What is Mould: Some Facts You Need to Know

If you have mould in your home or business, you really should understand some basic facts about them. I have listed a whole heap below for you to digest

General Facts

  • They are invisible (only around 4-90 microns
  • Require a food source (water, organic material etc)
  • It releases spores for the purpose of reproduction
  • The spores may be allergenic, toxigenic and infections
  • There are over 100K  species but only about 100 species are identified as pathogenic to humans
  • fungi may be grey, yellow, red, black or brown

Some History on Mould

It has been documented as a problem for a very long time. It is mentioned int he bible in the chapter of Leviticus. If mould was growing in a house and it returned after being clean the house was to be knocekd down and stones moved top an unclean space.

This is similar to how professionals deal with mould now.

Requirements for Mould To Continue to Grow

  • Food Source: plaster board, wood, canvas, clothes etc
  • Moisture
  • Correct temperature
  • Time

What are the effects of Bad Mould (fungi)

  • Building materials get decomposed
  • health effects include that can cause cancer. Infections and allergies can also occure
  • General poor air quality.
  • It looks aesthetically pleasing .
  • Foul odour

 

Mould Removal Brisbane

Usually toxic mould like this would release mycotoxins which produce all sorts of health effects.

Facts about Mycotoxins

These are toxins that are cause my some moulds. The are inside the spores which are released. It is highly toxic and can cauyse cancer and suppress the immuni suystem

  • mycotoxins appear a lot in water damaged buildings
  • some common toxigenic moulds are penicillium pps stachybotrys chartarum, aspergillus

Microbial VOC’s

Some Fungi produce chemicals that evaporate. These are called VOC’s. They can cause dizziness, cancer and rashes. They are harmful in other words. Some facts about VOC’s

  • The presence of VOC’s can indicate active or even past mould growth
  • they all have different odours (nutty, musty etc)
  • It is usually produced during fungal growth and given off as a by product

Now that you have a basic understanding of mould. Feel free to peruse our resources section where you can see how you can remove the mould in your property.