Humans have long understood the seriousness
of the effects of mold infestations on human health. In
fact, The Bible references household mold infestations
as a sort of domestic form of leprosy, "The Lord
said to Moses and Aaron: 'If [a priest] finds greenish
streaks in the wall, he shall close up the house seven
days, and return on the seventh day to look. If the spots
have spread in the wall, then the priest shall order the
removal of the spotted section of wall, and the material
must be thrown in a defiled place without the city. Then
he shall order the inside walls of the house scraped thoroughly,
and the scrapings dumped in a defiled place without the
city. Other stones shall be brought to replace those removed,
new mortar used, and the house replastered. But if the
spots appear again, the house is defiled and he shall
order the destruction of the house- all its stones, timbers
and mortar shall be carried to a defiled place without
the city.'" (Leviticus 14)
While occupational exposure to airborne
contaminants such as asbestos and silica have been the
focus of indoor air quality over the last decade and a
half, exposure to bioaerosol contaminants has recently
become the prime suspect in indoor air quality degradation.
In fact, in the last ten years, microorganisms have been
identified as the primary contaminant in some 35-50% in
indoor air quality investigations conducted by the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Fungi are a separate kingdom. They are
not plants and do not have leaves, flowers, or green color.
They reproduce by disseminating spores. Fungi include
such microorganisms such as mold. mildew, rusts, mushrooms,
and toadstools. Molds are a class of fungi that occur
in a widely ranging variety of habitats. Molds can colonize
decaying organic material, including textiles and paper,
and even inorganic material provided that sufficient organic
organic nutrients are present to support mold growth.
 |
Common examples
of mold include: Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium,
Yeast, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillum, Ulocladium,
Fusarium, and Stachybotrys |
 |
Fungal species,
as a result of digestive processes, release enzymes that
break down organic materials. The byproducts of this digestion
are sugars, useful chemicals and secondary metabolites.
It is these secondary metabolites, called mycotoxins that
illicit a toxic response in bacteria, animals and, namely,
humans.
The most common health effects of
mold exposure to humans are allergenic and can include:
runny nose, itching eyes, coughing, headaches, shortness
of breath, sneezing, skin rash, and asthma. However, a
few molds are considered toxic and the mycotoxins they
produce can harm cells. Exposure to these "toxic"
molds can cause more serious health effects and even death.
Such cases have prompted
some states to initiate legislation which addresses the
mold issue. For example, California recently directed
the State Air Resources Board to study the environmental
conditions (including toxic mold) of portable classrooms.
In January of 2001, the State of Illinois introduced legislation
that establishes mold standards and directs the Department
of Health to offer recommendations regarding toxic mold
exposure limits. Similar legislation was introduced in
other state legislative bodies in 2001.
These legislative measures
are likely the result of serious recent litigious initiatives
targeting a variety of commercial and governmental entities.
For example, in California, Erin Brockovich recently filed
a personal injury/ construction defect complaint against
a former building owner and the builder alleging that
each had a role in causing the water intrusion that led
to the growth of mold. Brockovich alleged that she and
family members of her family had suffered adverse health
effects from exposure to mold. In MacDonald v. Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board, the plaintiffs include
both students who were exposed to mold between September
1995 and June 1999 and those students' parents. The lawsuit
alleges that exposure to toxic mold caused the students
a variety of ailments. The plaintiffs are seeking $1 billion
in general damages, $500 million is special damages and
costs and $500 million in damages to the parents. These
are only a few examples of the recent and current court
cases stemming from mold exposure.
In response to this liability potential and imminent legislation,
META has developed a three day course which address all
aspects of mold remediation projects. Taught by the leading
experts in the field, this course is a valuable resource
for building owners, landlords, and contractors and can
fulfill continuing education credits essential to the
renewal of many professional licenses. The following is
a summary of the three day course:
