Black mold.

[davey72]

I just found out that i have been living with black mold for what is likely a couple of years now. I haven't been able to find anything about it on the forum, or the cass site.
I am curious as to what the c's have to say about it?

 

[Renaissance]

there's plenty of information on the web about it. wikipedia says this:

Depending on the length of exposure and volume of spores inhaled or ingested, symptoms can manifest as chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing.

There's some info on the forum about mold in general; if you search the diet and health forum you'll probably find some interesting things.

 

[Ca.]

there's plenty of information on the web about it. wikipedia says this:

Depending on the length of exposure and volume of spores inhaled or ingested, symptoms can manifest as chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing.

There's some info on the forum about mold in general; if you search the diet and health forum you'll probably find some interesting things.

Like Shane said, exposure and its health effects are a serious concern, and its production from has to be dealt with. You would probably benefit by elemanting the source and remove the environment that the bacteria breeds production. Musty or unventilated places, such as bathrooms, shower stalls, basements, air conditioning systems, attics, under sinks, with leaky pipes.

You may find mold production also prominent in cold dark places like closets, or corners of rooms that lack of heat or ventilation.


Tips for Black Mold Removal

by Alana Morein

Are you looking the other way when you see a moldy substance growing in the dark and damp areas of your home? You shouldn’t be if that substance is greenish-black. It’s known as Strachybotrys atra and it’s very toxic and very deadly. That’s why when you’re dealing with molds; you need to know all of the facts. And when you’re dealing with black mold removal you need to be very aware of this dangerous fungus and you need to know how to stop it dead in its tracks, now.

To understand what Strachybotrys atra can do to someone, you need to be aware of the symptoms it can cause. A person who has been exposed may have difficulty breathing; they may experience headaches, coughing, nausea, memory loss, dizziness, asthma, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, and even infertility.


It is responsible for more than 100 types of lung conditions. But worst of all, Strachybotrys atra can cause respiratory bleeding, which is fatal in infants.

And while that’s pretty darn scary, many people refuse to believe that they even have this nasty substance in their home. They believe that if they keep their house spic and span clean, they will never encounter this dangerous fungus. Unfortunately that just isn’t true! Even the cleanest home can create the perfect place for fungus to grow.

For instance, when you live in an area that has a lot of humidity, you’re definitely prone to toxic fungi. Since moisture causes molds to become more susceptible to the area, the risk of having Strachybotrys atra in your home is even greater to homes that are not in a high humidity area.

However, humidity in the environment isn’t the only factor that can create a breeding ground for Strachybotrys atra. Leaky pipes can also become a potential toxic hazard for the fungus. And often, those leaky pipes go unnoticed because the leak is so small. To make matters worse, the fungus isn’t always visible since it can attach itself to the insides of the pipes, which makes it virtually impossible for removing black mold.

Another common breeding ground for Strachybotrys atra is anywhere a flood has occurred. It makes no difference if it’s a major flood that happened during a rainstorm or a minor flood that occurred when the toilet overflowed, it’s all breeding ground for fungi. Yet the worse part is it can take several days to dry that area out which gives the dangerous fungi an even better chance to grow.

Some other good indications that you have a problem with fungus growth are stains on the walls or ceilings of the home. These stains are usually yellowish in color, but signs of black, green or brown can indicate a fungi problem.

Another sign that could mean your home has the deadly fungus is, odor. If the smell of mildew or must is present, it could mean that there are molds growing where the odors are lingering. Common areas may include closets and heating and air conditioning units.

Finding out where the problem lies is only the tip of the iceberg. The next step is to remove the dangerous fungi. While this may seem like an easy task, it actually requires careful handling when coming in contact with the substance.

First and foremost, a respiratory mask, eye protection and gloves should be used when attempting to remove the problem. There are many products than can be used to remove the substance. The most common of them is bleach. There are also many paints that are specifically designed to help reduce the growth of fungi.

In addition to products, using a dehumidifier can control the humidity that attracts the dangerous fungus known as Strachybotrys atra, in the first place. However, if the problem is severe enough that products or a dehumidifier is simply not enough, a professional may be needed rather than trying to learn how to remove black mold yourself. Be safe, be smart. You and your family’s life depends on it.

More information and You tubes @ http://blackmoldremovalguide.com Also alternative applications from harsh chemical's in dealing with the problem @:

SafeTAir tea tree oil for mold and mildew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-FEDQV-x3g

The pictures below are extreme examples.

 

[davey72]

Thank you. I guess i was just making sure that everything i have heard about it is true, although i didn't realize that it was this bad.

 

[KJN]

Hi Davey72-

Sorry to hear you are being molded! My son and family discovered their whole house was "infected" (Key West after Katrina). They had to do the HazMat team like in the picture. There were readings done on the mold count. Outside was a normal 350ppm (or some such low number) Inside their house it was 150,000+ppm. It was discovered after their asthmatic son had to be rushed to the hospital and put on ventilators. Their house had wood supports that wicked up the water after the flooding and it spread to all the internal walls. It is nasty and can be lethal. I hope your conditions are not that bad, but please do something about it. You may want to purchase rubber gloves, a cloth jumpsuit and a face mask that has a good filter rating if you are handling it. This is a real case of "knowledge protects!" Good luck.

 

[davey72]

Sorry to hear about your son.
The worst part is that i kind of knew, but for some reason it didn't click. Until a friend said something.

 

[Drea]

My mother and brother are living in a house with black mold.

But worst of all, Strachybotrys atra can cause respiratory bleeding, which is fatal in infants.

My brother coughs up blood and bought those E-cigarettes, because he though it was from smoking. My mother has sinus inflammation and her doctor told her it was because she smoked cigarettes. Gee, it sounds like cigarettes are being used as a scapegoat. Meanwhile, they already had a test kit that came back positive, courtesy of my sister. The tanks of their toilets are black, so maybe that is a good place to look as well as drains. Get some good anti-fungals and spray down suspect areas, but IMO you may want to try baking soda or vinegar as opposed to breathing in bleach if you don't have a nice day to open the windows.

My family's situation kind of reminds me of this thread here http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=19024.msg182747#msg182747 entitled
Difficulties of Recognizing Our Own Incompetence . They still haven't resolved their mold problem, but then again they both are drinking alcohol, so they might be preoccupied. :(

 

[davey72]

I am sorry to hear about your mother and brother, Drea.
Thank you for that link, as it is something that i'm not sure i would have come to on my own.

 

[KTC]

Mould mould go away. We use vinegar and clove oil in a spray bottle to keep the mould at bay here in the tropics.

 

[Stones]

Vinegar and clove oil, you say? I'll have to try that.

How much of each ingredient do you use? What's the ratio?

 

[TomGreene]

I'm sure by now you've had the mold cleaned out of your home, but as a followup you might want to get the air retested to make sure all of it was found and properly removed. You should hire a certified tester. The following companies are the recognized leaders of certifying mold testers:

The National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors; Environmental Solutions Association ; The Professional Mold Inspection Institute ; Mold Inspection Consulting and Remediation Organization (MICRO); etc They can recommend local professionals.

To learn more about testing and finding a qualified tester you can check out _http://www.black-mold-guide.com/mold-certification.html

 

[Guardian]

Thank you. I guess i was just making sure that everything i have heard about it is true, although i didn't realize that it was this bad.

It is that bad, and worse. Black mold is the only thing that's ever made me sick, and it almost killed me. I'm not exaggerating or using a figure of speech, I nearly died....and I've always been a very healthy person. I never get colds, flu, wounds heal rapidly, etc. but black mold was destroying my body no matter what I did.

This was years ago, before the effects of physical infestation were common knowledge, and I was misdiagnosed over and over again. I lost over 50 lbs, had fevers in the 103-104 deg range, my heart started failing, and I was so sick I was ready to die. I set my affairs in order and started saying my goodbyes.

Through a very twisted set of circumstances, I just happened to meet a doctor in Florida who is a pioneer in the study of molds, or we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I can not stress enough how important it is to remove yourself (and your family, pets, etc.) from any environment that contains Strachybotrys until you are absolutely sure every last spore is gone!

 

[Guardian]

chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing.

...and this is on a good day.

The PTB grossly downplay the lethal danger of some molds, which are often found in work/commercial environments, and are very expensive to remove.


Mod's note: Edited to fix the quotation boxes

 

[M4N4MK1]

Thieves oil blend is something you could use to kill airborne bacteria, fungi, or viruses. More info on following link

"Research conducted at Weber State University in cooperation with D. Gary Young, as well as other documented research, indicates that most viruses, fungi, and bacteria cannot live in the presence of many essential oils, especially those high in phenols, carcacrol, thymol, and terpenes. This, perhaps, offers a modern explanation why the Old Testament prophet Moses used aromatic substances to protect the Isrealites from the plagues that decimated ancient Egypt. It may also help us understand why a notorious group of theives, reputed to be spice traders and perfumers, was protected from the Black Plague as they robbed the bodies of the dead during the 15th century. " Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th Edition, p6

_http://www.secretofthieves.com/

Mold expert stumbles upon an amazingly powerful and non-toxic method of toxic mold removal...in his wife's aromatherapy kit

In 2005, Edward Close, PhD, a mold remediation consultant with 30 years experience in the environmental industry, was asked to do third-party sampling for mold in an apartment complex that had been flooded, evacuated, and later put up for sale. The buyer who was renovating the apartments had paid a company which had used the strongest stuff they knew of—a hospital disinfectant. Yet Dr Close's sampling showed that either the product had not killed the mold or that the mold had already re-established itself.

After much urging by his wife, he diffused Thieves oil in the apartments for a 24-hour period. The research project yielded astonishing results! And two weeks later they were even more astonishing!

In another instance, 10,667 stachybotrys mold spores were identified in a per cubic meter area. After diffusing Thieves essential oil for 48 hours, Dr Close retested. Only thirteen stachybotrys remained. Similarly, 75,000 stachybotrys mold spores were identified in a sample of sheetrock. After 72 hours of diffusing, no stachybotrys mold spores remained.
http://www.secretofthieves.com/mold.cfm

 

[franklinwhite]

Black molds are really dangerous. You need to ventilate your bathroom or keep it open for sometime after use. Keep cleaning dark places or corners of your house. If your house is or a wall is fully damaged or effected by the mold contact your public adjuster who will prepare and present your claim to your insurance company.