All About Mold – Chicago Inspection Agency

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Hidden Black Mold Exposed

If you searched for black mold in-house, or just mold in-house, or toxic mold symptoms, or danger of mold in home, or one of thousands of variations…

…this page has all you need to know about exactly what mold is, how and why it grows, mold symptoms and the health dangers of mold. (For mold inspection and the mold tests that follow it, Go to our mold inspection page. For our mold testing qualifications, go to the Chicago mold inspector page.)

If you are searching on black mold, white mold, toxic mold, you need to find our more about “what is mold?”…

…Since the #1 search term regarding mold on Google is black mold, it’s obvious that many folks know that black mold is dangerous. But not all mold is dangerous, not even all black mold. And not all dangerous mold is black mold. Two of the most commonly associated black molds are species S. chartum and S. chlorohalonata, just two of the 50 know species of the Stachybotrys genus of mold. Commonly found growing in building materials after flooding and other water damage, these variants produce mycotoxins as a by-product of their metabolism. It is the mycotoxins in Stachybotrys (and other mold families) that define the term toxic mold. To complicate matters, other mold species even react with household chemicals to produce Volatile Organic Compounds that can also be toxic (see our VOC testing page for more).

While it is hard to generalize about the bizarre world of fungi (with thousands of mold species, each different in its: dangers and characteristics), it can be said that while many mold species are unhealthy to humans, toxic mold species with mycotoxins are decidedly more hazardous. These species create dangerous poisons that lead to severe disease or even death. For a more complete list of mold species found in American testing environments read our Mold Glossary. For more on the most common mold species found in normal testing, jump to our Common Mold Types with Mold Symptoms & Illness Chart.

If you’re looking with terms like mold in-house (or black mold in-house), mold in basement (or black mold in basement), mold in homes, pictures of mold, what does mold smell like, or any one of hundreds more…

…You know, or strongly suspect, you have mold in the house somewhere and need to know why. Mold needs three things to thrive: 1.) moisture, 2.) A food source, and 3.) time. If you have enough moisture in a house, virtually anything (see chart below) can be the food source for mold. Add enough time, and you have mold in the house. Any dwelling with recent flooding, water overflow, or excessively humid environments will likely develop mold. Mold can also be present If the building has or is suspected of having had a history of significant leak events or even a single event which flooded some areas. Plumbing leaks, roof leaks, ice dam leaks, basement water entry, sewer backup, ventilation problems, or HVAC system problems qualify. (Homebuyers tip: all of these issues should be explored before a home purchase.)

You search for mold health dangers, mold allergy symptoms, mold and asthma, black mold symptoms, mold exposure symptoms, or hundreds more combinations…

…You may have someone in the house with a mold allergy, has asthma, is elderly, and/or with a compromised or weak immune system. For people with those conditions exposure to mold is much more dangerous than others without them. You might see or smell mold in the house and are worried about the dangers or mold, and the symptoms of mold exposure especially black mold, or toxic mold. Below is a chart prepared by Chicago Inspection Agency to outline many common mold types, and the mold symptoms and Illnesses that they can produce or aggravate:

Common Mold Types with Mold Symptoms & Illness Chart
Mold Family	Where Found	Mold Symptoms & Illness	* Mytox
Stachybotrys	any cellulosic material wood wicker hay paper (and on wallboard) cardboard damp, dark environs (basements, under sinks) Requires days or weeks on damp surfaces to grow.	known carcinogenic dermatitis burning in nasal passages tightness of the chest cough nose bleeds fever/headache/fatigue. inflammation of mucous membranes	Yes
Aspergillus	walls insulation soil clothing damp, dark environs (basements, under sinks) Most common household mold	respiratory disorders ear and eye infections Worse for those with weakened immune systems. Some species produce highly toxic mycotoxin Aflatoxin	yes
Cladosporium	food dead plants food insulation damp, dark environs (basements, under sinks)	skin lesions keratitis nail fungus sinusitis asthma pulmonary infections Worse for those with mold allergy, asthma, and weakened immune systems.
Pennicullium	food walls insulation wet, organic matter	stomach problems (ingested) lung inflammation lung alveolitis asthma congestion/coughing eye/nose irritation Worse for those with mold allergy, asthma, and weakened immune systems.
Memnoniella	cellulose materials plaster/wallboard wood ceiling tiles Often a source of hidden mold with undetected moisture sources (leaky roof, windows, etc)	eye, nose, throat irritation asthma Worse for those with mold allergy and asthma
Fusarium	humidifiers sink drains AC/HVAC systems Powerful allergen can produce toxic carcinogen Trichothecene	dermatitis eye/skin/nail infections nausea/diarrhea circulatory/nervous disorders. internal hemorrhage Worse for those with weakened immune systems.	Yes
Mucor	soil spoiled food carpeting air conditioning ductwork Fast growing, invasive when inhaled	respiratory problems asthma flu-like symptoms gastrointestinal problems Can cause the rare disease zygomycosis, a severe fungal infection that can affect, eyes, nose, and internal organs.
Acremonium	dead plants soil cellulosic materials wallboard/insulation Unpleasant smelling, can be difficult to locate. Produces mycotoxins so toxic it was once studied for biological warfare.	opportunistic fungal infections – nail, subcutaneous rare: toxic mycotoxins induce arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, cerebritis Toxic for the immune compromised, post surgical, catheterized, or steroid users.	yes
Alternaria	carpeting clothing around windows damp, dark environs (basements, under sinks) Can grow with less moisture than other molds	Respiratory problems Asthma Hay fever Worse for those with mold allergy, asthma, and weakened immune systems.
Mycotoxin – “Yes” in the field mean the mold produces hazardous toxic metabolites

Independent Panel Discussion on Mold Health Issues

For additional background on mold, this independent video goes into depth to clarify the issues surrounding efforts to identify toxic mold as a national health issue:

Thank you for reading. We hope you now know more about mold in your home. Of course, the only way to rest assured you thoroughly know your family’s mold exposure risk is to have a professional, certified mold inspection. We hope you’ll call Chicago Inspection Agency for a free quote.

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