Quoted from http://moneypit.com/print/1005:
Green Mold in Basement
By Tom Kraeutler
Created 02/17/2009 – 14:01
Dear Tom and Leslie:
Green mold is growing in my basement. It is growing on furniture, boxes, plastic tubs, etc. I am afraid to even check all my videos. What is this mold? My landlord is bringing in inspectors tomorrow. My landlord said that I should not be storing anything in the basement. However, I have lived here in PA in this house for 18 months. The flooring in the basement is concrete. I have had previous mold exposure in CA when I lost my home. I have sealed all the vents from the basement to the first floor. I am still getting sick. What is this green mold?
Answer:
I don’t want to alarm you but this situation sounds pretty serious. Although I can not be certain without seeing and confirming what you have with a lab report, my first guess would be that this green mold may be a potentially toxic mold called Aspergillus.
Under certain conditions, this type of micro fungus, along with others, such as species of Stachybotrys chartarum (often referred to as “toxic black mold”) can produce mycotoxins which have an impact on human health. Aspergillus mold can be more of a concern than Stachybotrys chartarum, though, for several reasons.
While Stachybotrys chartarum requires wet conditions (steady leaks or a floor flood) in order to thrive, and thus is not as common as Aspergillus molds, which can grow in conditions of elevated relative humidity. Aspergillus spores are also smaller than Stachybotrys spores, and thus can remain airborne longer and are easier to breath.
The photo above depicts Aspergillus and was supplied by Jeff May, author of The Mold Survival Guide
[1]and several other leading books on indoor air quality. Jeff also authored much of The Money Pit’s Mold Resource Guide
[2].
In any event, a thorough, professional inspection by a mold expert is the appropriate first step to determining exactly what you have and what needs to be done about it. Until then, hold tight. One of the fastest ways to contaminate an entire house is by attempting to remove a serious mold infestation without having the knowledge, qualifications and tools to do so.
Contact Freedom Builders & Remodelers for your basement remodeling or finishing needs 815-985-0310
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