The infamous Stachybotrys has caused more fear then any other mold,
although there are other species just as harmful or worse.
Toxic Mold Species and
Mycotoxines Often Found in Michigan
Located in Birmingham and serving Southeast
Michigan
Telephone: 248 321 4437
The terms toxic mold and toxic black mold are widely used
and many people associate the color black with toxic. The toxicity of mold
is not related to color, toxic mold can be of a wide variety of colors,
and not all species of black colored mold are toxic.
The Meaning of Toxic Mold
Some species of mold have the ability to produce substances harmful to other life forms,
poisons could be said. These poisons produced by mold are named
mycotoxines as a group, but each has a specific name.
Mycotoxines can kill other species of mold, bacteria, and even animals or humans.
Mycotoxines are probably a means of defense and survival for the mold
species.
It is not very well understood why toxic mold species produce mycotoxines only in certain conditions;
scientific studies are currently conducted for clarification. This is why some mold classifications
use the term potentially toxic mold.
Indoors Toxic Mold Species Often Found in Michigan
The most common toxic mold species found indoors in Michigan are: Fusarium, Aspergillum, Penicillium,
and Stachybotrys. All four are also allergenic, causing allergic reactions and/or asthma.
Stachybotrys Mold: Also known as the toxic black mold, Stachybotrys requires high humidity (Aw=0.9)
and it is a slow growing mold. The spores are heavy and may not appear in air quality sampling.
Stachybotrys grows in darker areas such as basements, bathroom wall cavities,
attic drywall under the insulation. This toxic mold produces a potent toxin of the trichothecene group.
Injected in animals the toxin caused necrosis and bleeding in many organs.
Stachybotrys toxin is also suspected to produce cancer of the liver and kidney
and has been associated with hemosiderosis, the bleeding lung disease of infants.
Fusarium Mold Species: This mold species mostly infect plants and grains
such as wheat and barley, but some are commonly found indoors in sump pump wells
and humidifiers. Fusarium produces toxins of the group trichothecene. These mycotoxines
are capable of inhibiting protein synthesis and can attack the circulatory, digestive,
and nervous systems as well as the skin. Intoxication will cause; nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, and internal bleeding.
Aspergillum Mold:187 Species of Aspergillum mold have been identified.
They appear in a wide variety of colors from yellow to green to black or a mixture thereof.
Widely spread throughout the world, the species of aspergillum range from allergenic
to toxic and to disease causing. They can live in the human lung, eyes, and nose
causing the disease named aspergillosis. Aspergillum flavus produces aflatoxin.
This toxin causes severe widespread damage to many body organs including cancer of the liver.
Penicillium Mold: Penicillium mold species also vary in color from white to gray,
the most frequent is greenish-blue. They grow very fast, 24 to 48 hours after
a leak has occurred in a house. Penicillium is well known as allergenic,
even more so it can cause extrinsic asthma and hypersensitivity reaction type I,
also known a anaphylactic shock. The best known toxin produced by Penicillium mold is named penicillin,
the medicine we take to stop or cure infections with bacteria.
Other Species of Toxic Mold
There are many other types of toxic mold that can be found indoors or outdoors.
One thing is good to remember; mold is a very versatile life form and many species
can produce toxins in certain conditions. We find some types more frequently indoors
than others, but the rule is not exclusive.
Michigan Mold Inspections Company Service Area
Mold inspections and testing services in southeast Michigan:
Oakland County, Macomb County, Wayne County,
Lapeer County, Genesee County, St. Clair County, Livingston
County, and Washtenaw County.
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