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Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) - October 2, 2006
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Mold (Mycology) in the Media
Mold (Mycology) Stories - from Cynthia Anne Coulter (Mulvihill) of Hyde Mulvihill, APC
-- Builder schedules massive mold cleanup - 590 homes affected at Pulte's A.V. communities (Victorville Daily Press, CA - Sep 27, 2006)
-- 3 awarded $375,000 in lawsuit over mold (Baltimore Sun, United States - Sep 28, 2006)
-- Battling Household Air Pollution (Chronogram, NY - Oct 1, 2006)
-- Recipe for mold: hurricane and several weeks underwater (Discovery Reports Canada, Canada - Sep 25, 2006)
-- Mold closes UK frat house (Kentucky.com, KY - Sep 29, 2006)
-- Did Mold Kill the Magistrate? U.S. Magistrate Klein, veteran defense attorney, dies - Ted Klein, a South Florida legal giant, died of a mysterious lung ailment that cut short his career as a federal magistrate judge. (Miami Herald, FL - Sep 28, 2006)
-- Mold Education: Indoor Dampness and Molds and Development of Adult-Onset Asthma: A Population-Based Incident Case-Control Study (Environ Health Perspect 110:543-547 (2002)
-- Mold Education: Indoor Exposure to Molds and Allergic Sensitization (Environ Health Perspect 110:647-653 (2002)
-- BOOK REVIEW (Reprint): My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma (Jeffrey C. May, 2001, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 339 pages, $17.95)
-- Mold & Technology: "No Burn of California" Launches New Product That Fights Black Mold, The "Next Asbestos"
-- Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)
This week's photo is of a dust mite, by Dennis Kunkel. Prints are available for purchase at www.astrogra phics.com.
Coming soon: reviews of: My Office is Killing Me! by Jeffrey May, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006; The Triumph of the Fungi - A Rotten History, by Nicholas P. Money, PhD, Oxford University Press, 2007. In this issue, I am reprinting an earlier review I did of of the very informative (and amusing) My House is Killing Me! by Jeff May.
Hot tips on mold? Please e- mail them to Cynthia A. Coulter Mulvihill at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Builder schedules massive mold cleanup - 590 homes affected at Pulte's A.V. communities (Victorville Daily Press, CA - Sep 27, 2006)
APPLE VALLEY — Mold is growing again in some of Pulte Homes' Apple Valley developments, prompting the company to schedule examinations of 590 homes. This time, the mold appears to be growing in the shower, between the panels and the wall.
"Because there's the possibility that the caulking around these shower 'surrounds' might break down over time, we want to go in and proactively address the issue now," wrote Pulte spokeswoman Melanie Hearsch in an e-mail to the Daily Press.
Click here for Builder schedules massive mold cleanup - 590 homes affected at Pulte's A.V. communities (Victorville Daily Press, CA - Sep 27, 2006)
3 awarded $375,000 in lawsuit over mold (Baltimore Sun, United States - Sep 28, 2006)
A Circuit Court jury awarded $375,000 yesterday to three city residents who had sued the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, alleging that mold in their apartment building on Homewood Avenue created an unsafe living environment, according to court documents and their attorney.
The lawsuit, filed in February 2005, said that the apartments in a converted schoolhouse in the East Baltimore-Midway neighborhood had water leaks, standing water and mold since the late 1990s. The suit sought $3.2 million for residents Louise Bills, Mary Roy and Johnnie Pratt.
Click here for 3 awarded $375,000 in lawsuit over mold (Baltimore Sun, United States - Sep 28, 2006)
Battling Household Air Pollution (Chronogram, NY - Oct 1, 2006)
Most people look to the sky for billowing smokestacks when they're concerned about air pollution. But Karen Spector of the Los Angeles-based Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) says parents of young children usually look down. "We get so many calls from people concerned about new carpeting—they're worried about the strong smell," Spector says. And rightly so. EPA researchers estimate the air inside our homes is two to five times more polluted than the outside air.
While indoor air pollution is an important priority for everyone, parents of babies and toddlers tend to worry about it the most. Statistics show childhood asthma rates are rising, along with certain types of childhood cancer. Approximately 20 percent of American children have asthma, and it sends 160,000 kids to the hospital each year, according to the Mt. Sinai Center for Children's Environmental Health.
Click here for Battling Household Air Pollution (Chronogram, NY - Oct 1, 2006)
Recipe for mold: hurricane and several weeks underwater (Discovery Reports Canada, Canada - Sep 25, 2006)
A recent study done on the condition of New Orleans' homes found many contained more mold than levels found in sewage treatment plants. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, many homes were left flooded for weeks on end. The prolonged underwater submergence proved to be a perfect breeding ground for mold and toxic bacteria.
The study conducted by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health examined three single-family homes in New Orleans. Examinations sought to see what homes could be reconstructed in the wake of flooding.
Click here for Recipe for mold: hurricane and several weeks underwater (Discovery Reports Canada, Canada - Sep 25, 2006)
Mold closes UK frat house (Kentucky.com, KY - Sep 29, 2006)
An infestation of mold in a fraternity house will force the University of Kentucky to move all 48 residents to temporary housing within three weeks.
Much of the interior of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house at 410 Rose Lane will be torn apart in an attempt to locate and remedy the problem, which was brought to UK's attention by some angry parents.
Click here for Mold closes UK frat house (Kentucky.com, KY - Sep 29, 2006)
Did Mold Kill the Magistrate? U.S. Magistrate Klein, veteran defense attorney, dies - Ted Klein, a South Florida legal giant, died of a mysterious lung ailment that cut short his career as a federal magistrate judge. (Miami Herald, FL - Sep 28, 2006)
U.S. Magistrate Theodore Klein, recognized as one of the sharpest legal minds in South Florida during a storied career as a federal prosecutor, defense attorney and judge, died Wednesday afternoon of a lung disease. Klein, 66, died at South Miami Hospital after battling a mysterious lung ailment that family members say may have been caused by mold spores in his home. Klein, appointed as a magistrate nearly three years ago, fell ill last December and had been hospitalized since June.
His brother, Hank Klein, said the illness was a shock because Ted exercised regularly, ate healthy foods and never smoked. ''We don't know what caused this disease,'' said Klein, vice chairman of Codina Realty Services. ``He skied several times during the winter. He hiked during the summer. He jogged all the time. He was in excellent shape for a man of 66.''
Click here for Did Mold Kill the Magistrate? U.S. Magistrate Klein, veteran defense attorney, dies - Ted Klein, a South Florida legal giant, died of a mysterious lung ailment that cut short his career as a federal magistrate judge. (Miami Herald, FL - Sep 28, 2006)
Mold Education: Indoor Dampness and Molds and Development of Adult-Onset Asthma: A Population-Based Incident Case-Control Study (Environ Health Perspect 110:543-547 (2002)
Previous cross-sectional and prevalent case-control studies have suggested increased risk of asthma in adults related to dampness problems and molds in homes. We conducted a population-based incident case-control study to assess the effects of indoor dampness problems and molds at work and at home on development of asthma in adults. We recruited systematically all new cases of asthma during a 2.5- year study period (1997-2000) and randomly selected controls from a source population consisting of adults 21-63 years old living in the Pirkanmaa Hospital district, South Finland.
The clinically diagnosed case series consisted of 521 adults with newly diagnosed asthma and the control series of 932 controls, after we excluded 76 (7.5%) controls with a history of asthma. In logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounders, the risk of asthma was related to the presence of visible mold and/or mold odor in the workplace (odds ratio, 1.54 ; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.32) but not to water damage or damp stains alone. We estimated the fraction of asthma attributable to workplace mold exposure to be 35.1% (95% confidence interval, 1.0- 56.9%) among the exposed. Present results provide new evidence of the relation between workplace exposure to indoor molds and adult-onset asthma. Key words: asthma, case-control study, molds, occupational exposure, population-based.
Click here for Mold Education: Indoor Dampness and Molds and Development of Adult-Onset Asthma: A Population-Based Incident Case-Control Study (Environ Health Perspect 110:543-547 (2002)
Mold Education: Indoor Exposure to Molds and Allergic Sensitization (Environ Health Perspect 110:647-653 (2002)
Evidence that indoor dampness and mold growth are associated with respiratory health has been accumulating, but few studies have been able to examine health risks in relation to measured levels of indoor mold exposure. In particular, little is known about the contribution of indoor molds to the development of allergic sensitization. As a part of an ongoing study examining the effects of ambient air pollutants on respiratory health and atopic diseases in German school children, we examined the relation between viable mold levels indoors and allergic sensitization in 272 children. We examined whether allergic sensitization in children is associated with higher fungal spore count in settled house dust sampled from living room floors.
Adjusting for age, sex, parental education, region of residency, and parental history of atopy, we found that mold spore counts for Cladosporium and Aspergillus were associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization. Sensitized children exposed to high levels of mold spores (> 90th percentile) were more likely to suffer from symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. We conclude that elevated indoor concentrations of molds in wintertime might play a role in increasing the risk of developing atopic symptoms and allergic sensitization not only to molds but also to other common, inhaled allergens. These effects were strongest in the group of children who had lived in the same home since birth. Key words: allergic sensitization, house dust, indoor allergen exposure, molds.
Photo: Aspergillus spp., Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.
Click here for Mold Education: Indoor Exposure to Molds and Allergic Sensitization (Environ Health Perspect 110:647-653 (2002)
BOOK REVIEW (Reprint): My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma (Jeffrey C. May, 2001, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 339 pages, $17.95)
When I heard about this often-referenced book, I was concerned about its title. I wondered if it was just 'sensationalist'. The author, Jeffrey C. May, assured me it wasn't - and he is absolutely right. This book is alternately frightening and terribly funny. In his Closing Remarks, Mr. May says, "If you read this book and then go out and purchase a HEPA vacuum, I'll be pleased; but if you throw out your couch or mattress, I'll be upset. I wrote the book not to cause hysteria, but to help people suffering from allergies and asthma gain control over the air quality where they live, play and work. I believe firmly that taking simple steps can make enormous improvements, just as minor omissions can create major problems."
This book starts off with an introduction of allergy causing organisms, ranging from mold to mites. The microphotographs of carpet bettles and dust mites are like something from a scary movie. After that, Mr. May discusses the "Stage, Set and Crew" - rugs, furniture, bedding, pets, plants, and our own bodies. These make up our environment. Mr. May talks about a whole host of allergens including pets, mites, mold, and off-gassing. He also addresses important issues such as air- quality problems (such as carbon monoxide buildup) and home hazards, including improper wiring. Throughout the book, he discusses moisture and moisture control as it applies to specific areas of a home.
Mr. May addresses problems that can be found in each area of a home: the bedroom; the bathrooms; living room and family rooms; kitchens and dining rooms; basements; laundries; the attic; and in HVAC systems. He also talks about allergens in cars, schools, and homes. Importantly, he has solid and sensible recommendations for fixing the problems.
Now, for the funny stuff. Mr. May has been an inspector for many years, and has run into some very interesting problems. One laugh-out-loud story was called "The Hot Seat," and described a toilet that actually smoked and steamed (page 66). Have a bee problem? Don't try and remove them yourself (page 89). He has plenty of personal anecdotes as well, such as a temporary biological weapon his son inadvertently created by frying jalepeno peppers and onions (page 100).
Click here for BOOK REVIEW (Reprint): My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma (Jeffrey C. May, 2001, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 339 pages, $17.95)
Mold & Technology: "No Burn of California" Launches New Product That Fights Black Mold, The "Next Asbestos"
Roland Heights, CA (PRWEB) September 25, 2006 -- People today strive to live in well-constructed, energy efficient and soundproof homes. But in doing so they may be making themselves prey to an insidious health problem: black mold, which many experts have labeled the "next asbestos." Lawsuits are springing up all over the country because of the severity of the mold problem. www.noburnca.com Because homes are being built "tighter," moisture that is trapped within the walls before, during or after construction is contributing to the growth the toxic black mold.
It travels through the air and is inhaled by the occupants causing a multitude of health problems. It is so bad that many experts agree that the degree of health problems caused by black mold has been equated to those caused by asbestos.
Click here for Mold & Technology: "No Burn of California" Launches New Product That Fights Black Mold, The "Next Asbestos"
Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)
Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill is a California licensed attorney, admitted to practice in California state and federal courts. She has been the editor and publisher of Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) since 2002.
Ms. Mulvihill provides consulting services to Plaintiffs and Claimants - or potential Plaintiffs and Claimants; Defendants and potential defendants; attorneys; contractors; subcontractors; expert witnesses, remediators, etc. Ms. Mulvihill consults only. Her initial 15-minute consultation is free.
Ms. Mulvihill's confidential services include, depending on who she is retained by, and when:
Analysis of property damage and personal injuries
Conducting a property inspection
Reviewing medical records
Determination of the potential for a causal link between mycological issues and personal injuries
Research of what needs to be done to prove -- or disprove -- property damage, personal injuries, and their causal links
Determination what entity or entities might have caused property damage
Reviewing insurance policies to determine if insurance coverage is available for the claims
Determination what kind of expert or experts need to be retained to prove or disprove a case
Preparation of expert witnesses for depositions
Preparation of written discovery
Preparation of attorneys for questioning of expert witnesses
Ms. Mulvihill's work is, in general, protected by the attorney-client and attorney work-product privileges.
Click here for Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)
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