Old nemesis still puzzles experts
Old nemesis still puzzles experts
Because of the lack of data on maintenance or remediation workers engaged in mold-related activities, there presently is no way to link specific work practices to exposures, nor to measure the effectiveness of exposure reduction techniques, the group finds.
However, data from samplings taken during mold cleanups indicate that during remediation, mold spore counts have been documented to increase a thousandfold, the report concludes, making cleanup of mold sites tremendously more risky to health than working in those sites where the mold is undisturbed.
"Only over the last year or so have we gotten a consensus that mold is an allergen," says Latko, illustrating how little is yet known about how mold affects those exposed. "There have been a lot of unproven links, and some cases that were thought to be mold but were found to be really allergic responses not traceable back to mold."
Unlike a chemical, irritant, or other type of exposure commonly seen in the workplace, exposure to mold can be difficult to pinpoint because the allergen is a living, growing entity that is cyclical — samplings might indicate one day that there are no spores or mycotoxins in the suspect area, but a few days later, samples might show high levels of both.
| Health Effects
of Mold Exposure
Allergic reactions
Fungal infections
Other effects
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. |
Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites that have toxic effects ranging from short-term irritation to immunosuppression and cancer. They are natural organic compounds produced by molds, believed to be part of the plant’s survival mechanism, and are capable of initiating a toxic response in vertebrates.
There has been a reduction in the number of high-profile cases of sick workers, says Latko, but those have been replaced with a new problem that arose as a result of those earlier publicized cases — sick cleanup workers hired to deal with mold that made office workers sick.
Health effects of mold can vary, depending on the type of mold, concentration of spores or mycotoxins, and the health of the person exposed. The CDC points out that most people exposed to mold spores will never suffer any ill effects from exposure. (See "Health Effects of Mold Exposure," p. 89.)
Mold Resources
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Latko says that in addition to the beginning of a consensus regarding mold as an allergen, current literature is closing in on agreement that allergic reactions are the most common exposure reaction to mold.
"The reaction can be mild and transitory, like seasonal allergies, with runny nose, runny eyes, throat irritation, coughing, sneezing," she says. "Or it can be severe and chronic, and a trigger for asthma."
However, Latko points out that there is not a consensus among occupational and environmental health experts that mold is conclusively linked to causing the onset of asthma.
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