Mold is dangerous to public health because it can cause breathing problems, allergies, fatigue, and other symptoms in humans. Mold affects people differently based on several factors. If a person has allergies, they might experience symptoms very quickly.
Black mold is more dangerous than other forms of mold. The amount of mold in the air and how it’s circulated through a building can also affect people’s exposure to mold.
Keep reading our guide about why mold is dangerous to public health. We’ll also dive into how we can remediate mold to make your commercial site safe for workers, residents, and customers.
What is mold?
Mold is a type of fungus. The two most common types of mold we find in buildings are Stachybotrys and Aspergillus. Both of these can cause health problems due to the mycotoxins contained in these fungi.
Where does mold usually grow in commercial buildings?
Mold usually grows on porous substances like wood and paper. These substances give a place for the mold spores to anchor and serve as a food source for the fungi. Mold destroys wood and paper as it consumes these materials.
However, mold can grow anywhere if there is enough standing moisture and the temperature is right. Mold can grow on plastic and metal, such as around pipe fixtures if there is a leak. Mold prefers dark, damp places to grow.
Why does mold cause health problems?
Toxic mold, not all types of mold, produces mycotoxins. These toxins can build up in the lungs because mold spores easily float in the air. Mold reproduces in this way as it moves from place to place.
Mycotoxins from mold can cause symptoms in people similar to an allergic reaction to pollen:
- Watery eyes
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Itching
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Skin rashes
- Worsening asthma
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
People who already have allergies can show symptoms more readily. For others, it may take a few weeks or a few months for symptoms of mold exposure to become apparent.
How do professionals remediate mold?
Our commercial mold remediation experts follow these steps:
- A mold remediation company like Environmental Demolition Group, which has decades of experience in the industry, starts by assessing the problem. We remediate mold from commercial buildings before a renovation or development of older buildings. We can also remediate mold after a fire in your office, facility, school, government building, store, or other commercial structure.
- Then, we develop an action plan that covers how we approach the problem. The plan covers every single day of the project. Action plans are detailed and cover the scope of work. It’s one thing if clean water is causing mold growth in a building. Sewage, chemicals, biological waste, or creek water offers other challenges that we must remedy during the project.
- Our team will cordon off any affected areas to prevent the spread of mold spores to other areas.
- For very large projects with over 100 square feet, our team will use hazmat suits, gloves, goggles, and HEPA respirators to remove mold. This protects our staff during the process.
- Depending on how prevalent the mold is, we may use shovels and wheelbarrows to move the mold into bins that seal off the contaminants. We’ll generally throw away rotted wood, sheetrock, carpet, and non-load-bearing items contaminated with mold. Once there is less mold, we may use specialized vacuums to make the process faster.
- In general, mold can be thrown away in ordinary landfills. We transport the items we’re throwing away in covered trucks to prevent the spread of mold to the disposal site.
- After all of the mold is removed, we may use professional-grade fungicides to kill any leftover spores that could be found on surfaces.
- Once we’re done, we remove our equipment and make our final reports on the remediated areas.
Contact Our Cincinnati Mold Remediation Company
Our team specializes in select demolition waste disposal, including mold remediation, for commercial buildings in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Contact us or call 859-363-4863 to learn more about what we can do for your building renovation or remediation. We’re happy to help in any way we can.
