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This document lists classes or types of mold (harmless to toxic) and names types of mold-related illness. It provides information about indoor air quality investigation methodology in searching for possible causes of respiratory illness, asthma, immune system disorders, rashes, skin disease, psychological and neurological disorders, eye infections, or other symptoms which may have a physiological and environmental component.

Readers should also see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS for a complete, detailed list of health complaints associated with mold exposure. See MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE for help in finding a physician specializing in mold exposure, mold related illness, or environmental medicine.

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Classes or Types of Mold - by Degree of Potential Effect of Mold on Humans

Cosmetic mold

"Cosmetic mold" refers to mold genera or species which are unlikely to be a health hazard nor to cause damage to the building structure.

A common example found on framing lumber, often from time of construction, is black mold in the Ophistomacae group including Ophistoma sp. and Ceratocystis sp. which are commonly known as "blue stain" fungi. If these are present in the finished living space it may be appropriate to clean and coat the stained areas for cosmetic reasons. More costly measures are unlikely to be justified.

Allergenic mold

"Allergenic mold" is not normally dangerous in small quantities, but can be a problem for people who are particularly allergic to mold or who have asthma. In large quantities it is more likely to be a problem for these individuals.

Allergenic mold can be cleaned or removed by people who are not personally mold-sensitive by using ordinary cleaning methods and while wearing appropriate respiratory protection and gloves.

People who are particularly mold sensitive should avoid working with or disturbing moldy materials which might cause a reaction or increase their sensitivity. Where large areas of this mold are involved, e.g. in excess of 30 sq.ft., professional cleaning is likely to be needed.

Common Mold-Allergic Responses

• Allergic Rhinitis - affects 20-30% of the population. Other than molds, dust mites and mite fecal pellets, pollen or other plant fragments, and animal dander such as from pets or mice can cause or contribute to this complaint.
• Asthma - affects about 5% of the U.S. population. Several molds commonly found indoors may be a factor in triggering an asthma attack, including the most common genera, Cladosporium sp. and Alternaria sp. Others, Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. which we often find indoors in buildings with a history of water or moisture problem are asthma triggers. Various other factors besides mold can cause or contribute to asthma attacks.
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, or extrinsic allergic alveolitis, may be caused by airborne biological particles. Some experts, (Arora, A.S., "Understanding the Health Effects of Mold," vi-vii, Synergist magazine, September 2003) assert that this is a rare problem today but we suspect that it may be a risk where water-cooled air conditioning systems or mishandled air conditioning condensate are used or present.
• Aspergillosis - affects people who have become sensitized to Aspergillus sp., an inflammation of the respiratory airways.

Pathogenic, Toxic, or "Infectious" Mold

Mold in this group can cause infections in humans, including not only people at particular risk (such as those having a compromised immune system) but also people who are normal and healthy.

In most general terms we often include this group in our "Toxic mold" category below, but properly it is a separate group.

Some classes of pathogenic or infectious mold disease include (alphabetically):

• Blastomycosis
• Cryptococcus (from bird droppings), at primary risk are people with compromised immune system but normal adults can also be infected by inhalation of Cryptococcus neoformans, leading to a form of meningial encephalitis.
• Histoplasmosis (from bat droppings). This is the most commonly occurring infection in this group, caused by inhalation of Histoplasma capsulatum. In people with compromised immune system this can be a particularly dangerous infection.
• More Information below links to our full list of mold related illnesses and complaints.

Toxic mold can present serious health risk to humans or animals. Health effects may be temporary irritation or more serious longer term illness, immunosuppression, neurological disorders, or cancer.

Mycotoxins can be produced by some fungal spores in humans or animals.

Other fungal species are pathogenic, potentially causing serious illness in healthy individuals and presenting special concern for people who are at extra risk: individuals who are infant, elderly, immune-suppressed, undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from HIV/AIDS, or autoimmune disorders.

When a toxic mold has been identified advice from a mold professional is appropriate. The average homeowner should not attempt to clean up this type of contamination.

Attempts to "kill" mold using bleach or fungicidal disinfectants are improper

Attempts to "kill" mold, such as by using bleach, are inappropriate and ineffective since some spores can be dangerous even if they have been made not viable. This is why simply spraying or "bleaching" a moldy surface with a disinfectant is not effective. Actual cleaning or removal of contaminated materials is the appropriate step when fungal-contamination is found indoors.

Effective mold cleanup is possible - Here's What to Do

An effective mold cleanup is entirely possible and often leaves a building cleaner than when it was originally constructed. A mold clearance test following professional remediation is used to assure that the cleanup has been effective.

But unless the original causes of mold growth are corrected (usually leaks and building water entry) the problem is likely to recur. Finally, the object of mold cleanup is not normally to produce a sterile indoor environment.

Mold is normal material found in outdoor air and is present virtually everywhere. The cleaning objective is to clean up or "remove" problematic levels of allergenic or toxic mold and to bring the remaining level of common fungal spores in a building down to levels commonly found in buildings which have not suffered leaks, water entry, and problematic mold growth.

Reference: some of the notes from this page are paraphrased from a guest column, "Understanding the Health Effects of Mold," by Dr. Ajit S. Arora, MD, PhD, appearing in AIHA's magazine "The Synergist," September 2003,

See our main website (below) for very important additional information such as mold testing, cleanup and mold remediation guideline resources.

Questions & Answers About Mold Exposure & Persistence of Mold Related Illness Complaints

Question: Do Mold Exposure Symptoms Persist After Leaving the Moldy Environment?

I have been trying for months to find a mold doctor, mold test lab or mold treatment clinic that will do mold testing in humans. I have been sick for over two years and to date my doctors are still not sure what is wrong with me. I have seen a total of 17 physicians, but still I have no diagnosis. The latest finding is one doc who thinks I might have MS. However, I have been reading the symptoms of mold poisoning which also mimic the symptoms of MS.

Unfortunately, I can't get any of my doctors to agree with one another on the mold theory. They keep telling me that if you remove yourself from the [mold-contamination] situation - you should get better. That hasn't happened to me, thus why they think it is something else.

Therefore, I wanted to know if you can point me in the right direction for mold testing in humans. I don't mean skin testing - I've had that done twice already - and I was positive for molds among other things. I need the kind of testing to diagnose whether or not the mold in colonizing in my body.

Mold or Health complaint began with an irritating car interior

I want to clarify that my symptoms started over two years ago - when I purchased a used vehicle. The initial symptoms started about the second day I was driving the car (I bought the car in Dec.). It started with a burning/irritating throat (almost like chemical/dirt was being blown into my throat). Then it progressed to a cough, respiratory problems, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches, light-headedness and so on.

Because I am no longer driving the car - doctors feel I should have gotten better. However, I stopped driving the car for several months. Then I got the car re-detailed (thinking at first it was in the detailing b/c an environmental dr mentioned that when I had a visit). I got back in the car for one month. The first 3 weeks I did not turn on the heat. The last week I turned on the heat and I got that same burning/irritating throat (which takes a while to subside). It was then that I knew my illness was coming from the car and I haven't driven it since.

My sister has been helping me diagnose and we both feel that there is mold/fungus in the AC/heating unit and is something that my body just won't tolerate. I've told every doctor I've visited - they sill feel that if I'm not driving the car anymore I should have gotten better.

I am over my head with anger and frustration!! Out of 17 doctors, not one believes that's possible. I'm a person who rarely gets sick. Any of my friends and co-workers can vouch for me. That's why when I bought that car - it was the only new thing in my life - and I know it made me sick and I have been sick ever since. Because it's the car involved - it seems like it's making it more difficult to get a diagnosis.

I live in PA - are their any mold doctors or human mold-exposure testing labs around my area that test for mold in humans? Any help you can give me is much appreciated. - Christine

Reply: Mold-related Illness Symptoms May Be Persistent

I am not a doctor and emphasize that I am only reporting on my experience as a field investigator, but it seems that while removing yourself from a mold-contaminated environment is recommended and often gives relief of symptoms and complaints, the medicine is more complex than that:

First, some mold exposures can produce ongoing, long-lasting, even permanent symptoms, for example the development of adult-onset asthma.

Second, moving out of a known mold-contaminated environment does not itself guarantee that the new environment is free of mold, allergens, indoor air quality concerns, etc.

Put another way, if on removing oneself from an environment suspected of causing or contributing to health related complaints, the complaints stop or diminish, that's very suggestive about that environment. But the converse does not hold. That is, someone suffering from apparently-building-related complaints may find that some of those complaints may persist.

A physician specializing in environmental medicine along with building inspection by a highly qualified field investigator can work together to help sort out these concerns.

Take a look at MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE for help in finding a physician specializing in mold exposure, mold related illness, or environmental medicine.

At MOLD RELATED ILLNESS for an introduction and see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS for a complete, detailed list of health complaints associated with mold exposure. Warning: our MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS list is not a medical document, has not been peer-reviewed by the medical profession, and is not in a medical sense authoritative. It does, however, collect both substantiated mold-related-illness complaints and a wide sampling of the nature and range of other complaints from people who believe or fear that mold or similar exposure has been a factor in their physical or mental health.

The Indoor Environment of Cars and Campers

About the effects of the indoor environment in an automobile: indeed we have investigated complaints of odors, smells, and mold contamination in automobiles. Keep in mind that for some individuals, particularly people who are sensitive to chemical smells and even perfumes, some plastics, vinyls, and carpets used in automobiles might, especially when new, be an irritant or a response trigger. And mold in automobiles, typically due to a leak that has wet insulation or carpeting, can be difficult to track down and clean.

At BOAT & CAR SMELLS & ODORS we discuss the car odor problem, and at CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING we report on tracking down, cleaning, and removing smells from mold in cars, campers, and similar vehicles.

Follow Your Physician's Advice About Correlating Illness, Health Complaints, & the Environment

Usually the best place to start tracking down an illness is with the doctor who is your general care physician. Typically he or she will refer you to an appropriate expert based on that discussion and examination. Our OPINION is that as long as you are consulting a physician who has experience and expertise in environmental medicine, pulmonology, allergy, mold-related-illness, or similar fields, and as long as the physician took time to hear your concerns, case history, and to examine you, that person is in the best spot to answer a critical diagnostic question:

Are your health complaints ones that have been associated with environmental exposure to irritants, contaminants. If the answer is "yes" or even "sometimes" then that doctor's advice can help set the direction for inspection and testing of environments where you have spent time in buildings or automobiles.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ACTIVITY in BUILDINGS
MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold?

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
MOLD CLASSES, LEVELS
  Cosmetic mold
  Allergenic mold
  Common Mold-Allergic Responses
  Pathogenic, Toxic, or "Infectious" Mold
  Attempts to "kill" mold using bleach
  Effective mold cleanup
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD