Is mold in your home or office making you sick? How Invisible MVOCs Can Ruin Your Health!

Many of you have heard of the black mold scare. The media has created an incredible monster related to black mold and health problems! There is a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding this topic which has given rise to a multitude of opinions on this subject. I’ve heard things as varied as “mold causes cancer” and mold doesn’t cause any health problems at all. Usually, your attorney is from the insurance companies that spout that line of nonsense and nonsense (remember how they used to claim that smoking didn’t cause lung cancer?).

So if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve experienced some type of symptom and noticed something you think is mold and may or may not be related. There are several ways that mold can make a person who is exposed sick. When I started my mold remediation business, I had no idea how many sick people I would meet!

I estimate that nearly 70% of my clients have mold-related health issues that they are aware of and I’m willing to bet that a further percentage are affected but don’t know it. Mold can affect the body in multiple ways. The best known are those of exposure to mycotoxins and direct infections. Mycotoxins are literal poisons that molds produce in an attempt to kill off competitors. Mycotoxins can make a person very sick, and the most potent ones have been linked to cancer. Stachybotrys, a black mold which is the mold that the media has touted as “the black one” that produces these powerful poisons.

Unfortunately, the black mold label has led many customers with very toxic molds into a false sense of security because the mold in their home or office is white, green, red, or gray, etc., not black. Another commonly understood way that mold can affect health is through direct exposure. Many molds under the right conditions can directly colonize people! This means that they can grow in or on the human body. Big! Common examples are athlete’s foot, jock itch, thrush, and candida, which is technically a yeast infection. Other molds can live inside the body. They tend to attack when the body is highly stressed or fighting other invaders. People who have autoimmune disorders are particularly at risk, as is anyone recovering from major surgery.

These two basic ways that mold can affect a person are commonly and widely understood. This article is about MVOCs, which are not as commonly understood. MVOC stands for microbial volatile organic compound. When you walk into a home with a mold problem and smell that musty odor, chances are you’re smelling the MVOCs that the mold is producing. Strip powerful chemical gases such as benzenes, tulolenes, aldehydes, and many others. While research is still being done on the effects on humans, much research has already been done on VOCs, their man-made cousins, which are often the result of off-gassing from manufactured petrochemicals.

You may not realize it, but you and your family can be exposed to thousands of volatile organic compounds on a daily basis. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate into potentially harmful gases at room temperature and may or may not exude an odor. VOCs include a variety of chemicals that can cause short-term and long-term health problems.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), concentrations of many VOCs are up to ten times higher indoors than outdoors, regardless of whether the home is located in a rural or highly industrialized area, when the home suffers from mold, that number is likely to be much higher.

VOCs can be produced by a number of common or household activities including:

– Paints, thinners, varnishes and other solvents

– Aerosol sprays

– Air fresheners, candles and incense

– Cleaning and disinfectant items.

– Stored fuels and automotive products

– Hobby Supplies

– Glues, adhesives and sealing putties

– Dry clean clothes

– new carpet

– Secondhand smoke

– Pressed wood furniture

– Newspapers

– Moth repellents

– Wooden condoms

– Cooking

Exposure to mold-based VOCs or MVOCs can lead to many adverse health effects depending on the type, level, and duration of exposure. Health problems can range from minor ailments to major long-term health complications, including:

– Irritation of eyes, nose and throat.

– Headaches

– Dizziness

– Nausea and vomiting

– exacerbation of asthma

– Tired

– Allergic skin reaction

– Memory impairment and loss of coordination

– Cancer

– Hepatic injury

– Kidney damage

– Damage to the Central Neurological System

The EPA reports that high levels of pollutants and elevated concentrations of VOCs and MVOCs remain in the air long after an activity such as dusting has been completed. Young children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems may be more affected by exposure to VOCs than others.]

The MVOCs caused by mold are almost identical, with the only difference being that their production is caused by microbes, usually mold and bacteria! Mold odors are also made from volatile organic compounds. The volatile organic compounds produced by mold again include chemicals similar to alcohols, aldehydes, amines, ketones, and many more. When volatile organic compounds are produced by fungi or bacteria, we stop calling them volatile organic compounds and refer to them as microbial volatile organic compounds. (mVOC).

Mold or mVOC odors are often overlooked as a source of health concerns by many mold inspectors who look for spores or mycotoxins as the only sources of potential health concerns. Other inspectors are often concerned about the health effects of toxins produced only by toxic black mold or stachybotrys. Often during mold inspections, because the visible heavy-blooming mold was not obvious and the lab report you receive indicates that the spore levels inside are low, inspectors will tell you that you do not have a mold problem. Mold and many times your health problems are not related to mold in your home! This inspector has investigated numerous instances of moldy odors occurring inside air conditioning units, behind wallpaper, in basements, or within walls. He has been a victim of mold, as have many of my men due to occupational exposure!

For many years I have noticed a correlation between the appearance of moldy odor and allergies and asthma-like health problems. Recent studies with VOC’s support these observations. Keep in mind that the health and legal implications can be powerful, even when lack of elevated spore levels are present, building occupants can still get sick from mold!

Accredited laboratories can take indoor odor samples for quantitative and qualitative analysis using proven and advanced analysis methods. Aerotech Labs is one of the few laboratories that specializes not only in VOC analysis but also in the analysis of microbial volatile compounds or mVOCs.

Don’t take my word for it, research what academic and government mold experts are saying on this often overlooked topic. Do a mold and health odor VOC search for yourself and you’ll discover that even if spore levels are low in your home, there’s no guarantee that it’s free of mold problems.

There are goods! There is hope, just never rely on spore levels and lab tests alone, always hire an experienced inspector who does much more than take samples, he or she should know something about building construction or home inspections, air conditioning systems conditioning, science, indoor air quality, and industrial hygiene, and general water drying and restoration issues. The mold inspector should do a very detailed investigation using their knowledge and experience and shouldn’t just take a few samples, because ultimately the best inspectors draw on a vast bank of personal data compiled from thousands of people! research!

If you have a mold health problem, after it has been professionally corrected, it is usually a good idea to seek the care of a competent naturopathic doctor. Natural practitioners are often much more experienced in removing remaining health issues and mycotoxins from the body after mold has been removed from the home!