Mold Fungus & Fungi
Terms and Terminology:
Meaning & Definitions
Air-conditioning system:
assembly of equipment for treating air to control simultaneously
its temperature, humidity, cleanliness and distribution to meet the
requirements of a
conditioned space.
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Allergen:
Any substance, such as pollen, mold or
fungi, or
animal dander, that can trigger allergic response in humans and
pets.
Chain of Custody:
A mold laboratory form which is completed by the Certified
Mold Inspector
who collects the mold and fungus samples to record the details of the mold
sampling work done, and to
document both the transfer of custody of the mold samplings directly
from the inspector to the mold lab, & their receipt by the analysis
lab.
Dampness:
any visible, measurable or perceived outcome of excess moisture that
causes
problems in buildings, such as mould, leaks or material degradation,
mould odour or directly measured excess moisture (in terms of
relative humidity
or moisture content) or
microbial growth.
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Dormant Mold:
Mold or fungus [fungi] that is inactive and awaiting future moisture
and food to begin mold fungal reproduction and growth.
Excess moisture:
moisture state variable that is
higher than a design criterion, usually
represented as moisture content or relative humidity in building
material or the air. Design criteria can be simple indicators (e.g.
no condensation or relative humidity value) or more complicated
representations that take into account continuous fluctuation of
moisture (i.e.mould growth index).
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Fungus:
A
parasitic plant lacking chlorophyll, a rigid cell wall,
leaves, true stems & roots. Multicellular. Composed of thread- like
hyphae. Reproduces by spores.
Hyphae:
Fungi usually are filamentous, with the single filaments being
termed hyphae. Fungal hyphae grow and branch to make a filament
network [mycelium].
Moisture:
(1) water vapour; (2) water in a medium, such as soil or insulation,
but not bulk
water or
flowing water.
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Moisture problem or damage;
water damage:
any visible, measurable or perceived
outcome caused by excess moisture indicating indoor climate problems
or problems of
durability in building assemblies; moisture damage is a particular
problem of building
assembly durability; water damage is a moisture problem caused by
various leaks of water.
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Moisture transport:
moisture can be transported in both the vapour and the liquid phase
by diffusion, convection, capillary suction, wind pressure and
gravity (water pressure).From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Mould:
all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of
multicellular filaments,
called hyphae. In contrast, microscopic fungi that grow as single
cells are called
yeasts,
a
connected network of tubular branching hyphae has multiple,
genetically identical nuclei
and is considered a single organism, referred to as a
colony
(Madigan, Martinko, 2005).
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Mold:
A fungus or fungi that eats and grows on and in damp or high moisture or
decaying organic matter. Synonym:
mould.
Mold Allergy.
Human allergic reaction [such as skin rashes, open sores, and
respiratory problems] from exposure to airborne mold and fungus spores & indoor
mold growth.
Mold Analysis Laboratory.
A scientific mold that specializes in, or provides, the analysis,
identification, and quantification of mold and fungus [fungi] species from mold
and fungus samples
and samplings.
Mold Decontamination:
and
Mold Detoxification.
Safe, effective & total removal of mold
and fungus spores & mold growth from
buildings & personal possessions.
Mold Inspection:
The thorough physical examination of a building by a
Certified Mold
Inspector
to find & locate visual & hidden mold and fungal growth & water problems that
enable mold and fungus spores to grow into mold colony infestations. Includes
mold testing & mold laboratory analysis of collected mold samples
and samplings. Certified mold inspection and mold tests are
often necessary to file a mold insurance claim.
Mold Inspector:
A mold professional who has been specially trained in the detection
of toxic mold and fungal contamination in homes, condos, apartments,
offices, & commercial buildings. The mold fungus expert
inspector utilizes high-tech inspection devices such as
moisture meter [to find water problems hidden inside walls,
ceilings, and floors], fiber optics [to look inside walls & ceilings
for mold infestation], timed mold culture plate impactor, air
sampling pump & cassettes, & hygrometer [to check for the high level
humidity that mold can grow in]
Mold Investigation:
Advanced, in depth mold inspection and mold tests to find all mold
infestation inside a building. See
Certified Toxic Mold
Investigator.
Mold Lawyer
and
Mold Attorney
An environmental attorney, environmental lawyer, or mold attorney
who specializes in prosecuting or defending mold-related legal
problems and lawsuits.
Mold Maintenance:
Mold and fungus prevention requires effective and regular building mold
fungal
maintenance to prevent roof leaks, water leaks, water problems,
mold-causing high humidity, and toxic mold fungal growth.
Mold Remediation:
The safe & complete killing & removal of mold and fungus spores & mold
fungi colony
growth from mold contaminated homes and other buildings.
Effective mold and fungus remediation usually requires the removal of
mold-damaged building materials and the use of a fungicide to kill
mold and fungi and an antimicrobial coating to prevent future mold growth &
danger. Usually
mold removal is done by a
Certified Mold Remediator
or
Certified
Contractor.
Mold Remediator: A
mold fungus professional who has been specially trained as a mold
fungal
remediation specialist for toxic mold and fungi detection, mold
and fungi
decontamination, mold fungi inspection, mold and fungal testing, mold
and fungi sampling, mold
prevention, mold and fungus remediation, mold and fungus removal.
Certified Mold Remediator.
Mold Report:
A written presentation from a
Certified Mold
Inspector
to his client of his physical building inspection findings &
mold and fungus sampling mold lab results, detailed analysis thereof, and
recommendations for specific mold fungi remediation &
fungus removal steps
required to remove any mold problem documented in the mold report.
Mold Spore:
A small reproductive fungal cell that is resistant to unfavorable
environmental conditions such as no water, & is capable of mold
reproduction fungal growth when water & organic materials to eat
exist.
Mold Test Kit.
Do-it-yourself sampling of room & HVAC [heating, ventilating and
air conditioning] air, and physical
sampling of visible mold fungal growth into easy-to-use mold test
kits for mold lab analysis and mold species identification. Buy mold
test kits from a large hardware or home improvement store.
Mold Testing:
Collection by a
Certified Mold
Inspector
of direct physical samples of visible mold, mold, fungi, and of indoor air samples
in rooms, attic, crawl space, basement, & heating & air conditioning
equipment & ducts, so that the mold samplings can be grown by a mold
lab in mold culture plates/mold test kits [for viable mold
testing] to produce full- grown mold colonies for accurate mold lab
analysis and mold species identification.
Mold Training
and
Mold
Education:
Mold instruction, education, & certification at a professional toxic
mold school, mold class, mold seminar, or mold course for mold
inspection, mold testing, mold fungus remediation, mold fungi removal, mold
fungus
prevention, and mold business practices.
Sick building syndrome:
an environmentally unhealthy house or
other building containing mold fungal infestation, biological
contamination, or lead paint, asbestos, radon, etc., resulting in
serious health problems for its occupants.
Toxic Black Mold:
A fungus or fungi that emits chemical mycotoxin poisons that become airborne
& cause serious human health diseases. Toxic mold & black molds include
brain-damaging Stachybotrys toxic mold [often misspelled
Stachybotris].
Ventilation:
process of supplying or removing air by natural or mechanical means
to orfrom any space; the air may or may not have been conditioned.
From the
World Health Organization in its report WHO
Guidelines for Indoor
Air Quality: Dampness and Mould, published July 16,
2009
Viable mold test:
Immediate microscopic analysis of the
collected substance to determine: (1) whether it is mold fungus or not; (2)
if mold, how many mold and fungus [fungi] spores are present in sample;
and
(3) where
possible, to identify the few mold and fungi species that can be visually
identified without the highly accurate
viable
mold lab analysis done after 5-7 days' mold culture plate growth..
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