Mold: Facts and Fiction

A mold study was conducted in homes by a large western university. It tested for mold in 1000 homes, and found mold in each home. That is not surprising since mold is everywhere and rarely has significant effects on us. Nevertheless, a climate of “mold hysteria” has been created. What are the myths and what are the facts?

Mold is everywhere. It is a living entity. It is a spore that floats through the air. It needs a food source (often cellulose materials) and moisture and prefers middle range temperatures, although some molds exist in cold temperatures (for example,see the mold on the interior gaskets of refrigerators). While spores travel through the air, living mold spreads along moisture areas.

Molds are generally not harmful. While a few rare molds produce toxins, there is no quantitative research yet to determine how much exposure to even these molds produce symptoms, nor is there a test to determine if a person has been exposed to a toxic mold. Rather, the existence of a toxic mold is usually only deduced from symptoms, typically, cough, wheezing, diarrhea, headaches, etc. A more serious effect is an impaired immune system.

IMPORTANTLY, the effects of toxic mold are thought to be associated with exposure to toxins on the surface of the mold, not with the growth of the mold in the body. Therefore, if the toxic mold is separated from the person (either by removing the mold or by relocating the person) the symptoms will disappear.

Accordingly, actual damages (i.e. the damages actually incurred) are limited as opposed to the long-term effects associated with asbestos, lead paint, etc. Also, while asbestos and lead paint lent themselves to class action lawsuits, this is not the case for mold. Given the lack of a clear causal connection, the fairly limited actual damages, the reduced likelihood of class action lawsuits, etc., mold is not nearly the concern of asbestos or lead paint. Indeed, the major reported cases concerning mold were against insurance companies who failed to act under their policy once a problem was discovered. Few cases involving awards against plumbing contractors have been reported.

Nevertheless, insurance companies who provide coverage to plumbing contractors have decided to either exclude coverage or charge exorbitant premiums. Whether the high rates are related to the insurance industry’s effort to make up for losses in the stock market or are really related to actual awards to customers of plumbing contractors remains to be seen. The Foundation is working with the National Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association on federal legislation that would assure that awards against contractors relate to the level of damages. The Foundation is also meeting with the insurance regulators in New York State to ascertain whether the premiums charged are reasonable.

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