Submitted by Aspergillus Administrator on 26 November 2009
In a week that has seen extensive flooding in the UK and Ireland it is timely to look at the damage caused by moulds growing on all the damp materials left when the floodwaters recede. Many materials including building materials such as plasterboard will absorb and hold on to water long enough to allow the growth of moulds. They are difficult to dry out and it only takes 48 hours of damp to result in large amounts of fungal growth particularly in places where little sunlight shines.
So what next?
Clearing up is largely a case of throwing out all materials that are mouldy and cannot be cleaned e.g.soft furnishings, carpets, clothing, units and furniture made out of chipboard, wallpaper. Drying out homes as quickly as possible is a high priority as moulds can grow in hidden cavities and prefers to keep out of the light.
There are extensive instructions on how to clean up here – on the right hand side under the heading ‘Emergencies: Floods and Hurricanes’.
Health Effects
There are many potential health effects of living in a damp mould affected house and the discussions on this subject are plentiful. There are two recent review publications that go into this subject in some detail, both published this year (2009), the first one being written by a prominent fungal researcher who herself lives in New Orleans and whose home was flooded:
- Health effects of Aspergillus in food and air (2009)
- Fungal spores: A critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2009)
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