Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors
Daryl Watters
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Article Title:
Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors
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Article Description:
Questions about mold related health problems or toxic mold
and black mold problems? A Certified mold inspector and mold
testing firm offers info and help in regard to mold
inspections and mold biology.
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Distribution Date and Time: 2009-12-22 11:00:00
Written By: Daryl Watters
Copyright: 2009
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Basic Fungal Biology For Concerned Homeowners And Mold Inspectors
Copyright (c) 2009 Daryl Watters
A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.
http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/
The diverse fungal organisms on planet earth form an entire large
grouping of related organisms know as the fungi kingdoms. The
terms mold and mould are typically used to describe only a small
subset of this much larger kingdom.
What are fungi? Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, which means
unlike bacteria they all have true cells with at least one
nucleus in the cell and that nucleus is inside a nuclear
membrane. The other cell organelles also are in membranes. Fungi
are not photosynthetic like plants; thus, they cannot make their
own food using sunlight and carbon dioxide like plants. But like
bacteria and plants, the fungi have rigid cell walls, and like
bacteria and some primitive plants (Mosses, liverworts, and
ferns), molds produce spores for reproduction.
Fungi can be microscopic, one-celled organisms, such as yeasts,
or large macroscopic organisms, such as giant mushrooms.
According to the fifth kingdom (a popular mycology textbook)
there are one hundred thousand known fungi species; there may be
as many as 1 to 1.7 million species of fungi if we include
estimated numbers of fungi not yet discovered. During a mold
inspection service investigation, only a dozen or so different
types are typically encountered.
Fungi are saprophytes. In other words, they release enzymes onto
the substrate which they are growing in order to dissolve and eat
that substrate. They share this characteristic with bacteria. In
nature, two of mold's favorite foods are moist dead wood and
soil rich with decaying organic matter. During a mold inspection,
we find that most molds will grow on drywall paper found on both
surfaces of wet drywall. The reason for this is that drywall
paper is made of one of molds favorite foods, wood.
Several species of mold commonly grow on water damaged building
materials. The volatile organic compounds or odors they produce,
and the spores they release often result in allergy or asthma
like reactions in home owners and office building occupants.
Some fungi are infectious, growing inside or on other living
things. Some of the fungi cause ring worm, athlete's foot,
Candida yeast infections, valley fever, and most common sinus
infections.
A few infectious fungi have the ability to grow as a fuzzy white
decay fungus or (saprophyte) at room temperature. The same molds
will grow as a disease causing yeast-like pathogen when incubated
at body temperature. These fungi are called dimorphic which means
two body types and they can result in serious and sometimes fatal
illness when growing in the human body in its infectious yeast
form. These fungi are not typically found or identified during
mold testing or a mold inspection service investigation. Most are
found in pigeon or starling bird droppings, or in bat droppings,
other types live in dry soils of the South Western U.S. and South
America.
It appears that in order to keep from being eaten, various types
of fungi produce toxic chemicals known as mycotoxins. We know of
at least 200 types of mycotoxins. Toxic molds containing
mycotoxins are very dangerous or even deadly to humans and
livestock when eaten in moldy foods.
When you feel sick because of mold in your home, it is not likely
to be from mycotoxins. It is usually an allergic reaction or
asthmatic reaction. Molds cause many minor and many serious
allergy and asthma problems. Please see your doctor for
verification. Why do molds cause allergies? Mold produces
proteins that many people and even pets' immune systems see as
an invading pathogen, the immune system over reacts to these
harmless mold proteins attempts to get rid of them or destroy
them, and as a result your own bodies immune system makes you
feel sick. It is a fact that many persons die each year in
America from asthma attacks.
Mycotoxins (being large, low-volatile chemicals) do not readily
evaporate into the air, and antigens (being proteins) obviously
are not likely to evaporate either; thus, one has to breathe in
mold spores or other mold parts to have an allergic reaction to
fungi. One typically has to eat fungi-contaminated food to be
poisoned by mycotoxins. Breathing in very large amounts of spores
in industrial settings or during mold removal also known as mold
remediation may result in organic toxic dust syndrome with
flu-like symptoms.
Long term exposure to mold, bacteria, or thermophilic
actinomycets (a cross between fungus and bacteria), may result in
hypersensitivity pneumonia, a type of industrial-strength
allergic condition with possible pneumonia-like symptoms.
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Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection
Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality
testing in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms
designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer
generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports.
For more inspection and testing information visit:
http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/Daryl-Watters-Mold-Inspector-CV.htm
http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/
http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com/
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