Mold and Fungus

Servall has sent Technicians to school and certified them to take care of your MOLD problems! We are the first company in West Tennessee to be certified and insured to treat for MOLD and FUNGI, using "Boracare with Mold Care" to control and prevent mold issues. With mold problems becoming a nation-wide health and structural problem, Servall recognized the need to be able to better serve and protect our communities.

What Molds Are
Molds are organisms that may be found indoors and outdoors. They are part of the natural environment and play an important role in the environment by breaking down and digesting organic material, such as dead leaves. Also called fungi or mildew, molds are neither plants nor animals; they are part of the kingdom Fungi.

Molds can multiply by producing microscopic spores (2-100 microns in diameter), similar to the seeds produced by plants. Many spores are so small they easily float through air and can be carried for great distances by even the gentlest breezes. The number of mold spores suspended in indoor and outdoor air fluctuates from season to season, day to day, and even hour to hour
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Mold spores are ubiquitous; they are found both indoors and outdoors. Mold spores cannot be eliminated from indoor environments. Some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in settled dust; however, they will not grow if moisture is not present.

What Mold Needs to Grow
To grow indoors, mold needs moisture and food. Moisture is the most important factor influencing mold growth indoors. Controlling indoor moisture helps limit mold growth.

Health Effects That May Be Caused by Inhaling Mold or Mold Spores
Inhalation exposure to mold indoors can cause adverse health effects in some people. Mold produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances or chemicals (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Mold does not have to be alive to cause an allergic reaction. Dead or alive, mold can cause allergic reactions in some people.

Allergic Reactions, Asthma Attacks, Irritant Effects
Allergic reactions to mold are common and can be immediate or delayed. Repeated or single exposure to mold, mold spores, or mold fragments may cause non-sensitive individuals to become sensitive to mold, and repeated exposure has potential to increase sensitivity. Allergic responses include hay fever-like symptoms such as headache, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Molds can cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, molds can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of individuals whether or not the are allergic to mold.

Other Health Effects
Breathing in mold may also cause Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, and uncommon disease that resembles bacterial pneumonia. In addition, mold exposure may result in opportunistic infections in persons whose immune systems are weakened or suppressed.

When mold grows indoors, the occupants of a building may begin to report odors and a variety of symptoms including headaches, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, allergic reactions, and aggravated asthma systems. These and other symptoms may be associated with exposure to mold. But all of these symptoms may be caused by other exposures or conditions unrelated to mold growth. Therefore, it is important not to assume that, whenever any of these symptoms occurs, mold is the cause.

For more detailed information on mold and its health effects, consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.

Although mold is frequently found in damp buildings, it is not the only potential contaminant - biological contaminants other than mold, and non-biological contaminants are often present and may also cause health effects. Damp buildings may attract rodents and other pests. Damp or wet building components and furnishings may release chemicals indoors.

Potential contaminants in damp and wet buildings include bacteria, dust mites, cockroaches and other pests, as well as chemicals emitted by damp building materials and furnishings.

Mycotoxins and Health Effects
As molds grow, some (but not all) of them produce potentially toxic by-products called mycotoxins under some conditions. Some of these molds are commonly found in moisture-damaged building. More than 200 mycotoxins from common molds have been identified, and more remain to be identified. The amount and types of mycotoxins produced by a particular mold depends on many environmental and genetic factors. No one can tell whether a mold is producing mycotoxins just by looking at it. Some mycotoxins are known to affect people, but for many mycotoxins little health information is available. Research on mycotoxins is ongoing. Exposure to mycotoxins can occur from inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. It is prudent to avoid unnecessary inhalation exposure to mold.

For more information on mycotoxins, see the 2004 Institute of Medicine Report, "Damp Indoor Spaces and Health", published by The National Academies Press in Washington, DC, and available on the Web.

Mold Growth
Mold can grow on virtually any organic material as long as moisture and oxygen are present. There are molds that grow on wood, paper, carpet, food, and insulation. Because mold eats or digests what it is growing on, it can damage a building and its furnishings. If left unchecked, mold eventually can cause structural damage to building materials.

Molds gradually destroy the things they grow on. You can prevent damage to buildings and building contents, save money, and avoid potential health problems by controlling moisture and eliminating mold growth.