Further to that, Ruth, I did a bit of research in case I could find the story. There are things worth knowing out there. Is it Wayne Fugitt who is a mold expert on this forum? http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an23/an23-7/an23-702.html said a book that everyone should have access to has just appeared in print: Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments, available on the Internet at http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.html (2) Future revisions to it will be posted there too. For more information, contact the New York City Department of Health at 212/788-4290. An expert panel was convened in 1993, originally to develop policies for medical and environmental evaluation and intervention in cases of Stachybotrys atra [chartarum] contamination. This revised guideline covers all fungi.
3. Follow developments in research and make contacts. Go to a mold conference now and then, or read in the professional literature on current research, to be sure your information is up to date. This will also make people more willing to talk to you; you can put yourself on a grapevine if you have recent news to swap. (As far as I know, there are no extension or college courses on coping with mold, except perhaps in the historical preservation field.) 4. Study real situations. Even if there is no leak to be found, water can enter a building through porous building materials, including concrete. It may enter as water vapor and condense and collect in hidden places. There are many esoteric ways for water to enter a house and feed mold. They are hard to understand without some kind of hands-on experience or a good teacher or a couple of really good books. So study is unavoidable. Mold Websites & Listservs Related to Health a.. [email protected] (A listserv for people diagnosed with Aspergillus infections. A minor source of usable information; mainly serves as a support group.) b.. http://www.aspergillus.man.ac.uk/ (A technical website which offers an impressive variety of information, including the full text of a large number of medical papers. Registration is needed if you want to have access to all sections.) c.. http://www.chem.umd.edu/organic/jarvis.html (Analysis of 4 toxins, esp. tricothecenes, a kind of toxin produced by many species of mold) d.. http://isiaq.org/ (International Society for Indoor Air Quality. Good on buildings and air handling, but not on mold itself, or on health.) e.. http://www.iuoe.org/cm/iaq_iaq_in_home.asp?Item=294 some horror stories - getting insurance for mold problems is no joke. f.. http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00157/corroded_valves_mold.html g.. http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_advice.htm h.. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52250 According to Portnoy, mold attacks in one of four ways. First, you could be allergic to it. This occurs in 10% to 20% of cases. A skin or blood test would pinpoint it as an allergic substance. Second, substances called ergosterol and glucan in the walls of the mold cell can cause hay fever-like symptoms. You don't have to be allergic -- anyone could react to these. Third, molds release organic compounds such as benzene and acetone, which would raise alarms in any workplace and are linked to nausea, dizziness, and headaches. Again, you don't have to be allergic. And last, molds, like other organisms, don't want to compete for food and nurturing, so they expel mycotoxins to kill competitors such as bacteria. In the case of helpful mycotoxins, we call these antibiotics and use them to help us. But in the case of some molds, the mycotoxins target cells within our bodies and may cause problems such as cancer, stillbirths, and bleeding in infants. Stachybotrys makes a lot of these harmful mycotoxins. Wow, the stories that are out there! All the best Rowena Ruth, I really don't like the thought of you having the same carpets that have been down since before all the damp problems. Mold, dampness etc. are like poison. I can't vouch for this story, though some of you may know about it. It was told to me by a friend, and concerns somone living in America. A family with a very expensive house, all the extras, experienced flooding. The insurance company didn't want to pay up. While the arguing was going on, the family continued to live in the house, and the son and husband became ill. On a plane trip the wife happened to sit next to an expert in mold. Later, she decided to call him in to examine the house. They were told to get out of the house immediately, and not take anything at all from the house with them, as there was a very bad kind of mold there. The son improved in health, but the husband is permanently damaged. I may not have full or correct details, but that is the gist of it. If anyone has a link to the full, correct story (there could be a transcript of a TV program or something) I'd like to have it. Best wishes Rowena My house does have a mold problem. Actually, I doubt that it is altogether curable, the house, that is. ................. The answer may be to move into an apartment. I am wondering about even that since this whole area is prone to dampness and mold. The last radon reading I had was slightly high. Since then I have had a beaver system put in which has elilminated at least gross moisture in the basement. Cement walls and floor have been dry since then. I also had cracks in the walls sealed. have not had a radon count since then. Probably should do that. However, the original carpets are still in the house. -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Address Off-Topic messages to: [email protected] The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
