What Is Black Mould?

WHAT IS BLACK MOULD?
- Black mould is a catch-all term that refers to toxic mould that has been linked to building-related respiratory problems.
- The colour of the mould is not the diagnostic. If your wall or ceiling is showing signs of mould and it’s green, then you can’t assume you don’t have black mould.
- It’s very common to grow on wood, gypsum and plaster and insulation found on pipes, aluminium foils like wall wrap and wallpaper. This fungus prefers cellulose-rich substrates containing high moisture levels.

HOW DOES BLACK MOULD HURT YOU?
- This fungus produces a large range of toxins called: TRICHOTHECENES.
- These bind to ribosomes that allow proteins to be built from long chains of amino acids. This toxin interferes with protein synthesis.
- It’s not the only problem in damp or water damaged buildings. Other factors like the presence of bacteria, cell wall particulates, mycotoxins, non-microbial volatile organic compounds and microbial volatile organic compounds (VOC’s and MVOCs), other proteins and endotoxins can all cause problems for people by different mechanisms.

WHAT BLACK MOULD LOOKS LIKE?
- Let’s look at it under the microscope.

WHAT CAUSES BLACK MOULD?
- Water ingress caused by 5 things:
(1) Leaks through flat roofs
(2) Rising damp
(3) Defects in plumbing fixtures and fittings
(4) Extreme indoor condensation
(5) Weather events including storm damage and floods

CAN BLACK MOULD KILL YOU?
- Review the infamous case of the Cleveland infant idiopathic pulmonary haemorrhage (IPH) reports.
- Official response is NO from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

CAN BLACK MOULD MAKE YOU ILL?
- Stachybotrys has been linked to a range of symptoms called “building-related illness” and include runny nose, cough and irritation to the eyes and throat.
- Controversy about how serious the threat is.
- Stachybotrys mycotoxins are divided into 3 structural groups: macrocyclic trichothecenes (e.g. satratoxins), atranones, and phenylspirodrimanes.
- They cause strong inflammatory responses.
- Your nose might be the first thing that’s affected because it’s exposed to everything you breathe in. RHINITIS is the term that covers that runny nose, the stuffy feeling - that might be due to the common cold or an allergy but might also be due to mould! Low dose, big effect - also linked to neurologic symptoms
- Foodstuffs like cereals a very real exposure pathway. For example, the United Nations estimated that 25% of cereals produced worldwide are contaminated by mycotoxins.
- Building materials used in your home might also make your home more or less likely to show black mould problems. Green building materials are made from recycled sources.
- Now think about that composite timber flooring under your tiling in the bathroom? That’s an example of a green building material that uses recycled content. In a recent experiment from 2017, ceiling tiles, composite board, plasterboard walls were made wet and inoculated with dusts containing fungi to see what would grow after 2-months. They found that recycled or green gypsum board (plasterboard) was dominated by Stachybotrys fungus.
- In Australia the thunderstorm asthma event in 2016 has prompted the Government to take very seriously the impact of pollens and mould spores that can be stirred up and distributed by weather events. There’s a new Interim Standard for airborne pollen and mould and this is a welcome addition to the Australian Mould Guideline (2010).

CAN BLACK MOULD CAUSE CANCER?
- Some research shows that components of the trichothecene toxin could be Group 3 carcinogens. However, Group 3 agents aren’t classifiable as carcinogenic to humans. This is because the evidence of carcinogenicity may be inadequate in humans or inadequate or limited to animals.
- BUT: Cancer-related inflammation is considered the "seventh hallmark of cancer"; numerous studies demonstrate that tumors develop and progress within inflammatory diseases.

IS BLACK MOULD DANGEROUS?
YES - because it’s absorbed from the skin, airways, and intestinal lining.

BLACK MOULD EXPOSURE SYMPTOMS
- malaise, fatigue, cognitive impairment. Inhaled spores cause chest and upper airway symptoms, fever, reduced white blood cells count and dermatitis. These symptoms typically start 2-3 days after exposure and can last up to 3-weeks.
- New research is even linking exposure to Alzheimer's and autism.
- Asthma is often an allergic response to mould.

REMEMBER
- All moulds including black mould grows on wet building materials. Keep your home clean and dry as best you can. Mould isn’t always visible, and you may need an indoor air quality or mould inspection or assessment or other form of testing. If you need help, call in a professional.

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