Cleaning Black Mold

How common is mold, including Stachybotrys chartarum (also
known by its synonym Stachybotrys atra) in buildings?

Molds are very common in buildings and homes and will grow
anywhere indoors where there is moisture. The most common
indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and
Alternaria. We do not have precise information about how
often Stachybotrys chartarum is found in buildings and
homes. While it is less common than other mold species, it
is not rare.

How do molds get in the indoor environment and how do they
grow?

Mold spores occur in the indoor and outdoor environments.
Mold spores may enter your house from the outside through
open doorways, windows, and heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems with outdoor air intakes. Spores in the
air outside also attach themselves to people and animals,
making clothing, shoes, bags, and pets convenient vehicles
for carrying mold indoors.

When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive
moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs,
pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding,
they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable
nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose
materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard,
ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly
conducive for the growth of some molds. Other materials such
as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall,
carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support toxic mold
growth.

What is Stachybotrys chartarum (Stachybotrys atra)?

Stachybotrys chartarum (also known by its synonym
Stachybotrys atra) is a greenish-black mold. It can grow on
material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content,
such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint.
Growth occurs when there is moisture from water damage,
excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, water
infiltration, or flooding. Constant moisture is required for
its growth. It is not necessary, however, to determine what
type of mold you may have. All molds should be treated the

same with respect to potential health risks and mold removal.

Great info from the http://www.cdc.gov/mold/stachy.htm#

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Stachybotrys chartarum (synonyms: Stachybotrys alternans and
S. atra) is a greenish-black mold that is commonly found
outdoors and sometimes found in damp or flooded homes.
Stachybotrys atra was originally described from the wall of
a house in Prague in 1837 by Czech mycologist August Carl
Joseph Corda. It requires constant moisture in order to
grow. Dry it and black mold will die.

Health problems related to this toxic mold have been documented in
humans and animals since the 1930s, and it is even
considered a likely candidate for the Biblical condition
mistranslated as “leprosy”, tzaraath. More recently, S.
chartarum has been linked with so-called sick building
syndrome. However, the link has not been firmly established
in the scientific literature. Pictures of black mold

Two cats died under anesthesia in what is believed to be the
first documented case of black mold poisoning in pets. The
cats had been living in Florida in a water damaged home.
During routine dental procedures both cats experienced
severe pulmonary hemorrhage and later died. Blood tests
confirmed the presence of a toxin produced by S. chartarum,
and severe black  mold contamination was found in the home.

Symptoms and Signs of black mold

Awesome info from Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachybotrys_chartarum

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