Health Issues

Obviously people that have compromised immune systems will be the first to be affected by mold spores, but even healthy individuals can have allergic reactions especially after repeated exposure to a specific biological allergen. The chemistry inside the fungal cell is toxic. The enzyme manufacturing process is metabolic and produces many chemicals that are poisonous to humans if inhaled or consumed.

Both mold cells and spores contain mycotoxins inside the cell wall and can infect humans that come in contact with the cell. Endotoxins, contained within the cell wall, affect human health because they can be inhaled and often occur in water where Fungi thrive thus even water humidifiers can infect humans.

Symptoms include: mucous membrane irritation, skin rash, nausea, immune system suppression, acute or chronic central nervous system damage, endocrine effects and even cancer. Zearalenone, Aspergillus flavus, and Pencillium are the most common known mycotoxins.

Zearalenone is similar in chemical structure to the female sex hormone estrogen and targets reproductive organs. Penicillium and Aspergillus produce Citrinin, which can cause renal damage and bronchial constriction. Aspergillus flavus species produce several toxic chemicals that are called “aflatoxins”. These aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic substances and are related to many liver, kidney and pancreatic cancers. The high incidence of liver cancer in humans appears to coincide with ingestion of foods highly contaminated with aflatoxins.