Volume 23, Number 1
1999

Mold Facts II:
The Effect of Mycotoxins

The Third International Conference on Bioaerosols, Fungi, and Mycotoxins in Saratoga Springs last September was an eye-opener for me. I had been told about 15 years ago by Romuald Kowalik, the Polish mycologist who published a series of papers in Restaurator from 1979 to 1984, that mold could invade and affect any part of the body, and make people deathly ill--but for the next 10 years I heard nothing about health risks from mold exposure on this side of the Atlantic. Allergies, yes, and skin rashes, but not serious illnesses.

In the last 12 years, however, there has been a lot of research on the nature and effects of mold and the toxins they produce. The Saratoga Springs conference, which was subtitled "Health Effects, Assessment, Prevention, and Control," reflected this growing interest in the biomedical aspects.

I typed up my notes afterwards and reviewed them to see how many symptoms and illnesses have been caused by mold toxins. When I added that list to the information in proceedings of the previous conference in the series, I came up with the following list.

allergy

asthma

cancer

central nervous system effects

dermatitis

diarrhea

eye problems

fatigue

flu symptoms

general malaise

hair loss

headache

hemorrhagic pneumonitis

hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis, farmers lung disease)

irritability

kidney failure

memory problems

organic dust toxic syndrome

peripheral nervous system effects

recurring colds, decreased resistance to infection

sore throat

tremors

verbal dysfunction

vertigo

Healthy people who have minor exposure to mold will not necessarily experience any of these conditions. The most serious cases will occur among people who are repeatedly exposed to extensive mold growths.