Get Your Mold Problem Sorted Today.
You may have heard the phrase, "Even dead mold is dangerous." This thought can often bring fear, especially when you know you've had some type of water damage and mold in the home. Traditional mold remediation, i.e., tear-out remediation, has a vested interest in promoting this idea. Have you ever wondered why? Let's take a look at the statement, and analyze the concept. If you don't have time to read the whole article, I will let you know that there is actually very valuable information for you at the end of this article, particularly the last concept of the 3.
The intent of this blog is to present another angle, especially for our friends in the healthcare community. The angle we want to consider today is that the problem may not be dead mold, but rather LIVE mold elsewhere in the home, that continues to produce live spores and live mycotoxins. Remediating or removing the 'problem area' (the visible mold), is simply a band-aid to a much bigger problem.
First of all, our friends in the remediation industry take the dead mold concept and equate it to an allergic reaction. In other words, even dead mold can cause allergic reactions in mold-sensitive individuals. Fair enough - that makes sense. Similarly, a dead cat can cause allergic reactions. However, allergies are annoying and can be a pain, but they are rarely life-threatening. It is my belief that the mold industry is purposely blurring the lines between allergic reaction and mold toxicity to sell a more extensive remediation.
My second point is that most mold remediators, and for that matter, the mold pundits around the globe, prefer to use the word "dead" as opposed to the word "denatured". After a Pure Maintenance treatment, the mold and the mycotoxins in the home have been thoroughly denatured. Denatured in biochemistry literally means to destroy the characteristic properties of a protein or other biological macromolecule by heat, acidity, or other effects that disrupt its molecular conformation. After a PM treatment, the mold spores have been rendered harmless, as the structural makeup of the spore has been altered to the point that it is biologically inactive. This is significantly different than "killing it". In this case, "dead" is often misrepresented, particularly in the vernacular of the mold remediation world. As an analogy, when a person dies, the body still maintains some or all of its original DNA, cells, bone structure, and a host of other chemical compositions that are still intact. It is understandable that this non-denatured body could still cause an allergic reaction in a person who is allergic to that particular organism. When a mold spore has been denatured, its molecular structure has been altered. To continue with the analogy, think of denaturing a body by cremation. After cremation, the chemical compositions are no longer in their original form. Is it probable that the cremation would still cause an allergic reaction to a person allergic to the deceased? Likely, but the extent to which would be significantly less.
Third, and most critical: Just as Pure Maintenance has said many times, the problem with mold is a whole home issue. Most of the time, the concept of dead mold is introduced to a patient or customer or insurance carrier because a wall was affected by a water event. The area is dried, the moldy material is removed, the walls are rebuilt, and then someone states, "even dead mold is dangerous". First of all, much of the problematic mold was removed with the demolition. Secondly, the mold that remains in the area is likely very small in comparison. Third, and most significantly, the reason the mold was so bad in that area in the first place, is because the entire home has an elevated mold load. The mold spores landed on that wet area because there was plenty of spores in the air. Addressing just that one area, and selling and selling the notion that even dead mold makes you sick so we need to tear out as much as possible to get the home to safe status is irresponsible at worst, and shortsighted at best.
### **Denaturing**
Additionally, we incorporate a process called denaturing. The definition of denaturing is to destroy the characteristic properties of a protein or other biological macro-molecule, by heat, acidity, or other effects that disrupt its molecular conformation. In biochemistry, denaturation is a process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose the quaternary structure, tertiary structure, and secondary structure present in their native state, by applying some external stress or compound such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent, agitation and radiation, or heat.
