Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

For Immediate Release

Date:               August 28, 2007

Contact:          Joseph Reuther, Sanitarian

                        Environmental Health Services

Phone:            (810) 257-3603                     Fax:  (810) 257-3125

The Genesee County Health Department has received numerous calls this month from residents concerned about mold growing in their homes.  The heat and humidity in August are ideal conditions for mold.  Unchecked mold growth in homes can cause a number of problems.

Molds are part of the natural environment. Molds are simple, microscopic organisms, found virtually everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Molds can be found on plants, foods, dry leaves, and other organic material. Molds are needed in nature to break down dead material. Molds reproduce by spores, which are very tiny and lightweight.  Spores travel easily through the air.

If allowed to spread, mold can greatly reduce the market value of a property. Mold can cause structural damage to a home if not effectively removed.  Molds can cause health problems. When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections, and other respiratory problems.

There are currently no standards for judging what is an acceptable amount of mold, regardless of type or color.  The presence of various types of mold at various levels will affect people in different ways.

While there are no standards for how much mold is acceptable, if the area of mold growth exceeds 25 square feet or if a person has a particular sensitivity to a specific type of mold, then testing and further investigation may be warranted.

Typically, if mold is present in a home, it is there because there is a source of moisture (i.e., past or current leak, inadequate ventilation, too much moisture in the air, etc).  Mold growth in the home requires cleaning the moldy surfaces to remove the mold and fixing the water problem.  If the mold is cleaned up, but the water problem is not fixed, then the mold will grow back.

The Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) is available to answer questions regarding mold, effects of mold, mold growth and prevention.  The GCHD also has numerous educational and informational resources available, in addition to listings of local laboratories and private environmental professionals that will provide mold investigation, testing and corrective services.  Contact the GCHD at (810) 257-3612 or www.gchd.us.

###END##