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GWINNETT PROPERTY INSPECTIONS
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Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals with specific
experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods, and interpretation of results. Sample analysis should follow analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA),
the American
Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), The EPA or other professional guidelines.
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Health Problems from Exposure to
Mold 
Exposure to molds occurs when people inhale mold spores. Mold spores are so small that they evade the protective mechanisms of the nose and upper respiratory tract. Although thousands of molds exist, only a few dozen are significant allergens. They aggravate or cause allergies and asthma, particularly, in children. The incidence of allergies and asthma has doubled in the last decade, which has been linked to the increase in air-borne molds in modern energy-efficient homes. One of five Americans suffers from allergies. The other common effects of exposure to molds include nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, flu like symptoms, chronic sinus infections, rashes, nosebleeds, fever, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, inability to concentrate, fatigue, and respiratory infections. Some pathogenic molds effect the central nervous system or suppress the immune system.
The Invasion of Molds and Mildew
Molds are fungi, simple microscopic plants. Mildew is a thin, black, or sometimes white, growth produced by mold. There are thousands species of molds. Outdoors, they live in the soil and help in the breakdown of organic matter. Molds grow indoors on virtually any substance when moisture is present. Molds can usually be detected by a musty odor. They produce mold spores (seeds), which waft in the air throughout the house, forming new colonies wherever they land. They grow on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood products, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, and fabric. Molds flourish in damp areas like crawl spaces, basements, bathrooms (especially shower stalls), air conditioners, humidifiers, clothing closets, refrigerator drip trays, house plants, garbage pails, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and often in new houses because of high moisture in the building materials.
 "Toxic "black molds" in homes and schools have caused public alarm. Some schools and many private homes had to be evacuated. Homeowners have lost their homes, because insurance companies normally do not
cover this misfortune. There is actually a number of mold types that are black in color or produce black pigments. Such mold growths are common in houses, particularly in bathrooms and basements. The black molds known to produce mycotoxins include Stachybotrys and Memnoniella. Stachybotrys is a greenish-black mold that grows on materials with a high cellulose content, such as drywall sheetrock, dropped ceiling tiles, and wood that become chronically moist, due to excessive humidity, water leaks, or flooding.
Stachybotrys can cause nervous system symptoms such as personality changes, sleep disorders, and memory loss.
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