Truth About Mold
Health Effects
Toxic mold can cause a wide variety of health effects. The health problems experienced by each person are different due to several factors, including age, genetics, health prior to exposure, amount of exposure, extent of contamination, types of molds and mycotoxins involved, other contaminants such as bacteria, etc.
Contamination in water-damaged buildings is a very complex situation that can result in multi-system health problems.
There are thousands of articles, studies, books and papers written on this topic. We will provide a brief overview of some of the key statements and conclusions that are presented in the literature.
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The following is one example of a list of health problems that can be caused by molds and mycotoxins:
From Dr. Harriet Ammann:
Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health?
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/mold.html
Health effects from exposures to molds in indoor environments can result from allergy, infection, mucous membrane and sensory irritation and toxicity alone, or in combination.
Mycotoxins are nearly all cytotoxic, disrupting various cellular structures such as membranes, and interfering with vital cellular processes such as protein, RNA and DNA synthesis.
- Vascular system (increased vascular fragility, hemorrhage into body tissues, or from lung, e.g., aflatoxin, satratoxin, roridins).
- Digestive system (diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal hemorrhage, liver effects, i.e., necrosis, fibrosis: aflatoxin; caustic effects on mucous membranes: T-2 toxin; anorexia: vomitoxin.
- Respiratory system: respiratory distress, bleeding from lungs e.g., trichothecenes.
- Nervous system, tremors, incoordination, depression, headache, e.g., tremorgens, trichothecenes.
- Cutaneous system: rash, burning sensation sloughing of skin, photosensitization, e.g., trichothecenes.
- Urinary system, nephrotoxicity, e.g. ochratoxin, citrinin.
- Reproductive system; infertility, changes in reproductive cycles, e.g. T-2 toxin, zearalenone
- Immune system: changes or suppression: many mycotoxins.
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From Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker:
How Do I Know If I Have Biotoxin Illness?
Have you been feeling sick but your doctors can't seem to find anything wrong? Have you been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lyme Disease, or Gulf War Illness? Have you been in a water damaged or environmentally sick building (often you can't tell until you are sick)? Are you more tired than normal? Do you have problems thinking, remembering things or with word recall? Are you unmotivated, depressed or have unusually high levels of anxiety? Do you have problems sleeping? Do you have tingling or twitching or other central nervous system symptoms that can't be explained? If you have one or more of these unexplainable symptoms, you may have been exposed to a biotoxin.
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Neurotoxic Effects of Toxigenic Molds and Mycotoxins
"Exposure to mycotoxin may occur via enteric, inhalation, or direct contact to skin and mucosa. Acute and chronic disorders, irritation, systemic reactions, and even cancer may develop after the exposure to these toxins."
"Symptoms include respiratory complaints that involve the nose and lungs; eye symptoms, and mucous membrane irritation. The major presentations are headache, general debilitating pains, nose bleeding, fevers with body temperatures up to 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), cough, memory loss, depression, mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety, chronic fatigue, vertigo/dizziness, and in some cases, seizures."
"Mycotic demyelinating optic neuritis is a neurological disorder of the visual system caused by mycotoxins released by indoor toxic molds."
"Other neurobehavioral manifestations in the mold-exposed individuals are abnormal decrease in steady balance, reaction time, blink-reflex latency, color discrimination, visual fields, and grip, compared to control. Hence, most exposed patients have reduced cognitive functioning in multiple domains, with memory and executive functions the most commonly affected areas."
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Cognitive Impairment Associated with Toxigenic Fungal Exposure
Report on Cognitive Impairment
"Most participants were found to have reduced cognitive functioning in multiple domains, with memory and executive functions the most commonly affected areas. This study adds to a growing body of literature relating exposure to mycotoxins to cognitive dysfunction."
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From Wire Service Canada, January 27, 2010:
"William Fisk from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California established a baseline for quantifying benefits from improved IAQ and demonstrated the economic impacts of increased productivity. Findings are showing that improvement in IAQ can: Reduce SBS symptoms by 20 to 50 percent, with estimated savings of $10 to $100 billion; Reduce asthma by 8 to 25 percent, with estimated savings of $1 to $4 billion; Reduce other respiratory illnesses by 23 to 76 percent, with estimated savings of $6 to $14 billion; Improve office worker productivity by 0.5 to 5 percent, with estimated savings of $20 to $200 billion."
From Dr. Ruth Etzel:
"Mycotoxins can have protean manifestations; the symptoms depend on the specific toxin or mixture of toxins, the age, sex, and diet of the child, the dose, and whether exposure is by ingestion, inhalation, skin and mucosal exposure, or a combination of two or more of these routes. The most well-characterized presentations among infants and children are summarized in Table 2 under four headings: vomiting illness, bone marrow failure, acute pulmonary hemorrhage, and recurrent episodes of apnea and/or pneumonia."
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From the 2008 Report of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO):
"Mold may affect human health through a number of routes and mechanisms. While inhalation is generally the most common route of exposure for mold in indoor environments, exposure can also occur through ingestion (for example, hand-to-mouth contact) and contact with the skin. The roles of these routes of exposure in causing illness are unclear. Once exposure occurs, health effects may arise through several potential mechanisms, including allergic (or immune-mediated), infectious, and toxic. It is not always possible to determine which of these mechanisms is associated with a specific health outcome."
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From the U.S. Army Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook:
"Exposure causes skin pain, pruritis, redness, vesiculation, necrosis, and sloughing of the epidermis. Effects on the airway include nose and throat pain, nasal discharge, itching and sneezing, cough, dyspnea, wheezing, chest pain, and hemoptysis. Toxin also produces similar effects after ingestion or eye contact. Severe intoxication results in prostration, weakness, ataxia, collapse, shock, and death."
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From a study by the Mayo Clinic:
"Mayo Clinic researchers say they have found the cause of most chronic sinus infections--an immune system response to fungus."
"An estimated 37 million people in the United States suffer from chronic sinusitis, an inflammation of the membranes of the nose and sinus cavity. Its incidence has been increasing steadily over the last decade."
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From a study by Berkeley Labs and the EPA:
"Of the 21.8 million people reported to have asthma in the U.S., approximately 4.6 million cases are estimated to be attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home,” says the study. In addition, this paper estimates that “the national annual cost of asthma that is attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home is $3.5 billion."
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From a study by Brown University:
"A groundbreaking public health study, led by Brown University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, has found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression."
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From the Bulletin of the World Health Organization:
Toxic Effects of Mycotoxins in Humans
"Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs by the dermal and inhalation routes."
"Mycotoxicoses often remain unrecognized by medical professionals, except when large numbers of people are involved."
"Aflatoxins are acutely toxic, immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic compounds."
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From Jack Thrasher, Ph.D.:
Dr. Thrasher's paper on Biocontaminants
Exposure of occupants mainly results from inhalation and, to a lesser extent, skin absorption and ingestion. Molds produce mycotoxins during rapid growth. At low concentrations, they cause mycotoxicosis in humans and animals. The mycotoxins causing disease include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, trichothecenes, citreviridins, fumonisins and gliotoxins. Mycotoxins can regulate the immune system up or down as well as inhibit synthesis of protein, RNA and DNA. Moreover, they can form DNA adducts, protein adducts and cause oxidative stress as well as mitochondrial directed apoptosis.
Toxic encephalopathy involves multiple symptoms, including loss of balance, recent memory decline, headaches, lightheadedness, spaciness/disorientation, insomnia, loss of coordination.
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From the ACGIH book titled "Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control"
This is a partial list from page 24-3 of the book. For a complete list, you will need to purchase the book from ACGIH at www.acgih.org.
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From the Mold-Survivor.Com website:
