preview

Molds Essay

Decent Essays

Humans spend 90% of their lives indoors (Sorenson, 1999), thus, they are in contact with mold everyday of their lives. Because people are indoors so often, harmful mold normally grows inside. There are three types of molds, allergenic, pathogenic, and toxigenic. The most common are allergenic and pathogenic found in homes. These molds tend to grow in damp places, such as, bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Within these growing molds, they produce spores (Flappen et al, 1999). Spores are used to pollinate and settle in damp locations to produce more molds. These spores are highly toxic to humans over long durations. Some diseases include pulmonary hemorrhage, hemosiderosis, and respiratory problems (Sorenson, 1999). Molds are …show more content…

These children mostly spend their times indoor, such as, in schools, daycares, and at home. In a study, scientists tested asthma mainly in African-Americans; more than a third of the participants were at high-risk of Asthma. (Kercsmar et al,2006) These children lived in poor condition homes, as well as, an urban area. Scientists also found that the largest area of mold infestation was found in the basement. (Kercsmar et al, 2006) This proves that mold spores are a major factor in inducing asthma. Human exposure is closely linked to a high mold spore counts in homes that are 75 years old and older, in poor conditions, or are in prominent water damages (Flappan et al, 1999). Humans can also be in contact with spores in newer homes, if they have a leaky roof or mold infestation in the ventilation systems. A leaking roof causes water damage to a certain area in a home. When the water damage causes mold, their spores are transported through the air (book). This also happens within a ventilation system because the spores can travel within the ventilation ducts and spread into every crevasse of a house. These spores attach to anything and everything because they can grow on any type of material and starts biodeteriorating instantly; within one or two days, the mold will be visible (book). In addition to upstairs, mold is also present downstairs. The highest amount of mold is present in the basement due to moisture and dampness. This is because

Get Access