however, could be infected by opportunistic pathogens such as some species of Aspergillus and Fusarium. As for mycotoxins, it is not known whether the indoor air concentrations of airborne mycotoxins become high enough to cause any significant health effects.

Do You Know Of Specific Blood Tests For Molds?

Question: My husband and I were exposed to extremely high levels of Aspergillus (indoor count 33,000 ppm-outdoor count 400-500 ppm), Stachybotrys, Penicillium, Chaetomium, Cladasporium and a few others…

This exposure was over a period of 2 1/2 years. We didn’t know the mold was in our home and we and the doctors could not explain or diagnose our symptoms (ie: bleeding noses, flu like symptoms, chronic fatigue, aches and pains…just to name a few). We both have tumors (lungs, liver, ovaries). Do you know of specific blood tests available in Canada to test for the molds listed above. We have been tested for Cryptococcus gatti but realize that this is not for all mold types. Our doctors are unwilling to accept the idea that the molds in our home caused our symptoms or made us sick. Please, can you help?

Answer: Were the spore counts reported as parts per million (ppm)? Mold spore counts are usually reported as spores per cubic meter of air and not as parts per million (ppm). That’s beside the point. You wanted to know whether there are specific blood tests available in Canada to test for the molds Aspergillus, Stachybotrys, Penicillium, Chaetomium, and Cladosporium. I believe there are, although I don’t know who is doing it. The tests may not be available for some species.

The test is based on mold-specific antibodies. The presence of antibodies in the blood only indicates that one has been exposed to mold at some time. It does not indicate when one was exposed, where the exposure took place, or how much of mold one was exposed to. Therefore, a positive test for mold-specific antibodies alone is generally not enough to prove that health effects reported by individuals in moisture-damaged buildings are caused by exposure to mold.

Are These Levels of Spores Considered Hazardous?

Question: The crawlspace in our condo has the following readings for spores/m3 : Aspergillus/Penicillium type-16000; Chaetomium- 67; Cladosporium- 227. Are these levels spores considered hazardous? It is going to cost a very high amount to have vents, sensors and spores removed to correct the situation and there is no guarantee. Please give me your comments on this.

Answer: There are no published standards for acceptable exposures to indoor mold spores. And there is no agreement among the scientific community on the exact levels of airborne indoor mold spores which are responsible for the onset of disease, nor is there adequate information on dose-effect relationship.

This is what Health Canada advises:

Health Canada considers that mould growth in residential buildings may pose a health hazard. Health risks depend on exposure and, for asthma symptoms, on allergic sensitization. However, the large number of mould species and strains growing in buildings and the large inter-individual variability in human response to mould exposure preclude the derivation of exposure limits. Therefore, Health Canada recommends:

  • to control humidity and diligently repair any water damage in residences to prevent mould growth; and
  • to clean thoroughly any visible or concealed mould growing in residential buildings.

These recommendations apply regardless of the mould species found to be growing in the building.

Further, in the absence of exposure limits, results from tests for the presence of fungi in air cannot be used to assess risks to the health of building occupants.”

For more information regarding mold spores please call us at 905-290-9101 in Ontario or 604-435-6555 in British Columbia.

Cladosporium herbarum

Cladosporium herbarum is a common outdoor and indoor mold. It is commonly found on dead herbaceous and woody plants, textiles, rubber, paper, and foodstuffs of all kinds.

In the indoor environment, Cladosporium herbarum is found in floor, carpet and mattress dust, damp acrylic painted walls, wallpaper, HVAC insulation, filters and fans. It is frequently the most prominent mold in air-spora. It grows over a wide range of temperatures, and has frequently been reported causing spoilage of meat in cold storage.

Cladosporium herbarum is not known to be toxigenic but can be highly allergenic to sensitive individuals. For more information about Cladosporium herbarum and other species of Cladosposporium, click http://www.moldbacteria.com/learnmore/cladosporium.html

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