To understand mold, it is important to keep
in mind a few keys facts.
- Mold is vegetative, meaning it seeks
nutrients upon which it can feed. It is alive, a living life-form
with all the propensities to survive that other living entities
have. It is estimated that a quarter of the bio-mass
of the Earth consists of mold. Mold decomposes dead
and decaying matter . . . and sometimes tissues that are
critical to the life of other beings, such as plants, animals,
and people.
- Mold can be dormant for centuries
and become active when the right conditions present themselves. Moisture
and temperature are the primary conditions necessary for
spores to germinate. Once active, some molds are capable
of providing their own moisture, either by radiating hyphae
great distances where there is moisture or by taking moisture
out of the air.
- Mold lives on decaying matter and
whatever else can be found, including wallpaper paste,
drywall, and paint. Because it digests, it has biological processes
similar to animals. It therefore emits metabolic wastes
in the form of noxious odors that can be musty or acrid. Some
of these gases are toxic.
- Molds are sometimes classified into
toxic and non-toxic varieties, but all molds decompose
organic materials and are dangerous to the extent that
they reduce the structural integrity of buildings and affect
infected humans in ways that are seldom associated with
mold. Anyone
can be allergic to any species of mold, but even if there
are no symptoms of allergies, there are risks due to the
toxins.
Mold Nutrition
Mold will eat almost anything. When
it becomes active, there can be a staggering increase in the
population of spores, easily a million-fold soar in airborne
spores as well as those that are less mobile because they are
feeding on a stationary object.
Moisture
What mold needs is moisture. High humidity,
condensation, plumbing leaks, improperly sealed walls or foundations,
or flooding can activate spores that are dormant. These spores
are intrinsic in the organic materials used in construction,
but they require moisture in order to become active. When they
become active, they behave like other living organisms that
eat, digest, and excrete. This means that in addition to the
particulate matter generated by mold, there is also a potential
for allergic reactions to
the mold and mold spores as well as irritation from mold fragments
and toxic volatile organic compounds arising from metabolic
emissions.
Mold Gas
These mold gases can cause everything from
unpleasant odors to sick building syndrome to very serious
health problems. Worse, some molds are inhaled or
ingested. They can cause a host of symptoms, ranging
from respiratory complications to serious damage to the
central nervous system. Mold can merge with genetic material,
cause organ damage and/or cancer, and even death.
Death and Denial
Despite mountains of evidence to this effect,
there is either ignorance
or official denial in many parts of the medical community
. . . and insurance companies have lobbied hard to exclude
mold contamination from coverage.
Based on my experience, one can anticipate
that those who hope to make claims against insurance companies
should expect to find themselves pitted as David against deep
pocket Goliaths represented by huge law firms. The insurance
companies are prepared to spend practically any amount of time
and money to obstruct truth and limit or deny outlays to claimants.
The payments to lawyers come out of different funds and seem
to be generously disbursed.
Ingrid Naiman
1 November 2005
