It Takes Time

Natural living, one step at a time

Navigation
  • Home
  • Natural Living
    • House
    • Beauty
    • Foodie
    • By Kids for Kids
  • DIY
  • Recipes
  • Natural Health
    • Dental
    • Gut Health
    • Detox
    • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Unseen Reality
    • Microbes & Mold
    • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • About Andrea

Toxic Mold Remediation




Yum

August 1, 2014 by Andrea Fabry Leave a Comment

Does mold remediation work? When water damage is localized and specific, proper remediation often solves the problem. But when a home is seriously contaminated, a leading toxicologist encourages consumers to be cautious.

Does mold remediation work? A leading toxicologist encourages consumers to be cautious.

The book of Leviticus makes it clear that if mold is still present after remediation, the home is unsafe. This is a radical approach to mold, one shared by leading toxicologist Dr. Jack Thrasher.

Dr. Thrasher, author of the article The Biocontaminants and Complexity of Damp Indoor Spaces: More Than What Meets the Eyes, says it is best to flee a home rather than remediate when serious health issues exist and when a serious infestation is involved.

Dr. Jack Thrasher discusses toxic mold remediation

“I have always been skeptical regarding the successful remediation of homes and buildings contaminated with fungi and bacteria from water intrusion. Buildings and homes are complicated structures. The spores of both bacteria and fungi, as well as their by-products (fine particles less than one micron to those equal or greater than the mold spores), are present in dust.

The dust can be found in all nooks and crannies of a building, e.g. refrigerator insulation and coils, areas not normally dusted, even in carpeting that has been vacuumed, under carpeting, and in wall cavities. Finally, little attention is paid to the contaminants in buildings that result from Gram negative and positive bacteria.

I will give some examples below:

  • Two buildings in Bermuda. These buildings had been remediated prior to our testing. Also, just before we arrived to do testing, the buildings had been cleaned and painted. Aggressive air sampling revealed the presence of hidden fungal spores up to 150,000 spores per cubic meter. Q-PCR revealed the presence of Stachybotrys and several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, along with other fungi. Culturing for presence of bacteria revealed pathogenic Gram negative and positive bacteria. Interestingly, the occupants of one building had recurrent episodes of food-like poisoning (diarrhea and lower abdominal cramping and pain). In this building we detected high levels of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that causes food poisoning. Also, we found high concentrations of endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) released by Gram negative bacteria. Moisture measurements revealed moisture content of walls from 58% to 98% in both buildings. Finally, disturbing the air around a work station that had computers produced spores of Stachybotrys at 7,000 per cubic meter. Thus, workers pounding on keyboards most likely were inhaling these spores along with finer particulates. Samples of dust were positive for endotoxins and 2-3-beta-D-glucans.
  • House that had been remediated twice. The occupants were still ill. Moisture measurements showed moisture was coming up through the cement slab, which had numerous cracks. This was in all rooms of a 4-bedroom home. Q-PCR revealed Stachybotrys, several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium in three different dust samples (carpeting, living area, kitchen cabinet dust). Results for endotoxins were elevated. Mycotoxins were detected in the dust. Two windows had evidence of elevated moisture content below the window. Tests revealed wall cavity fungi that were active and grew when cultured. Gram negative and positive bacteria were cultured from dust. The fireplace area with a TV alcove had high moisture content with Stachybotrys present (this had been previously remediated). The master bath still had high moisture content with Stachybotrys isolated (this had been remediated). The moral of this story is to check cement slabs as well as check below every window in the home.
  1. I have done other homes with similar results. I always culture for bacteria and endotoxins, test for mycotoxins, and do Q-PCR on several different dust samples. We have to remember that air spore counts alone do not tell the story. The fine particulates (less than one micron) have been shown to be up to 500 times more concentrated than the airborne spores. The fine particulates contain the antigens and toxins. Finally, recent peer-reviewed literature has shown that the bacteria in water-damaged structures also release toxins into the indoor environment. Therefore, both bacterial and fungal toxins are present and should be considered in risk assessments with respect to animal and human health.”

As for the implications of this for those who are genetically challenged, Thrasher says:

“People who are genetically challenged would be those who are genetically susceptible to such exposures. This would involve not only HLA genes but also genetic polymorphism of detoxification pathways such as Glutathione transferases and Cytochrome P450. Thus these people should receive full disclosure when renting or buying.”

Further reading:

  • How to Choose a Mold Remediation Company
  • Toxic Mold, Lyme and Genetics
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Toxic Mold

Toxic Mold Resource Amazon promo

Related Posts

  • How to Test for Toxic Mold
    49
    How to Test for Toxic MoldWondering if toxic mold is an issue in your home? Hiring a hygienist is one option. Another is to perform your own dust sample. Learn how to test for toxic mold. Dust sampling can be a good way to assess the health of your environment. The ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness…
    Tags: mold, dust, samples, toxic, species, air, spores, testing, indoor, bacteria
  • Toxic Mold Illness Studies
    42
    Toxic Mold Illness StudiesCan exposure to toxic mold cause health issues? Is there a link between water-damaged buildings and neurological dysfunction, sinus and respiratory problems, and other chronic health conditions? When seeking medical treatment, many mold-exposed individuals are met with skepticism by physicians. Family members or loved ones may dismiss the connection. The…
    Tags: health, mold, toxic, buildings, mycotoxins, dr, work, toxicologist, jack, thrasher
  • How to Interpret ERMI Mold Tests
    38
    How to Interpret ERMI Mold TestsThe ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) test is a dust sampling analysis offered by several labs to evaluate the health of a building. ERMI uses a DNA-based method for identifying 36 different species of mold. Labs currently offering this test include: EMSL Analytical ($172-$350 plus shipping ) EMLab P&K (call…
    Tags: health, building, mold, dust, species, high, indoor, air, serious, stachybotrys
  • Toxic Mold and Our Decision to Vacate
    35
    Toxic Mold and Our Decision to VacateYou would think a decision to leave your home, and all of your belongings would require some planning. Some forethought. I woke up the morning of October 4, 2008, with no intention of leaving. By 8:45 that night I walked out knowing we would never be back. Toxic Mold and…
    Tags: mold, dr, thrasher, toxic, serious, fine, toxicologist
  • Symptoms of Mold Exposure
    35
    Symptoms of Mold ExposureAre you wondering if you or a family member is suffering from a toxic mold exposure? Toxic mold and its related contaminants can wreak havoc with our immune system. Women often have different symptoms than men. The myriad of health problems may surprise you! Symptoms of Mold Exposure It is…
    Tags: mold, toxic, thrasher, jack, dr

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bacteria, buildings, dust, endotoxins, fungi, mold, mycotoxins, poisoning, remediated, remediation, spores, thrasher, toxic mold, toxicologist

« Teens and Diet Restriction
My Trip to Walgreens to Find Real Food »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

Follow

Now Available on Amazon

10 Things I’ve Learned (The Hard Way)

1. The answer may be right in front of you.
2. Time is often the best medicine.
3. Speak kindly to yourself.
4. The air we breathe matters.
5. It's better to know than not know.
6. Relinquishment is a balm for the soul.
7. Symptoms will instruct if we listen.
8. Sometimes you're the expert.
9. Allow hindsight to move you forward.
10. The next step is enough.

The Connecting Place Latest Episode

Listen to "Behind the Scenes: Mold Questions" on Spreaker.

Popular Posts

Natural Tile Cleaner

Super Booster Kale Chips

Looking for safe products?

Natural Living

Are you learning to cook with real food? Clean without chemicals? Use safer products on your skin? Natural living is fun and rewarding. Come join the fun!

Copyright 2023 It Takes Time - Andrea Fabry