A MOLDY SUMMER and the 3 H’S
HOT-HUMID-HURRICANES
Authored by:
Henry P. Shotwell, Ph.D, CIH
Vice President
Atlantic Environmental, Inc.
A HOT WET SUMMER
Once again, we’ve entered the hurricane season,
when hot humid air envelops most of North America. Beginning
in the Spring and lasting until the first frost of Autumn,
the air is typically well above 60% Relative Humidity,
which is ideal for promoting the growth of mold. The official
Hurricane season runs from June to September, and even
though they may not qualify as hurricanes, many storms
at this time of year have enough rain and wind to cause
structural damage and allow the growth of mold. Even if
your home isn’t damaged, prolonged periods of high
humidity will promote the growth of mold on many surfaces,
and will hasten the spoilage of bread, fruit and other
foods. If you spot a bowl of fruit or a loaf of bread
that has gone moldy, or if you see some mold growing on
a wall or furniture, should you evacuate the house and
burn it down?
THE BLACK MOLD MYTH
First off, let’s dispel a common myth about the
so-called “Toxic Black Mold, Stachybotrys.”
“Stachy” is no better and no worse than any
other mold. It was mistakenly thought to be involved in
an unusual lung condition years ago, but the myth lives
on. Secondly, there is no such thing as a “toxic
mold.” It’s a meaningless term, although all
molds, as well as all other living creatures, produce
waste products that can produce adverse health effects
under the right (or possibly wrong) conditions. (Did you
know that the mold Penicillium produces a “toxin”
called Penicillin!!!) Finally, whether a mold is black,
green white, brown, pink or any other color, has absolutely
no bearing on a given mold’s ability to create damage.
In fact, most mold colonies change their colors as they
grow and mature.
WASH MOLD WITH SOAP AND WATER
Unless there has been severe water damage, almost
all mold growth situations can be handled by simply washing
the surface with mild detergent and water and rinsing with
household bleach. If there has been wind and rainstorm damage,
the extent of the problem may require the services of an
experienced, certified remediation firm. The building should
be allowed to dry out thoroughly and the roof damage repaired
before removing the mold. Otherwise it may re-grow. A ruptured
pipe or other source of continuous water flow inside the
structure has to be found and repaired, followed by thorough
drying before removing any mold that has started to grow.
STOP WATER AND DEHUMIDIFY
If mold growth in your home is not due to storm damage
or a leaking pipe, humid air is probably the cause. Keeping
doors and windows closed and using a dehumidifier will
go a long way toward keeping the mold from coming back.
Atlantic Environmental Inc
2 East Blackwell Street
Dover, NJ 07801
(800) 344-4414
(973) 366-4660
(973) 366-3116 Fax
info@atlenv.com
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