Indoor Air Molds & Indian Country

by Barbara Gray 

In the Natural World, molds and fungi have a responsibility.  Their duty is to break down and remove organic materials. For example, molds and fungi can be found throughout our forests breaking down leaves and deadwood.  In reality, molds and fungi can be found virtually everywhere.  All they need to grow is air, moisture, and a food source.    

 In Indian country, indoor molds and fungi have become a serious problem.    Some reasons for the problem are poor maintenance and construction of homes.  Leaking pipes and roofs, dirt floors, seasonal flooding, are all problems that allow for moisture and the propagation of molds and indoor fungi.  In addition, new home construction makes homes often are virtually airtight, which creates moisture problems. 

The health risks vary depending on the susceptibility of the person and concentration of mold and/or fungi indoors.  Elderly people, children, and people with compromised immune systems are more at risk.  Molds and fungi produce allergens, which are substances that may cause an allergic reaction, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances known as mycotoxins. (1) Touching or inhaling the mold or mold spores may cause an allergic reaction. 

The reaction could be similar to flu-like symptoms such as a sneezing, running, or stuffed nose, red or itching eyes, and coughing.  Some reactions might cause rashes and/or asthma attacks.  Exposure can also cause “inflammation of the respiratory tract, bloody noses, fever, headaches, neurological problems and suppression of the immune system.”(2)  Ongoing research is being done to determine the potential human health risks from exposure to molds and fungi.

EPA’s New Revolutionary Mold and Fungi Technology  

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a new technology to detect indoor molds and fungi.  The test is revolutionary in that it can be used to identify and quantify more than 130 species of potentially toxic molds and fungi in less than two hours. 

Previous technology to detect molds and fungi took two weeks.  Expert scientists, mycologists and microbiologists, had to manually count each spore as they peered through a microscope. Such methodology was time consuming and costly.      

The new EPA technology will reduce costs and produce better results in identification and quantity.  Cost and human errors will be reduced as the technology becomes automated.  Trained laboratory technicians should be able to reach the same identification and quantifications as the experts.  As a result, mycologists and microbiologists will be better able to use their time interpreting analysis and researching the human health risks to exposure. 

In an official EPA press release, some confusion was created when the release implied that homes with molds should be tested.  However, such a practice, testing all homes, is not recommended by EPA.  Instead, common mold and fungi problems should be properly cleaned.     

Taking Control of Mold

Mold will not grow without air; however, we won’t live too long without air either.  Mold can live on all kinds of organic matter in our homes such as paper, wood, and foods.  I read an article about a woman from a reservation in the Dakotas who had 6 inch high fungi growing in her dirt cellar along with molds coating the inside of her basement. 

Molds and fungi cannot grow without moisture. Moisture needs to be controlled in our homes.  Of course moisture cannot be entirely eliminated, nor would it be very healthful to do so.  However, there are many things that we can do reduce moisture in our homes. 

Showers and cooking add moisture into our homes.  When cooking, especially when making soups, boiling water for pasta, and steaming vegetables use your stove top fan.  Dryers should be vented to the outside.  When taking a shower, turn on the bathroom fan to eliminate the excess steam.   If your home, like mine, was not built with a fan, a window can be cracked open.  However, the best option is to install an exhaust fan that removes the air from the inside of the home to the outside. 

All leaking pipes should be fixed.  Prevent water from seeping in around the edges of sinks and tubs.  If your basement is getting wet from the outside, installing gutters to direct water away from the foundation may be helpful.  Over dirt crawl spaces a barrier needs to be installed to prevent moisture from coming in from the ground.  There are many types of barriers depending on your need, but in general some suggest a plastic covering.  Basements and crawl spaces should be well ventilated.

The use of air purifiers, conditioners, and dehumidifiers can be helpful.  Storm windows installed on the inside can be helpful.  Carpets can hold moisture especially on concrete floors.  It is best to use scatter rugs on concrete floors that can be washed frequently.  If carpet has to be laid over concrete, place plastic over the concrete, then lay down a sub-floor of plywood prior to the carpet.  One rule of thumb is to properly dry up moisture within 24 hours to prevent molds and fungi from having a chance to grow.  (3)

Clean-up and Removal

Proper clean-up and removal of mold and fungi is important.  One might assume that the burning of removed materials or homes, unable to be clean, would be a good idea; however, it is not.  The burning of moldy buildings is harmful to human health because fire releases the spores into the air.  These released spores can be breathed in by humans and pets and cause respiratory problems.  Thus, proper steps to clean-up and removal need to be followed.

The first step in the clean-up process is to reduce moisture.  Once leaks and floods are taken care of, the molds and fungi and ruined organic material need to be physically removed.  Cleaning can get rid of visible molds, but one has to be aware of hidden molds.  Hidden molds may be found in such places as behind wallpaper, under ceiling and floor tiles, and in carpets.  These materials need to be removed and replaced.

When doing clean-up, precautions should be taken.  Some precautions include gloves, goggles, and respirators.  Mold should not be touched with bare hands.  Gloves should be worn at all times during the clean-up and removal process. 

If using chemicals or biocides, one should wear long gloves made from natural rubber, neoprene, or polyurethane.  EPA recommends using a mild detergent and water to clean away visible molds.  However, it may become necessary to use harsher chemicals or a biocide such as chlorine bleach.

Goggles should be worn to protect the eyes.  Goggles should not have any air-holes this will prevent the spores from entering into the eyes.  In addition, masks or a respirator should be worn at all times.  EPA recommends that an N-95 respirator should be worn to protect mold spores from entering the lungs. 

Some Indian nations have trained technicians and contractors in mold remediation.  Calling in a team of trained native professionals to remove mold and fungi problems from our homes would be a good idea that would offer the best protection for our people and the environment. 

1. EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold and Moisture and Your Home at <http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html>

2. Office of Native American Programs: Mold and Mildew Introduction at http://www.codetalk.fed.us/Mold_and_Mildew_Introduction.htm

3. Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html

4.) Biozone Air Purifiers: Kills molds and virus

Click here for more on where to purchase one.

For further reading about the implication of mold and fungi on health see:

 Ammann, H. Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health? Washington State Department of Health, Olympia , WA : at www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/mold.html

Sorenson, W.G. 1995. Aerosolized mycotoxins; implications for occupational settings. Proceedings of the International Conference: Fungi and Bacteria in Indoor Environments. Health Effects, Detection and Remediation . Eckardt Johanning and Chin S. Yang, editors. Saratoga Springs , NY . October 6-7, 1994 . pp. 57-67.