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Are Serious Health Risks Hidden in
Your Home?
(ARA) – Do your eyes water a lot? Do you often get a
stuffy nose without any sign of a cold? How many times
has your family been sick in the last year? If you don’t
suffer from allergies, the cause of your problem may be
hidden behind your walls: mold.
“You may not think you have it in your home, but mold is
everywhere. If you’ve ever had an unaddressed water
event in your home -- a roof leak, plumbing leak,
basement leak or sump pump backup -- and it wasn’t
quickly cleaned up, chances are good that you have a
significant problem,” says Seth Norman, CEO of Walled
Lake, Mich.-based IMS Laboratories, a company that
specializes in mold detection and clean up.
How do you find out if mold is causing your health
problems? Norman says there are two ways of going about
it. You can hire a mold inspector certified by the
National Association of Mold Professionals (NAMP) or buy
a do-it-yourself test kit.
NAMP certified inspectors hold the highest credentials
in the industry, use state of the art equipment, will
perform very thorough physical inspections, and conduct
sophisticated air quality testing. When they provide a
report, you will not only know where the mold is located
and the type of mold present, but you should also be
provided with a specific plan for removing the mold.
This service can be expensive. “Qualified inspectors
will charge between $500 and $2,500 -- or more -- to
come to your home for a physical inspection and mold
assessment,” says Norman.
A more economical option is to order a do-it-yourself
test kit. IMS Laboratories has one that sells for $9.95
plus shipping. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions
for testing your home, and everything you need to get
the job done. The kit includes a collection device and a
special biological growth medium. “The test only takes a
couple minutes to perform and is so easy to use that
anyone can do it,” he adds.
The kit can be used three different ways: to take a
direct topical sample, taped to an air vent to test your
air duct system, or simply exposed to the air in a
suspect room to test the air quality. Once the test is
complete, you seal it in the enclosed bag and place it
in a dark, warm place for two to three days. “After the
required time elapses, look at the plastic container
inside and if you see anything growing, your environment
has tested positive for mold,” says Norman.
You can test the air you breath, your heating and
cooling system, or a suspicious area on your wall, floor
or ceiling. The kit itself will tell you whether you
have mold. If your test comes back positive, for an
additional fee of $30.00, you can send it back to the
lab for further testing to determine what kind of mold
is present in your home. “We can tell you if it’s toxic,
pathogenic or just allergenic,” says Norman.
Toxic molds are considered the most dangerous.
Stachybotrys, or black mold, is the organism frequently
associated with sick building syndrome. People who come
in contact with it can experience respiratory problems,
central nervous system problems, skin irritation, aches
and pains.
Exposure to pathogenic molds can cause serious health
problems too. These molds have been linked to a number
of diseases, including emphysema, pulmonary
hemosiderosis (bleeding of the lungs) and encephalitis
(swelling of the brain).
Allergenic molds are the most common and least dangerous
types of mold. Exposure to these molds can cause healthy
people to get stuffy noses, watery eyes, and
occasionally shortness of breath. They may cause serious
health problems for people with asthma or compromised
immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy.
“Once you establish the presence of mold, you need to
make a determination of whether you can clean it up
yourself or if a professional should be called in,” says
Norman.
If the mold is allergenic and not growing in a porous
material (ceiling tiles, drywall, carpet, etc.), it can
sometimes be cleaned by scrubbing the suspect area with
bleach and water, then making sure you dry it out
completely. “If the mold is growing on porous material,
it may be difficult or impossible to remove by yourself,
in which case it should be addressed by a professional
mold remediator,” says Norman.
Same goes for mold determined to be toxic or pathogenic,
Norman says you’re better off leaving the cleanup to the
professionals. “It’s serious business. Mold remediators
will use the same protocol as professional cleaners who
remove asbestos. They work under negative pressure to
prevent further contamination, and wear protective
respirators, gloves and suits to prevent themselves from
being exposed,” says Norman.
How often should you test your home for mold? Once a
year, after any water intrusion, before bringing a new
baby home from the hospital, and before purchasing a new
home. Frequent tests -- once every month or two -- are
recommended for households where residents are very
young (under 2), senior citizens (over 65), asthmatic,
or have weak or compromised immune systems.
To order a test kit from IMS Laboratories, log onto
www.homemoldtestkit.com or call (877) 665-3373.
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