PLPA 2010 1st Edition Lecture 6Outline of Last Lecture I. MycotoxinsOutline of Current Lecture II. Toxic Black MoldIII.Spore Count IV. Ten Things You Should Know about MoldsV. Fungi as allergensCurrent Lecture- Fungi that produce mycotoxins grow like many other molds except for their toxin-producing abilities. - Toxic Black Mold:o Began in mid 1990’s in Clevelando CDC studied 10 babies with lung bleeding All lived in houses that had water damage within 6 months Their houses were moldyo One common mold was Stachybotrys Makes a number of bad mycotoxins Especially trichothecenes It eats cellulose (like hay, tings your house is made of)o Five years later, CDC decided their conclusion was flawed Math was wrong; error in calculations Sampling procedure was flawed; affected houses were sampled twice as much Concentrations of mold in affected houses didn’t really differ from unaffected ones at all In the house where the first child died, a rodenticide “bomb” had been usedo It grows on wet drywall (gypsum powder and paper). Drywall holds water- Spore Counts:o Typical spore counts: 100-20,000 spores per cubic metero New Orleans post-Katrina moldy home: 3 milliono What’s a good count? We don’t knowThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Ten things we should know about molds:o Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposure include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaintso There is not practical way to eliminate all mold just try to control moistureo You must clean up the mold and eliminate the source of moistureo Fix the source of the water problem to prevent mold growtho Reduce indoor humidity (30%-60%) to decrease mold growtho Clean up wet building materials within 24-48 hourso Clean mold off of hard surfaces with detergent and dry completely. With absorbent material, it may need to be thrown awayo Prevent condensation add insulationo IN areas where there is a constant moisture problem, do not install carpetingo Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance ifmoisture is present- Fungi as allergens:o Spores of wind-dispersed molds that make lots spheres are the common culpritso Allergens may aggravate asthmao You may be allergic to just one type of mold, not all- Notorious Allergens:o Penicillium,