LA Testing Educates California Residents about the Hazards of Breathing Mold

Garden Grove, CA, May 14, 2013

Mold is a natural part of the environment and can be found all around us. Having mold growing indoors and exposing people to high levels in the air they breathe can however, lead to serious health concerns.

Inhalation exposure to mold indoors can cause health effects in some people. Molds produce allergens, irritants, and, in some cases, toxic substances known as mycotoxins. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals and the mold does not have to be alive to cause an allergic reaction. This is why it is important to minimize people’s exposure to mold, even after it is no longer alive.  Just killing any mold growing indoors is not enough; it typically needs to be removed.

These allergic reactions to mold are common and can be immediate or delayed. Repeated or single exposure to mold, mold spores or mold fragments may result in non-sensitive individuals becoming sensitive to mold.

Exposure to mold can even trigger asthma attacks in people with asthma who react to inhaling mold. As an irritant, mold can cause issues with people’s eyes, skin, nose, throat and the lungs of individuals whether or not they are allergic to mold.

“Breathing in mold may also cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a disease that resembles bacterial pneumonia,” reported Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Garden Grove facility. “Exposure to certain types of mold, such as Aspergillus, can even result in opportunistic infections in persons whose immune systems are weakened or suppressed.”

LA Testing, California’s leading mold and indoor air quality testing laboratory, recently sponsored an online video to educate people about breathing elevated levels of mold indoors. It can be seen at: http://youtu.be/61eTg1WfJHo

To learn more about testing for mold or other IAQ issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.  LA Testing has laboratories throughout California to service commercial clients and government agencies as well as the general public.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com