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HOMES PLUS
SEPTEMBER 2013
Separate fact
from fiction when
discussing mold
The 1990s scare
resulted in
more research,
better info
By Kevin Passon
HOMES PLUS CORRESPONDENT
OCONOMOWOC – Mold, mildew and
rot, as well as the damage that can and
cannot occur from these moisture problems, are often misunderstood by the public, thanks to a media scare in the 1990s.
Unfortunately, when the real facts came
out about the matter, the attention given
to them wasn't enough to wash away the
falsehoods that had been prevalent for
nearly a decade.
"A study published in 1994 drew a cor-
relation between infants with bleeding
lungs and mold in the homes in which
they lived," said Cassidy Kuchenbecker,
senior microbiologist with Environmental Initiatives of North America, based in
Wauwatosa. "The media created the term
'toxic mold.' In 2000, the report was
republished, and they apologized for the
1994 report. The mold had nothing to do
with the bleeding lungs."
Kuchenbecker said poorly designed
research and media hype contributed to
the initial scare.
"It is the opinion of Environmental Initiatives that a review of studies concludes that the level of mycotoxin exposure in damp buildings is not enough to
result in significant or possibly even discernable health effects," according to
information put forth by the company.
In between the two published reports,
See MOLD/Page 5
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