Mold

                

Mold has certainly made its way into people's homes as well as the headlines recently.  Many people still don't fully understand the health hazards of fungal exposure.  The term toxic mold is somewhat misleading as it exudes an idea that certain molds are toxic, when actually certain types of molds produce secondary metabolites that produce toxins.  The correct term is mycotoxins.  Airborne mycotoxins from can definitely destroy one's health. Sometimes, people are unaware that they are breathing mold spores and mycotoxins until they are very sick. Certain people have a minor allergic reactions to the non-toxic mold,  but once you leave the affected area they most likely recover with few serious side effects. However, if they have been exposed to the dangerous molds such as Stachybotrys or Chaetomium, they could suffer from a myriad of serious symptoms and illnesses such as chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, mental deficiencies, heart problems, cancer, chronic fatigue, lupus, fibromyalgia, bleeding lungs and much more.

Unfortunately, the government has failed to establish guidelines that determine unhealthful amounts of poor indoor air quality standards, making it impossible for thousands of sick people to obtain help during this looming national health crisis.  This is the main reason why so many people are confused about the damage mold can cause.  As most know, many molds can cause allergens that can affect some of the population, but some molds can also cause toxins, which can affect everyone, depending on the length of exposure.  Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from allergic reactions to molds yet most of them don't even realize that when they're sneezing and sniffling the cause could be from fungi.

The molds that produce airborne toxins that can cause serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, memory and hearing loss, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and acid reflux. Common ailments from toxigenic mold---including allergies (hypersensitivity after initial toxicity), and excessive bruising---usually can be treated and reduced after people leave their contaminated environment. Often medication, diet, and other treatment protocols are necessary.  But other health problems may remain permanently, such as brain damage and weakened immune systems.  Eyesight, memory, coordination/balance, and hearing are generally the most common residual effects that often do not improve after treatment in most cases.

Molds can be found wherever there is moisture, oxygen, and something to feed on. In the fall, they grow on rotting logs and fallen leaves, especially in moist, shady areas. In gardens, they can be found in compost piles and on certain grasses and weeds. Molds grow in our homes in moist warm areas like damp basements, closets, and bathrooms, even after the moisture has dried up. Also, molds can grow in places where fresh food is stored, refrigerator drip trays, house plants, humidifiers, garbage pails, mattresses, upholstered furniture, or foam rubber pillows. The worst place that molds can grow, however, is inside wall cavities and flooring of our homes, wherever there may be cellulose materials they can feed on, such as wood, ceiling tiles, or plasterboard, even if they are not visible, and they have sustained water damage at one time or another. This is very common if there has been a plumbing leak or an inadequate roof.  Actually, any type of water damage can cause a mold problem.

The disturbing factor about airborne mycotoxins is that it is impossible to know how much damage they have caused to one's health until it is too late. Therefore, It is imperative to not knowingly expose oneself even for brief periods of time in any place that smells moldy or has an appearance of mold or mildew. If you suspect that the air quality in your home is being compromised by mold spores you can have the air tested, but it can be quite expensive in some instances, however, it's worth it if it helps save your health.

Some molds are cryophytes (these adapt to low temperatures), some are thermo tolerant (they adapt to a wide range of temperatures) and some are thermophiles (they adapt to high temperatures). Depending on the species, these microbes will grow just about anywhere. Not even a fire in excess of 500 degrees Fahrenheit has been able to destroy some molds such as Stachybotrys. Mold requires a compatible temperature for each species. Environmental factors (temperature, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. ) are necessary compounds for indoor molds to thrive.

Mold also needs an organic source of food. People might be confused as mold can grow on glass, tile, stainless steel, cookware, etc., but it is generally feeding off of some organic source deposited on this material (oils, film, dirt, skin cells, etc.). The fiberglass insulation which some assume that mold does not grow on their product which is a fairly true statement, however, it grows on the organic debris that become trapped in these products. Mold also grows on things such as wood, fabric, leather, gypsum, fiberboard, drywall, stucco, and many insulation fibrous materials. All molds require some form of moisture to grow however, like temperature, the amount of moisture varies for different species. Some are xerophillic (colonize under very dry conditions) some are xerotolerant (colonize under a wide range of moisture levels) and some are hydrophilic (colonize at high moisture levels). It does not have to be a leak. . . Humidity or moisture content of the substrate can often be sufficient (relative humidity 50% start becoming problematic in many indoor cases). It can spread very easily through any HVAC system.

Mycotoxins are examples of chemical substances that molds create generally as secondary metabolites, thought to possibly play a role in either helping to prepare the substrate on which they exist for digestion, as defense mechanisms, and some have suggested that they may be produced when the organisms are under stress, which could be related to competition/defense, or simply due to inhospitable environmental conditions. The mycotoxins, which are also neurotoxins (a toxin that is determined to cause neurological damage), most commonly reach people from the air, via spores from the molds in question. They are also found in small particulates at times which may often represent mold dust, small particles of mold that has dried and turned to dust. Spores, when inhaled, can begin to colonize in the sinuses and throughout the body, including the brain, lung and gut after a period of time.

Sick buildings are one of the major causes of fungal illness, primarily mycotoxicosis, in industrialized nations today.  The United States is the least developed in fungal illness research and assistament to the community due to the high costs and fear of reprisals, so sadly, most American physicians have little or no education in treating this health crisis.  The average American physician knows only how to identify a mold hyphae under a microscope, at best.  Mycotoxicosis, often mistakenly called "Toxic Mold Syndrome" out of ignorance, has reached epidemic proportions at a national level in the United States due to defective construction, lack of regular maintenance, shoddy and inappropriate building materials, ignorance, and lack of government  involvement; all or in part due to the high costs of standard and substandard remediation.

Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed.

MDS Environmental Services, Inc. has years of experience in eliminating this danger from your home or office. We provide the following services:

• Initial site inspection ad review
• Annual multi-family and commercial property inspections and reports
• Non-engineering consultation for preventing moisture infiltration
• Bulk material and air quality sampling
• Recommendations for black mold removal
• Non-invasive (no demolition) treatment and abatement of mold
• Project management, monitoring, and clearance sampling of mold abatement projects that require demolition

Our mold inspection consists of visual screening, delineation of ambient air and wood moisture levels, and collection of one mold sample with independent laboratory analysis of that sample to confirm potential concentrations and types of mold. Approximately 5 to 6 business days after sample collection, MDS will submit a report in laymen's terms to you summarizing the inspection results and, if necessary, any recommendations for abatement. Many times your mold problem can be solved by simple ventilation, HVAC filtration, HEPA cleaning, and dehumidification coupled with inexpensive treatment of the existing fungi with a disinfectant and moldicide application.


Asbestos

                

Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. Asbestos is commonly used as an acoustic insulator, and in thermal insulation, fire proofing and other building materials. Many products in use today contain asbestos. Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne when asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed. When these fibers get into the air they may be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause significant health problems.

Mesothelioma (mez-oh-thee-lee-OH-muh) is a specific type of cancer which attacks the internal lining of the chest and abdomen as well as that of internal organs, particularly the lungs. This lining is called the mesothelium, from which the disease derives its name.

Exposure to Asbestos has been shown to be the main risk factor in contracting mesothelioma. Asbestos is actually a group of six different naturally-occurring minerals, known as silicates, that was once used in construction materials, automotive applications and anything requiring a heat-resistant or fire-proof barrier.

Most uses of Asbestos were outlawed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the George H.W. Bush Administration in 1989. A decline in malignant Mesothelioma cases appears to have resulted from this ban; nonetheless, there are still some eight million people in the U.S. who have had dangerous exposure to asbestos. While the number of men contracting the disease has fallen, the number of women patients has stayed level, indicating that exposure occurs in locations other than the workplace.

EPA estimates indicate that there may be nearly three-quarters of a million public buildings in the U.S. that still contain asbestos insulation and/or flooring. This includes up to 15% of all public school buildings in the nation.

How Asbestos Affects the Respiratory System

Asbestos is used in one of two forms. Serpetine fibers, consisting of the mineral chrysotile, is curly and quite flexible. It is the most common form of Asbestos. Amphiboles are similar to long, needle-like fibers. These are made from any one of five silicates: crocidolite, amosite, anthrophylite, tremolite, and actinolyte. While any kind of Asbestos can be a risk factor for mesothelioma, crocidolite amphiboles are considered the most dangerous.

Serpentine Asbestos fibers that are inhaled are captured by mucous membranes in the respiratory system (nose, throat, trachea [windpipe] and bronchi [tubes in the lungs]). These fibers are usually coughed up and/or swallowed. This can result in peritoneal mesothelioma which afflicts the inner lining of the abdomen.

Amphiboles on the other hand may reach the very ends of the airways, penetrating the aveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) and penetrating the pleural lining of the lung and inner surface of the chest. These fibers cause cell injury, which ultimately leads to the development of pleural mesothelioma. However, the condition does not develop immediately after concentrated exposure to asbestos; it often takes years and even decades for symptoms to develop.

Other Causes and Effects

Another lung disease attributable to the inhalation of asbestos fibers is asbestosis. This is caused when Asbestos fibers actually scratch and puncture the inner surfaces of the lung, resulting in the formation of scar tissue.

Lung cancer can also be attributed to asbestos exposure. In fact, the risk of lung cancer among those who have been exposed to Asbestos can be up to 600% greater than that of the public at large.

By itself, tobacco use does not result in mesothelioma. However, in combination with asbestos exposure, it can increase the risk of lung cancer by as much as 8000% compared to the general population. In fact, more Asbestos workers die from lung cancer than mesothelioma.

If you have Asbestos present in your home or workplace, or have reason to believe it exists, let our state certified and licensed technicians free your property from this environmental hazard.


Lead


                                                                                                         
Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources of lead poisoning include contaminated air, water, soil, and some toys and cosmetics. Although lead is still found widely in the environment, you can take a number of steps to help protect yourself and your family.

Initially, lead poisoning can be hard to detect — even people who seem healthy can have high blood levels of lead. Signs and symptoms usually don't appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated.

Although lead can affect almost every part of your body, it usually targets the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (hemoglobin) first. In time, it attacks your nervous system.

If you think your home might have any lead hazards at all, give MDS Environmental Services a call today to learn how we can help.


MDS Environmental Services, Inc. has been serving central Indiana communities since 2001. Customer satisfaction is our #1 priority in everything we do. Phone: (317) 430-8221. Email: sheffield5555@yahoo.com.