MOLD AWARENESS

1. 2004 Vincent J. Giblin, General President MOLD AWARENESS

2. This material was produced under grant number 46C5-HT16 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

3. MOLD AWARENESS International Environmental Technology and Training Center 1293 Airport Road, Beaver, WV 25813 Phone: (304) 253-8674 - Fax: (304) 253-7758 E-mail: hazmat@iuoeiettc.org

4. Mold versus fungi Fungi in history and its importance Describe parts and types of fungi Identify health hazards of fungi Cause and prevention of indoor fungal growth Current guidance for remediation of fungi Recommended personal protective equipment Describe air monitoring limitations and exposure limits Fungi versus asbestos Objectives

5. General term used for fungi that produce asexual spores Artificial grouping similar to the term “weed” No taxonomic significance Generally refers to a visible colony of fungi growing in an indoor environment. “Mildew” is a layperson’s term referring to mold growing in and on substances such as fabrics and wood. What is Mold?

6. Kingdom of eukaryotic organisms, without chlorophyll, that have cells bound by rigid walls Organisms classified in this kingdom: Absorb food in solution directly through their cell walls and reproduce through spores None conduct photosynthesis What is Fungi?

7. What are these? Common Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) Smooth Earthball (Sclerodermacepa)

8. Category Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Corresponding taxon for man Animalia Chordata Mammalia Primates Hominidae Homo Sapiens Linnean ClassificationCategories

9. Mushrooms Athlete's foot Apple-scab Corn smut Slime moulds Stinkhorns Wheat rust Wood rots Truffles Yeasts And many more… Biological Classification of the Fungi Kingdom Includes

10. In 1928, while working on influenza virus, he observed that mold had developed accidentally on a staphylococcus culture plate Mold had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. Mold culture prevented growth of staphylococci Even when diluted 800 times Named the active substance penicillin Alexander Fleming

11. Hair 100 microns Hyphae belong to the genus Penicillium and they are about 2-4 microns across Hyphae Size Hyphae of the water mold Saprolegnia

12. Outdoor air normally always contains some level of these airborne mold spores Hundreds or even thousands of mold spores per cubic foot of outdoor air Cladosporium produce light and buoyant spores that aerosolize easily Dry, maintained carpet typically contains at least 100,000 mold spores per gram of carpet dust Spore Size Light Microscope Image of Aspergillus Spores

13. Most molds reproduce by forming spores that disperse into the air in search of more food and moisture (similar to seed dispersal from plants) Millions of spores being released into the atmosphere from a puffball Most filamentous mold spores are microscopic and therefore, invisible to the naked eye Spore Size - Puffball

14. Fungi that produce mycotoxins are referred to as toxigenic fungi Aspergillus Fusarium Penicillium Stachybotrys Myrothecium Fungi that produce potent mycotoxins Seldom abundant in outdoor ambient air. Most toxic exposures occur from indoor growth of fungi related to excessive moisture Mycotoxins

15. Food products contaminated with aflatoxins Cereal (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat) Oilseeds (groundnut, soybean, sunflower, cotton) Spices (chillies, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, zinger) Tree nuts (almonds, pistachio, walnuts, coconut) Milk. Contamination costs US producers more than $100 million per year on average $ 26 millions to peanuts ($69.34/ha) Animals that have consumed feed contaminated with aflatoxins Aflatoxin Aspergillus flavus

16. Bluish-green to green Penicillium Aspergillus Black to brown-black Aspergillus niger Alternaria alternata Cladosporium herbarum Cladosporium sphaerospermum Stachybotrys chartarum Reddish or pink Fusarium How do I know what mold I have?

17. Cladosporium Penicillium Alternaria Aspergillus Common Fungi Penicillium chrysogenum Aspergillus ochraceus

18. Stachybotrys chartarum 35% of the isolates from buildings produce SUPER TOXIC cytotoxic mycotoxins and satratoxins. Killer Black Mold?

19. All molds have the potential to cause health effects. (US Environmental Protection Agency) The ACGIH approach has been to emphasize that active fungal growth in indoor environments is inappropriate and may lead to exposures and adverse health effects. (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) “There are very few case reports that toxic molds inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions…” “The common health concerns from molds include hay-fever like allergic symptoms.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Health Effects

20. Burning eyes Headache Nausea Nose bleeds Allergic Reactions Asthma Exhaustion Sinus infections Cognitive disorders Pulmonary hemorrhage Liver damage Central nervous system damage Brain damage Cancer Death Health Effects

21. Prevent ponding of water Fix water leaks promptly Keep relative humidity below 50% Dry wetted materials within 48 hours How Do I Prevent Fungi Growth?

22. Catastrophic Storm flooding Sewage backflow Plumbing breaks Insidious Water intrusion, Moisture buildup Neglect Water Damage

23. Ponding on Roof

27. The amount of water vapor in the air at any given time is usually less than that required to saturate the air. The relative humidity is the percent of saturation humidity, generally calculated in relation to saturated vapor density. Relative Humidity

28. Indicates how moist the air is Ratio of the water vapor density (mass per unit volume) to the saturation water vapor density, usually expressed in percent Relative Humidity

29. Relative Humidity

30. NYC Department of Health Guidelines 5 Levels of remediation Delineates HVAC as its own type of remediation Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments

31. Level I: Small Isolated Areas (10 sq. ft or less) ceiling tiles, small areas on walls Level II: Mid-Sized Isolated Areas (10 - 30 sq. ft.) individual wallboard panels Level III: Large Isolated Areas (30 - 100 square feet) several wallboard panels Level IV: Extensive Contamination (greater than 100 contiguous square feet in an area) Level V: Remediation of HVAC Systems (within in the system) A Small Isolated Area of Contamination (<10 square feet) Areas of Contamination (>10 square feet) Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments

32. NIEHS Guidelines Recommended 8-hour training by IUOE Table 10: Low-level HVAC Mold Maintenance Work Course Guidelines for the Protection and Training of Workers Engaged in Maintenance andRemediation Work Associated with Mold

33. Table 10: Low-level HVAC Mold Maintenance Work Course Guidelines for the Protection and Training of Workers Engaged in Maintenance andRemediation Work Associated with Mold

34. Professional guidance for water damage restoration provided by the IICRC Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) Locate and eliminate moisture sources Physically remove the contamination Clean and dry structural materials Attempts to kill or encapsulate mold are not adequate to solve the problem IICRC S520 Standard Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation

35. Fix the leak or eliminate source of water Remove moist organic matter needed to grow Remove areas of fungi contamination Treat fungal growth with a fungicide Use a 10:1 bleach and water solution How Do I Get Rid of Mold?

36. Fix the Leak

37. Moist Organic Matter

39. APR and PAPR P100 cartridge Respiratory Protection

40. Eye protection Hand protection Foot protection Disposable coverall Tyvek Respiratory Protection PPE

41. BenzaRid™ is a professional colorless, water soluble 1:750 quaternary ammonium (benzalkonium chloride) mold killer Only kills mold spores which it comes into actual contact with Lotrimin AF for Athlete’s Foot Antifungal Plant fungicide Chlorine dioxide Fungicides

42. OSHA PEL ? ACGIH TLV? NIOSH REL? Fungal Exposure Limits Why? • ALARA • As Low As Reasonably Achievable

43. Visual Inspection most important initial step in identifying a possible contamination problem Bulk/Surface Sampling not required to undertake a remediation may need to be collected to identify specific fungal contaminants Air Sampling

44. Should not be part of a routine assessment, but may be necessary if: An individual(s) has been diagnosed with a disease that is or may be associated with a fungal exposure (e.g., pulmonary hemorrhage/hemosiderosis, and aspergillosis) Evidence from a visual inspection or bulk sampling that ventilation systems may be contaminated Presence of mold is suspected (e.g., musty odors) but cannot be identified by a visual inspection or bulk sampling (e.g., mold growth behind walls) If air monitoring is performed, collect and outdoor and indoor samples Air Sampling

45. No established exposure limits No mandated training requirements No established clearance criteria Public concern/fear Fungi Versus Asbestos Fungi is living Spore can regenerate Mold is Gold

47. This material was produced under grant number 46C5-HT16 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

48. This publication was made possible by grant numbers 5 U45 ES06182-07 and 5 U45 ES09763-07 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH with funds from EPA and DOE. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS, NIH, EPA, or DOE. End