Mold Toxicity Is on the Rise — Here’s How To Find It in Your Home

Michael Rubino

June 17

Mold toxicity can lead to a long list of chronic health symptoms and conditions. Here are some of the warning signs and how to deal with it.

The average person breathes 20,000 breaths daily and spends around 90 percent of their time inside. Yet our indoor environments are often the last place we consider (if at all) as a contributor to unhealthy living. But that needs to change because we’ve got a mold problem.

If microbial growth develops indoors, mold toxicity can occur, spurring myriad health conditions. Yet, when was the last time you were warned about the dangers of indoor mold growth, if ever? 

Unfortunately, the worldwide mold crisis in college dorms and its impact on future generations demonstrates this rising health epidemic.

What is mold toxicity?

Mold toxicity, often called mold illness, refers to the adverse health effects triggered by exposure to mold species and their byproducts. As mold grows, it releases spores, fragments, and potentially mycotoxins into the surrounding environment. While completely avoiding particles produced by mold is impossible, experiencing microbial growth indoors is not the same as typical outdoor exposure. With modern building practices pushing for net-zero energy efficiency, most particles that make their way indoors will remain there until actively eliminated. If a source actively produces these particles, such as a mold colony, exposure is further increased because the volume of contaminations is greater. Think of it as a factory producing smoke inside a bubble. The longer the factory is running, the more smoke it will release, and the more there will be inside the bubble. The longer microbial growth exists, the more particles it will release, and the more there will be inside the home.

Standing inside a bubble packed with particles is not the same as normal low-level, everyday exposure. With mold existing all over the planet, spores and particles will be present outdoors as well as in our homes — that’s why cleaning to remove particles is so important for indoor air quality. Thankfully, our bodies contain natural defense mechanisms to purge these particles once they enter. However, this is much harder in a home with an active source of contamination-releasing particles.

Read the full article here: https://katiecouric.com/health/mold-toxicity-exposure-symptoms-signs-test/

Michael Rubino
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Michael Rubino is your mold and indoor air quality expert.

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