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Washington Toxics Coalition
Mold: Hazards and Prevention
Excessive indoor moisture can
lead to the growth of mold inside buildings. Leaks from plumbing, roofs, or
window frames cause the biggest problems, and lack of ventilation in kitchens
and bathrooms cause mold to grow around window frames, on or around bathroom
tiles, and on cold walls. Few people suffer serious health effects from exposure
to indoor molds, though some people have allergic or irritant reactions. The key
to successful mold prevention and control is to reduce indoor moisture: it is
impossible to remove all mold and mold spores indoors, but mold will not grow if
moisture is not present.
Disinfectants such as
chorine bleach used to be routinely recommended for cleaning up mold or mildew.
However, thinking on this is changing, and many experts no longer recommend
disinfecting for this purpose. The most important thing is to find and correct
the source of the moisture and to dry wet building materials and furnishings
within 24-48 hours. Once surfaces are kept dry, the mold cannot grow.
On this page you will find
links to sources of information on the hazards associated with mold problems in
homes, schools, and other buildings, how mold can be tested, guidelines for
reducing indoor moisture that contributes to mold problems, and much more.
General information on
mold prevention and control:
Mold Testing:
Guidelines for reducing
indoor moisture:
Guidelines for remediating
mold and water damage in buildings:
 | Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial
Buildings. EPA, March 2001.
http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html |
| Mold Remediation in Occupied Homes. Nathan
Yost, MD, Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D, P.Eng., and Terry Brennan, M.S., Building
Science Corporation, January 2002.
http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/mold/default.htm
(third article from top) |
| Managing Water Infiltration into Buildings: A
Systematized Approach for Remediating Water Problems in Buildings due to
Floods, Roof Leaks, Potable Water Leaks, Sewage Backup, Steam Leaks and
Groundwater Infiltration. Environmental Health and Safety Division,
University of Minnesota.
http://www.dehs.umn.edu/iaq/flood.html |
| Fact Sheet: Flood Cleanup - Avoiding Indoor Air
Quality Problems. EPA, October 2003.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/flood.html |
Health effects of mold:
| Molds in Indoor Workplaces (page 3). Hazard
Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS), California Department of
Health and California Department of Industrial Relations, March 2001.
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/molds.pdf
(1.4 MB PDF File) |
| Position Statement on Adverse Human Health
Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment. American College of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
http://www.acoem.org/guidelines/article.asp?ID=52 |
| Guidance for Clinicians on the Recognition and
Management of Health Effects related to Mold Exposure and Moisture Indoors.
Center for Indoor Environments and Health, University of Connecticut Health
Center, September 2004.
http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html |
Information on specific
mold species, including toxic molds:
| Questions and answers on Stachybotrys
chartarum and other molds . Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, November 2004.
http://www.cdc.gov/health/mold.html |
| Material Safety Data Sheets - Infectious
Substances: health and safety information on infectious microorganisms,
including Aspergillus and other molds and airborne biologicals .
Office of Biosafety, Health Canada.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/main/lcdc/web/biosafty/msds/index.html
(Note: these Material Safety Data Sheets are
profiles of infectious microorganisms and are different from MSDSs that
provide information on hazards posed by commercial products.) |
Information on indoor air
quality:
This page was funded by a
grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. While these materials
were reviewed for grant consistency, this does not necessarily constitute
endorsement by the department.
Washington Toxics
Coalition
4649 Sunnyside Ave N Suite 540
Seattle, WA 98103
206.632.1545
info@watoxics.org
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