If as a tenant, you have taken measures to make sure the building is properly ventilated and mould is still growing, you should raise the issue with the owner. Tenants seeking further advice on their rights can also contact the Tenants Union of Victoria on 03 Where mould is visible, it is generally not considered necessary to test for it in the home. However, not all mould is visible, as contamination may be in cavities or the ceiling.
Generally, if you can see or smell mould, you need to clean up and remove the mould immediately, as mould can damage surfaces it grows on. If you suspect mould contamination but cannot find the source of the problem, or if you have already taken measures to prevent mould from growing and you are still having problems, you could employ an occupational hygienist or environmental health and safety professional.
For a fee, these professionals can provide specialist mould testing and consultancy services. More information here. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.
When returning to a flood-affected area, remember that wild animals, including rats, mice, snakes or spiders, may be trapped in your home, shed or garden. When returning to your home after a flood, take precautions to reduce the possibility of injury, illness or disease.
Around 75 per cent of Melbourne's air pollution is caused by vehicle emissions. Severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis and asthma attacks need urgent emergency first aid. In an emergency, always call triple zero Allergy occurs when the body overreacts to a 'trigger' that is harmless to most people.
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Molds are very common in buildings and homes. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding.
Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery. The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium , Penicillium , and Aspergillus. We do not have precise information about how often different molds are found in buildings and homes.
Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems.
Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets can and be carried indoors. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds.
Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support mold growth. Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin.
Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma , may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay.
Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath. In the Institute of Medicine IOM found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies.
A link between other adverse health effects, such as acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage among infants , memory loss, or lethargy, and molds, including the mold Stachybotrys chartarum has not been proven. Further studies are needed to find out what causes acute idiopathic hemorrhage and other adverse health effects. There is no blood test for mold. Some physicians can do allergy testing for possible allergies to mold, but no clinically proven tests can pinpoint when or where a particular mold exposure took place.
Home Common health questions Lifestyle Back to Lifestyle. Can damp and mould affect my health? Who's affected? Some people are more sensitive than others, including: babies and children elderly people those with existing skin problems, such as eczema those with respiratory problems, such as allergies and asthma those with a weakened immune system, such as those having chemotherapy These people should stay away from damp and mould.
How does it affect your health? If you think you have mould in your home but cannot find the source of the problem, you could employ an occupational hygienist. For a fee, these professionals can provide specialist mould testing and consultancy services. Further advice concerning the health risks of mould can be obtained from your local public health unit. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server.
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Last updated: 12 August For people with asthma, inhaling mould spores may cause an asthma attack. Open windows when weather permits, to improve cross ventilation. Limit the number of fish tanks and indoor plants. If water enters your home, completely clean and dry water-damaged carpets and building materials.
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