What EPA Says Mold Can Do
The honest answer from EPA is specific about some effects and open about what is not known.
EPA says molds produce allergens and irritants. Breathing in or touching mold or its spores can trigger allergic reactions, which often resemble hay fever and can include sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes or a skin rash, and which can be immediate or delayed (EPA).
Mold can also bring on asthma episodes in people who have asthma and are allergic to mold, and exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of both allergic and non-allergic people (EPA).
What Is Not Known
EPA says that effects beyond allergic and irritant reactions are not commonly reported from inhaling mold, that research on mold and health is ongoing, and that its list does not cover all the effects mold exposure might have (EPA). It notes that in some cases mold can produce potentially toxic substances called mycotoxins (EPA).
Who Should Take Extra Care
EPA specifically advises people with asthma to avoid contact with mold (EPA). For flood cleanup, EPA says people with asthma or a weakened immune system should stay away from moldy sites and should not take part in cleanup, and that children and pregnant people should not either (EPA).
EPA says that if you have health concerns, you should consult a health professional before starting cleanup (EPA).
When to Talk to a Health Professional
For more detailed information, EPA recommends consulting a health professional, your state or local health department, or the CDC’s mold website (EPA).
What You Can Do About the Moisture
Mold needs moisture. EPA puts it this way: the key to mold control is moisture control. See what EPA says to do about moisture at home, hidden mold and cleaning up mold.
What H&H Does, and What It Does Not
H&H Environmental has operated since 2005 and offers both mold assessment and mold remediation. They are not medical services, and H&H does not diagnose health conditions.
On a New York mold project, H&H performs either the mold assessment or the mold remediation — never both on the same project. See mold services.
H&H is based in Saugerties, in Ulster County, and focuses on eight New York counties. Call and tell us where the property is and what you have found, and we will confirm availability.