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Health Effects of Mold Exposure

by Ritch Paprocki on October 24, 2010 at 11:42 am

Potential Health Effects of Mold Exposure

Mold is common in both indoor and outdoor environments and plays a vital role in the earth’s ecology by decomposing organic matter such as dead trees and leaves.  As a result, we all have routine mold exposure to mold, which may occur through inhalation, ingestion, and touching moldy surfaces.  The most common source of mold exposure for people living or working in moldy indoor environments is inhalation of spores.

When indoor environments are impacted by water damage and subsequent mold growth, our health can be affected.  Adverse health effects may include: allergic reactions; toxic effects and irritation; and even infections.

The mere presence of mold growth does not necessarily mean that people present in the area will suffer health effects.  However, as the amount of mold contaminated materials increases, so do potential exposures.  Certain exposures may represent a significant risk to individuals with underlying health conditions such as asthma, compromised immune systems, or allergies.

Evidence linking mold exposures to severe human health effects is documented in reports of occupational disease, particularly in forestry and agricultural settings where inhalation exposures were typically high and/or chronic.  The intensity of mold exposure and associated health effects experienced in undisturbed indoor environments is usually much less severe than that experienced by agricultural or forestry workers.  With the possible exception of exposures from mold remediation work, such high-level exposures are not expected indoors.

Although high-level exposures are unlikely to occur in undisturbed indoor settings, chronic exposures to lower levels may still raise health concerns.  Several factors influence the likelihood that individuals might experience health effects following exposure to mold in indoor environments.  These include: the nature of the type of mold (e.g., allergenic, toxic/irritant, or infectious), the degree of exposure (amount and duration); and the susceptibility of exposed people. 

Susceptibility varies with genetic predisposition, age, state of health, concurrent exposures, and previous sensitization.  It is not possible to determine “safe” or “unsafe” levels of exposure for the general public because of
variation of individual susceptibility, lack of standardized and validated environmental exposure sampling methods, and lack of reliable biological markers.

In addition to the adverse health effects associated with exposure to mold, in 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported health risks associated with living in damp indoor environments.  The IOM reported evidence suggesting an association between damp indoor environments and the development of asthma. Reported respiratory symptoms included, wheezing, coughing, and exacerbation of asthma.