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| Mold
Health Effects - Odors |
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The musty odors
produced by mold and bacteria and are referred to as volatile organic
compounds. You may have heard the term before. The EPA has guidelines
for low VOC paint. Paint with high VOCs contribute to the smog in
California. Molds produce chemicals similar to the chemicals found in
paint. They are normal metabolic by-products of mold growth. Two of the
most common chemicals produced by mold are acetone and isopropanol4
which are also found nail polish, alcohols, and cleaning supplies. Furan
and butanol compounds are also produced by mold growth5.
These are irritants and toxic to the nervous system. They affect the
central nervous system producing symptoms such as headache, attention
deficit, inability to concentrate, dizziness, respiratory problems,
allergies and asthma. Some are carcinogenic. |
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New research
suggests that Napoleon died of poisoning from gas produced by mold6.
Testing of his hair indicates high levels of arsenic that are thought to
be due to a species of mold in his home. His bedroom had curtains with
arsenic in the green dyes. In the damp climate mold growth was common. A
particular species of mold, found on these materials, produce arsenic
gas when it consumes arsenic containing materials. |
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When testing for
mold it is not uncommon for the results to indicate that there are no
mold spores in the air even though an odor is present. The mold may be
hidden in a wall and spores may not be in the air at the time of
testing. Or the odor may be from other microbes such as bacteria.
Examples of this are bad breath and body odor. How dangerous is that?
From a health perspective who knows. There hasn’t been a lot of research
done on it. It’s common sense that a strong mold odor can’t be healthy.
The odor from mold can be just as hazardous as the allergies or toxins
associated with mold spores. It is prudent to eliminate musty odors and
not consider a mold cleanup project a success until the mold spores in
the air and the odor are gone. |
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Copyright © 2014-2017 Healthy Living Spaces LLC.
All rights reserved.
877-992-9904
Revised:
July 05, 2017.
Information in this document is subject to
change without notice.
Other products and
companies referred to herein are trademarks or
registered trademarks
of their
respective companies or trademark holders. |
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