• People are mainly exposed to mold by inhaling spores and skin/eye contact -- actively-growing mold also releases chemicals to the air which people breathe
• Tolerance/susceptibility to molds varies in the population. Health impacts can vary greatly from person to person.
• Allergic symptoms are the most common problems (e.g., mucous membrane irritation, rhinitis, and rashes)
• More severe effects (e.g., asthma attacks, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, infections, or toxic reactions) may also occur
• Individuals who are more susceptible to include those with:
  • Newborn children
  • The elderly and the very young
  • Compromised immune system
  • Respiratory problems

Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing, Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases potentially toxic substances (mycotocins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).

Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold.

Research on mold and health effects is ongoing. This page provides a brief overview; it does not describe all the potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.

For more information feel free to visit these informative sites:

Center For Disease Control

Environmental Protection Agency

Conclusions and Recommendations

Prudent public health practice then indicates removal from exposure through clean up or remediation, and public education about the potential for harm. Not all species within these genera are toxigenic, but it is prudent to assume that when these molds are found in excess indoors that they are treated as though they are toxin producing. It is not always cost effective to measure toxicity, so cautious practice regards the potential for toxicity as serious, aside from other health effects associated with excessive exposure to molds and their products. It is unwise to wait to take action until toxicity is determined after laboratory culture, especially since molds that are toxic in their normal environment may lose their toxicity in laboratory monoculture over time and therefore may not be identified as toxic. While testing for toxins is useful for establishing etiology of disease, and adds to knowledge about mold toxicity in the indoor environment, prudent public health practice might advise speedy clean-up, or removal of a heavily exposed populations from exposure as a first resort.

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