Interesting Facts About Mold

2/3/2023 (Permalink)

Mold is a kind of fungus that can penetrate surfaces, such as walls, floors, and ceilings. Often, mold grows behind walls and in crawl spaces, so they are hidden from sight. However, this does not mean that there is no mold issue. When they can be seen, depending on the type of mold, they are usually in black or green patches. In contrast, mildew is a subtype of mold that does not penetrate the material that it grows on. Instead, mildew will stay on the surface and can be easily seen. It usually grows on damp surfaces, fabrics, and paper.

But, enough about that. Let’s talk about the interesting facts about mold!

• Mold is more common in households today than it was 50 years ago.
• About 50% of homes contain mold problems.
• 100% of chronic sinus infections are caused by mold.
• There are over 10,000 species of mold.
• Mold is linked to causing 30 different health problems.
• Penicillin and blue cheese is just a petrified mold.
• Infants born during mold season are 3x likely to develop asthma and other allergies.
• There is a creepy form of mold that can move around on its own, it’s called “slime mold.”
• Mold is one of the only organisms that doesn’t need light to grow, meaning it thrives in dark, wet areas.
• Christmas tree allergies are caused by mold put into the air by the tree.
• Black mold is known as Stachybotrys Chartarum, and it’s not always black - sometimes it’s green.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about mold, let’s learn some common mold remediation terms!

Remediation
The process of a remediation of a site includes assessment, containment, removal, and treatment of mold, fire damage, water damage, etc.

PPE
Technicians wear this type of gear during the process of remediation, specified by OSHA. The letters stand for personal protective equipment.

Mycotoxin
Designated as toxic to humans and produced by fungi, mycotoxins are specific compounds.

MVOCs
Released into the air as a musty, moldy odor, and produced by mold colonies, these are chemicals. They are referred to as microbial volatile organic compounds.

Moisture Content
This is exactly what it sounds like, it refers to the content of moisture within a material. Before mold growth occurs, a greater moisture content can be sustained by various materials, i.e. wood, textiles, paneling, insulation, etc.

To find more, check out this blog.

About SERVPRO Team Harvey
SERVPRO of Lower Manhattan is proudly owned by Lance and Jennifer Harvey - a husband and wife duo that owns three other SERVPRO locations, including SERVPRO of West Somerset County, SERVPRO of Lower Manhattan, and SERVPRO of Aberdeen/Holmdel.

We understand the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it “like it never even happened.”