Transcript Molds by WA State Dept of Health

MOLDS
WHY DO WE CARE?
Washington State DOH
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MOLDS
 Health
effects
 Common molds
 Testing for molds
 Clean-up of moldy environments
 Levels of concern
Washington State DOH
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HEALTH EFFECTS
 Allergens
 Toxic
materials
 Infections
 Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Washington State DOH
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ALLERGENS
 Asthma
– Can be caused by spores, hyphal
fragments and metabolites
 Allergy
– Sinusitis
– Allergic Rhinitis
– Conjuctivitis
 Dermatitis
Washington State DOH
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TOXIC MATERIALS
 Mycotoxins
– Secondary metabolites not necessary for
life functions
– May be produced to gain ecological and
reproductive advantage
– Only well studied in animal ingestion
situations
Washington State DOH
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TOXIC MATERIALS
(con’t)
 Volatile
organic compounds
– Primarily short chain alcohols and
aldehydes
– Associated with moldy, musty smell
– Health effects of combinations not well
studied in humans
– May cause headache, dizziness, mucous
membrane irritation
Washington State DOH
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INFECTIONS
 Aspergillosis
“ABPA”
– Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
 Candidiasis
“thrush” common in babies
 Histoplasmosis
 Rare except in immune compromised
individuals or in the case of aspergillosis
in the asthmatic
Washington State DOH
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HYPERSENSITIVITY
PNEUMONITIS
 Susceptible
individuals about two
percent of the general population
 Caused by exposure to many organic
dusts
 Can cause permanent lung damage and
corresponding gas exchange
impairment
Washington State DOH
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COMMON MOLDS
 Most
saprophytic decay organisms
– Includes Penicillium, Aspergillis,
Cladosporium, and Alternaria
 Stachybotrys
chartarum the poster
child of toxic molds
– Not associated with bleeding lung issues in
infants
– Very high water requirements
Washington State DOH
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TESTING FOR MOLDS
 Bulk
sampling
– Visual identification may be difficult
 Tape
lifts
– Visual identification difficult
 Air
sampling
– Should include outdoor and indoor
samples for relative comparison
Washington State DOH
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TESTING (con’t)
– Should include viable and non-viable
samples
– May not capture full spectrum of particle
sizes
– May not capture robust viable sample
– Need to know what to provide for growth
media
– May provide false negatives
Washington State DOH
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GUIDELINES
 New
York City guidelines for
Stachybotrys clean-up
Small isolated areas (10 sq.ft. or less)
Mid sized isolated areas (10 to 30 sq.ft)
Large isolated (30 to 100 sq.ft.)
Extensive contamination (100 sq.ft. or
more)
Washington State DOH
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CLEAN-UP OF MOLDS
 Stop
the water leaks
 Determine the extent of growth
 Isolate the affected area
 Wear goggles, skin protection and
breathing protection
 Remove moldy materials
 Bleach the molds at 1/4 cup of bleach
per quart of water
Washington State DOH
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CLEAN-UP (con’t)
 Bleach
again and let dry
 Rinse the affected area with a detergent
rinse to remove allergens and toxins
 Replace materials as needed
 HEPA vacuum as needed
Washington State DOH
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LEVELS OF CONCERN
 ACGIH
outdoor levels routinely exceed
1,000 CFU/cubic meter
– May exceed 10,000 CFU/cubic meter in
the summer
 Not
uncommon to find 150 CFU/cubic
meter in homes
– 500 CFU/cubic meter in the summer
 Individual
Washington State DOH
susceptibilities vary
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MOLDS MADE SIMPLE
 Stop
water leaks
 Testing is ambiguous at best
 If you see or smell molds it’s time to
clean-up
 Isolate the affected area
 Remove moldy materials
 Bleach at 1/4 cup per quart of water
Washington State DOH
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MOLDS MADE SIMPLE
(con’t)
 Rinse
with detergent solution to remove
allergens and toxins
 Replace molded materials with new
Washington State DOH
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RESOURCES
 www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/iaq.htm
 www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/cmhc.html
 www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/resources.html
 www.ci.nyc.ny.us/health
 DOH
(360) 236-3363
 EPA (206) 553-2589
Washington State DOH
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MOLDS
 Questions
 Questions
 Questions
Washington State DOH
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