Frequently
Asked Questions on Australian
Mould-Related Issues
A
collection of frequently asked questions submitted by Australian residents
Q.
Dec. 11, 2011. Our house in Sydney, Australia, smells so strong of mould
fresh paint didn't even make a difference. I have a new born and 2 other
kids 4,1. I spent one night there and left my husband says i m overacting.
Am i?
A.
Painting over a mold problem does not help because mold loves to eat paint
as a snack food for its growth. If you smell mold, there is a serious mold
problem, maybe mold hidden inside walls, ceilings, heating/cooling
equipment and ducts, crawl space, basement, or attic. Compare your
family's health status to the top 100 mold health symptoms listed on the
Mold Inspector website. Infants and young children suffer the most
from exposure to mold. Your first mold detective step should be to use do
it yourself
mold test kits to test the outward air flow from each heating/cooling
system duct register for the possible presence of elevated levels of
airborne mold spores. You should also use the kits to mold test the air of
various rooms and areas (e.g., attic, basement) of your house. You should
also use a strong flash light to look for mold growth in your basement,
crawl space, attic, all other areas, inside heating/cooling ducts and
registers, and wherever there is plumbing, such as beneath kitchen and
bathroom sinks. Complete,
step by step instructions on how to do your own mold discovery and removal
are provided in my in depth ebook Do
It Best Yourself Mold Inspection, Testing, Remediation, and Prevention,
only $15 for email attachment delivery to you at http://www.moldmart.net.
My book Mold
Health Guidewould
also help you.
If I can be of further help, please email me. Best wishes, Phillip Fry,
Certified Environmental Hygienist
Q.
June 3, 2011. I am concerned that myself, my wife and our baby are living
with toxic black mould and I’m wondering if the attached pictures look
like black mould and I should be running away or if it looks like a less
toxic mould? We have had recent water damage in our Queensland home due to
a leaking gutter. Thanks
A. Dear Queensland mould victim, Your
pictures show very advanced mould growth, from which many airborne mold
spores will be continually thrown into the air to make you, your wife, and
your baby very ill. To know the mould species involved, you would need to
submit a sample for mould lab analysis use the lift tape sampling
technique with 3 inch strips, one inch wide of clear scotch tape. For life
tape sampling instructions, please visit
http://www.moldmart.net. Any type of
mould species in elevated levels indoors is dangerous. Infants are the
first to suffer from exposure to elevated levels of indoor mould growth.
Please fix the leaking gutter as your first priority. Then, follow the 25
steps for safe and effective mould remediation on a do it yourself basis
at
http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm.
Until you can do the mould removal, cover the mould growth with clear
plastic sheeting, taped tight to the mold growth surface with duct tape or
some other strong adhesive tape. If I can be of further help, please email
me. Thanks---Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Certified
Mould Inspector
Q. My husband has for the last
two years been collecting left over bread from a bakery. Once or twice a
week he gets a trailer full of bread which he feeds to cows . He does not
give the bread to the cows at one go thus what is left for the second feed
sometimes has mould on it. Since he started this bread routine he has
developed a rash on his skin, on the upper part of his body, mainly on his
shoulders, chest & arms. I suspect the yeast and mould are the cause of
his skin disorder. Would you please let me know if the rash could have
been caused by the bread.
A. It is certainly possible that
airborne mould spores from the bread mould may have landed on your husband's
skin. In addition, he may have inhaled enough to start mould growth inside
his body. He should help from a dermatologist and other medical
specialists as soon as possible. Also, you can learn about available
medical mould diagnostic and treatment procedures in the in-depth e-book
Mold Health Guide, available at
http://www.moldmart.net.
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