Mold and human health
Mold exposure can cause allergic, respiratory, and immune system effects.
People who are atopic, already have allergies, asthma, or compromised immune systems are at an increased risk of health problems in damp or moldy buildings.[1] Fungal spores are present everywhere in the natural world and frequently turn up in dust found inside homes and workplaces.[2] Only a small fraction of mold species present dangers to people, with mild allergic responses being the typical reaction.[2]
Key facts and history
The 1698 publication "A Treatise of the Asthma" by physician Sir John Floyer noted that damp environments and mold could provoke asthma episodes.[3] During the 1930s, researchers linked mold to the unexplained fatalities of livestock across Russia and several other nations.[4] Investigators discovered Stachybotrys chartarum developing on damp grain that had been given to animals as feed.[4] Humans became sick and died when impoverished individuals consumed substantial amounts of spoiled grain heavily contaminated with Stachybotrys mold.[4]
Building methods shifted during the 1970s, leading to residences and commercial structures that were far more sealed against air exchange.[5] Builders began using less expensive materials like drywall, which lowered the ability of structures to dry out.[5] The convergence of higher moisture levels and favorable materials led to more frequent mold proliferation within buildings.[5] A coroner in the UK determined in November 2022 that a two-year-old child died from acute airway oedema caused by environmental mold exposure in his residence.[6]
What the research sources say
The same source states that many molds are capable of producing mycotoxins, but just because mold is present does not mean it is producing these toxins.[7] The MedicineNet article reports that allergic reactions to mold are the most common health effects and therefore the greatest health risk related to mold.[8] The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains that exposure to dust or mold in your environment can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mold Exposure", medicinenet.com, July 16, 2014; "Public health and economic impact of dampness and mold", Indoor Air, June 2007, p. 226–235; "WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: dampness and mould", World Health Organization, 2009, p. 93 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kathy Orton (October 25, 2013) Mold: What every homeowner fears but probably shouldn’t, The Washington Post, accessed 16 April 2019; "A spreading concern: inhalational health effects of mold", Environmental Health Perspectives, June 2007, p. A300–05; Indoor Environmental Quality: Dampness and Mold in Buildings. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. August 1, 2008.; "The medical effects of mold exposure", The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, February 2006, p. 326–33 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sir John Floyer's A Treatise of the Asthma (1698)", Thorax, April 1984, p. 248–254; "A Treatise of the Asthma (Divided into Four Parts)", 1698, p. 55–61 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Stachybotrys chartarum: cause of human disease or media darling?", Medical Mycology, August 2003, p. 271–91 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Textbook of Children's Environmental Health", Oxford University Press, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mold and human health" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Awaab Ishak death: the coroner's verdict in full", Inside Housing; Kearsley, "Awaab Ishak: Prevention of future deaths report", Prevention of Future Death Reports, 16 November 2022; Shurety, "Moldy homes: Toxicity, race, and the geographies of domestic mold", Progress in Environmental Geography, 2024-12-24, p. 3–23; "Government to deliver Awaab's Law", GOV.UK, 9 February 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Black mold exposure: Symptoms, treatment, and prevention", www.medicalnewstoday.com, 2019-09-18. facts only, no text reused. medicalnewstoday.com
- "Mold Exposure", medicinenet.com, July 16, 2014. facts only, no text reused. medicinenet.com
- "What Is Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis?", National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, October 1, 2010. facts only, no text reused. nhlbi.nih.gov
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Mold and human health (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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