Health & Safety Update:
Are Toxic Molds the Next Asbestos?
Answer: Yes and No . . .
Scientists are still studying how dangerous toxic molds are and to whom. However, with an explosion in multi-million dollar lawsuits, the financial dangers are certainly becoming known.
- North Carolina Central University (NCCU), in Durham, has estimated that over $15 million will be spent on mold remediation at the NCCU campus – plus at least another $1 million to house the 500 students displaced by the mold problems.
- A construction company had to pay Martin County, Florida over $17 million due to mold problems in the county courthouse.
- A $6.3 million legal settlement during 2003 for 20 townhouse owners in North Carolina.
These kinds of numbers plus high-profile mold litigants, like Erin Brockovich, get media attention!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that no "causal link" has been proven with certain rare conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. However, inhaled mold mycotoxins have been known to trigger lung infections, particularly among those with suppressed immune systems. (Toxic molds -- different from the so-called "good" molds in cheese and medicine -- produce mycotoxins, which prevent or inhibit the growth of other organisms.)
So, are toxic molds the next asbestos? With over 9000 federal lawsuits filed to date, including some class action suits, there are similarities: When property is affected and people become ill, litigation often follows.
However, there are also major differences. For example, unlike asbestos, toxic mold is not amanufactured product. Mold is a product of nature, and mold has been around since the beginning of
recorded time. As one insurance executive put it, "you can’t sue God".
Another problem with comparing toxic molds to asbestos is that there is an established causal link
between asbestos and some specific types of cancer.
No such link has been established for toxic molds,
and symptoms are normally somewhat subjective.
While most molds are harmless to humans, so-called "black mold" stachybotrys chartarum can be troublesome because it gets into porous materials such as carpets and furniture fabrics. Other toxic molds, such as aspergillus and penicillium, also can pose problems.
Since indoor air quality is largely unregulated, no "safe" level of mycotoxins have been established. Setting such standards requires a step-by-step risk assessment process.
Such a risk assessment process requires data regarding prevalence of the mold or fungus, production of toxins, source strength, airborne concentrations, and inhalation health effects. Such data is simply not available on toxic molds.
Serious mold problems, like asbestos problems, require the necessary expertise: Cleanup and containment decisions should be made based upon the size of the area of mold growth and the potential for occupant exposure or building contamination without containment. These decisions should be based on an understanding of the full scope of mold contamination, including visible and hidden mold sources.
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