Dangerous molds?

Dear George,

Is the mold called Aspergillus, Mysomycetes and Cladosporium dangerous molds? Can they be cleaned out of your home?
Thanks, Christina

Dear Christina,

There are many varietals of Aspergillus (like Aspergillus candidu, Aspergillus carneus, Aspergillus clavatus,Aspergillus deflectus. Some are more pathogenic than others. One of the worst is Aspergillus flavus which produces a type of mycotoxin that is an aflatoxin (a known carcinogen, and known to be the cause of eye, ear, respiratory and throat infections, and more.

I think you must mean Myxomycetes, which are slime molds can contribute to hay fever and asthma.

Varietals of Cladosporium can cause skin lesions, eye ulceration, mycosis (including onychomycosis, an infection of the nails of the feet or hands) edema and bronchiospasms; chronic cases may develop pulmonary emphysema.

Take a look at our glossary for more details.

You can eliminate specific colonies, but NO MOLD can be completely removed. This is because there is always going to be some level of mold spores in the outside air. With excellent filtration, (hepafiltration, etc) you can lower the concentration. That is why mold inspectors take outdoor levels of mold as a “control.” It is reasonable to expect your home to have at least the same concentration of mold as the outdoor air. It may sound alarming, but there is a big difference between trace amounts found in ambient air and a mold infestation.

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