Mold in an apartment is dangerous. What is the danger of a fungus in an apartment for a person and his health

Mold is everywhere. Mold has always been, is and, most likely, will never disappear. In most cities of the world, the concentration of mold is several times higher than the maximum permissible limits. And no matter what a person does, no matter how he removes traces of mold, it will certainly reappear.
Maybe everything is not so scary and the neighborhood of a person and mold does not bring any harm? Alas, the harm of mold for our body is very significant, but we often do not feel it and, therefore, do not think about it. And, as a result, we do not try to get rid of it, exposing ourselves and our loved ones to the risk of oncological diseases.

What is mold?

Mold is a tiny fungus. Mold spores (this tiny fungus) live everywhere: in the air, on furniture, in food, on walls and floors. Mold spores exist both where wet cleaning of the premises is often carried out, and where it is rarely cleaned. Therefore, the neighborhood of a person with mold, in essence, is common. At the same time, the mold is so tiny that we do not even notice how we exhale it.

Why does mold appear?

As we already wrote, mold, or rather mold spores, are present almost everywhere. However, visible mold growth only begins when the conditions of the environment where the mold spores are found are favorable for mold growth.
The ideal conditions for mold growth are conditions of high humidity (relative humidity above 95%) and temperatures of 20°C. Under these conditions, mold spores begin to develop rapidly, contributing to the appearance of visible pockets of mold.

Why is mold dangerous?

The main harm of mold is that mold is allergenic and toxic. Colonies of mold fungi produce the so-called. aflatoxins are poisonous toxins that, when ingested, can accumulate in it, causing liver cancer over time. Our body (namely the liver) is able to process a certain amount of aflatoxins without harm to itself, but when the number of colonies of mold fungi exceeds the normal amount, the body ceases to cope, and slowly poisoning of the body begins.
In addition to liver cancer, mold, when inhaled with air, can settle on the lungs and bronchi, causing diseases in the body such as: runny nose, bronchitis, cough, tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, flu, headaches, and various allergies. If ingested with food, mold can cause disease gastrointestinal tract(GI) different kind and gravity.

Mold in the bathroom, kitchen and flowers

It is these three places - the bathroom, kitchen and flower pots - that are the main foci of mold development. And, of course, there are explanations for this.

• Mold in the bathroom.

The bathroom is the very first place where mold will form. It is almost always humid, warm and, importantly, there is little fresh air. Just ideal conditions for mold development.
Usually in the bathroom, mold is affected by mold fungus: tiles and tile joints, seams along the bathtub and sink, washcloths.

• Mold in the kitchen.

In the kitchen, mold primarily affects: cutting boards, knives with wooden handles, refrigerator, bread box. Despite the fact that mold is more present in the bathroom, its presence is especially dangerous in the kitchen, because. can easily enter the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with food.

• Mold on flowers.

Strange as it may seem, flowers are also a zone of increased mold development. Its development occurs mainly if the flowers are poured large quantity water (high humidity is formed), and the temperature in the room is comfortable for the development of mold.

How to get rid of mold

Getting rid of mold, or rather mold spores, is almost impossible. They will always exist next to us. However, you can prevent mold from growing and developing. In this case, it will not be able to harm the body.
In general, the following actions are necessary to reduce the risk of mold development:

1. Try to keep the rooms, especially the bathroom, dry. Remember that mold loves moisture. Ventilate rooms as often as possible.
2. When removing mold, use antiseptics, clean surfaces and wipe dry.
3. By dusting, you also remove mold spores. Wet cleaning rooms and furniture from dust (and mold), finish with a dry wipe.
4. Don't flood the flowers. Remember that mold forms even here with excessive moisture and comfortable temperature.

We rarely think about the harm that mold can cause us. However, we need to be aware of the danger it poses and use the listed remedies to get rid of it.

Mold is a colony of a single-celled fungus that develops from spores floating in the air. The germination of these spores provokes dampness, a temperature of +20 degrees and high humidity in the room. Poor ventilation of the room, frequent washing (in the presence of small children), uneven heating of rooms and low temperature in them with high humidity outside the window leads to moisture condensation on the walls and the rapid reproduction of mold fungus.

Lack of waterproofing natural ventilation(with plastic windows) also has a positive effect on the appearance of wall fungus.

The consequences of the neighborhood with mold are quite dangerous for the human respiratory and circulatory system. Fungal spores that enter the body cause various allergic diseases skin, respiratory tract and musculoskeletal system. As a result of a fungal attack, a person begins to suffer from difficult-to-treat mycoses, dermatosis, runny nose, cough, bronchial asthma, rheumatism, exhaustion, headache and dizziness. First of all, the fungus is dangerous for young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

How to prevent fungus

If the humidity (office, bath) is above the norm, or neighbors have begun to flood you, the first spots of the fungus will not keep you waiting. Having found them, immediately treat the fungal colonies with creosote, table vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Install swing doors indoors plastic windows and constantly ventilate it without closing the bathroom doors to adjust the humidity balance in the room.

If the fungus has spread further, treat the infected surfaces with a special chemical agent down to concrete or masonry.

For a while, improvised means such as copper sulfate, urea, or stationery glue will help slow down the growth of mold. You can also try folk methods: prepare a solution of 10 liters of water, 1.5-2 liters acetic acid and 0.5 kilograms blue vitriol. Heat the solution to 50-70 degrees and spray it on the surfaces affected by the fungus. Let them dry and repeat the treatment after a month.

When using anthracene oil in antifungal treatment, remember that it will penetrate deep into the tree and completely destroy the fungus, however, you will be able to repaint the treated surface with high quality only after a few years.

Imagine that you have received a brand new computer of the latest model, and you are very pleased. You put off everything, press the “Start” button, the fan starts to work barely audibly, and suddenly – bam! – You can see that on the monitor on the right upper corner a lot of dead pixels forming a blurry spot. At first you do not believe, because everything is new, this cannot be! Then you realize that you have to do a lot of unnecessary actions to change the monitor, that it will drag on for a long time, but in reality everything turns out to be even worse.

This is exactly what happens with black mold. At first you won’t even notice it, but when you find it, you will face many problems, both with the removal of an uninvited guest and with your health. Why black mold appears, how to avoid it and what to do to destroy it - read in this article.

Now there are enough varieties of mold, although they all have the same reasons for the appearance. So, the first place is occupied by poor ventilation: in rooms where the air stagnates, mold occurs extremely quickly and multiplies just as quickly. As a rule, this happens due to the apartment in the bathroom and in the kitchen.

The second place in the ranking of causes is high humidity. As we already wrote in one of, high level humidity in rooms contributes to the formation of condensation. It is the latter that is an excellent medium for the reproduction of bacteria of the fungus and their rapid development. Again, this applies primarily to the bathroom and kitchen. It also often shows up in garages, basements and cellars.

The third place gets a sharp temperature drop. This often happens in new homes, when the mixtures laid in the walls have not yet dried to the end. In this case, condensation also appears on the walls, which, as we found out, contributes to the development of mold at the junctions of a wall from the street with any other.

Where does black mold appear most often?

You don’t have to go far to guess right away: the best place in the apartment for the appearance of mold fungi is the bathroom. Poor ventilation, high humidity, and an often closed or closed bathroom door are ideal conditions for spores. As a rule, black mold in the bathroom appears at the joints between the tiles, on the sealant between the bathroom and the wall, on the walls and sometimes under the tiles themselves.

In second place, which is logical, is the kitchen. This room may have a weak hood if one is not installed separately, and frequent temperature changes due to cooking, as well as constant washing and drying of dishes, add favorable conditions for mold. Quite often, even rags provoke its appearance, which, when crumpled, do not have time to dry. Disputes do not always appear in prominent places - they are attracted to the kitchen by heat and, and this can be achieved in places that a person rarely checks or does not check at all. Many residents have repeatedly encountered mold precisely at the time of cosmetic or overhaul kitchens.

Some of us remember that in the village, between window frames no, no, yes, and black mold will peep through. It's another one a good place for its development, because due to the lack of tightness of the frames, the very sharp temperature drop occurs, which we talked about in the reasons for the appearance of mold.

In addition, do not forget about garages, basements, cellars - the fungus is almost a regular guest there precisely because of air stagnation and the inability to ventilate the room. The problems that may be associated with this lie in the deterioration of vegetables stored in basements. These foods are extremely dangerous to eat. In addition, in garages, and in basements, and in cellars, spores negatively affect the walls themselves, seams, and ceilings. If you feel wet musty smell, then you should immediately start looking for a source of mold.

Black mold on the walls: the impact on health and on the home

The appearance of black mold in a house at first, apart from the aesthetic impact, may not appear so obvious, but over time the wallpaper will begin to peel off, the wood will rot, the paint will peel and fall off, and even concrete pavements in speed can lose their properties. Aspergillus black has a detrimental effect on all surfaces on which it settles. Is it on the skin too? Yes, fungus spores are easily airborne and can easily settle on human skin, and get inside when breathing. Spontaneous cough, itching of the skin, deterioration of health, rash and redness are some of the symptoms of the mold neighborhood. Sometimes doctors spend a lot of time to identify the main source of the disease, so it is better for patients who have a black mold outbreak at home to warn a specialist about this in advance. Otherwise, they will put atopic dermatitis, which is standard for such cases, and will treat you with a series of creams when the cause is completely different.

If speak about internal state of a person, the lungs will first of all make themselves felt. First, a cough will appear, which will progress into chronic bronchitis, if the conditions of the person's stay are not changed - read "do not clean out molds", - and then everything can end with asthma. Some medicines prescribed in this case may provide temporary relief, but they will not get rid of the disease.

We go further - penetrating into the stomach, the fungus will easily cause an allergy to black mold. The number of patients with rhinitis is growing every day around the world. Spores do not have to be in the air to enter the human body - they easily do this through spoiled food. How often do you throw out whole bread that is moldy on one side only? A fairly common picture: in such cases, many simply cut off the affected part, and the other feast on dinner. So that other part is also infected with mold spores, but they are simply invisible. Throw away whole foods, even if signs of damage have only just appeared and are barely noticeable.

Mycotoxins: what are they?

Speaking about the influence of black Aspergillus on the human body, it is necessary to mention such a thing as mycotoxins - these are toxic substances produced by mold. Quite a dangerous poison for a person, provoking a change internal organs and also strongly affecting the baby during pregnancy. There is an opinion that mycotoxins contribute to the development of cancer. The appearance of mycotoxins in the human body, or mycotoxicosis, usually occurs just after eating mold-affected foods: nuts, legumes, beer, wine, and others.

There is a more serious danger than mycotoxicosis - aflatoxins. These are the same toxic substances produced, as a rule, by mold spores from nuts and corn. These substances are very dangerous for animals and small children. An adult organism is able to overcome the influence of this poison, but children do not have such strong immunity, so the first signs of poisoning will appear after 20 minutes: pain in the liver, headache, then convulsions are possible - this is already a direct reference to calling an ambulance.

In general, the effect of mold spores on the human body can be quite long-term. The body will simply get tired of fighting the eternal presence of the virus inside, and constant headaches, loss of strength and a decrease in immunity in principle will begin. So let's look at the main question of this article.

And here the very actions begin, which at the very beginning we compared with a broken monitor: actions will be enough. So, how to get rid of the fungus, including in the bathroom or on the walls?

1. First you need to clean out the focus of molds that have already appeared. This can be done with an ordinary scraper, brush, hard sponge and other improvised means.
2. After that, it is necessary to treat with antiseptics, which you can buy at any hardware store. Just explain for what purpose you need an antiseptic, and the seller will tell you the right option. Just do not forget about safety: as a rule, such antiseptics are quite dangerous not only for mold, but also for the person himself: a good respirator and latex gloves will be enough to be safe.

And now we will report one sad news: if the black mold fungus has already managed to hit interior items, such as a sofa or carpet, then trying to clean them from it with the hope that everything will pass is pointless. With this action, you will reduce all the work to remove mold to zero. Alas, it is better to throw such furniture in a landfill.

If the spores of the fungus did not have time to penetrate deeply, the usual whiteness, which has been used by the people for a very long time, will quite help you. This type of treatment is not suitable only if the fungus has settled deep enough. In this case, the effectiveness of whiteness is a matter of time. You can also use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. After applying them, it is better to immediately ventilate the room and continue to monitor the cleanliness and freshness of the air. With the same success, a soda solution is used, which does not smell, and you can leave it for a while, since it also prevents reappearance mold.

Prevention or how not to face the problem of black Aspergillus spores?

by the most the best way mold control is prevention. Once again, we recall the causes of the occurrence of the fungus and identify ways to prevent:

1. Moisture - check all rooms for high humidity and install dehumidifiers if such rooms are found.
2. Air - it must be fresh, and the room must be sufficiently ventilated so that there are no problems.

What dangerous places are there in the apartment - a question that is of particular relevance in young families with children. Modern living spaces, despite the presence of special smart systems pose a real threat to life. Portal "NedvizhimostMsk.ru" collected the main dangers of apartments.

What are the dangerous places in the apartment and house

There are many health hazards in the home. Especially if there is a child. The list of potentially dangerous places is as follows:

• Electrician.
• hidden corners.
• Dampness and mustiness in the room, as well as mold.
• Fungal infections.

What dangerous places are in the apartment and house, it is worth studying in advance. Vigilance will help maintain the health of all family members.

Electrician

When asked what dangerous places are in an apartment or house, the first one means sockets. The kid easily puts his fingers or different objects. This behavior leads to health problems and deaths.

If the house is old, the wiring has never been changed, the risk increases short circuit. It is impossible to predict it - it can happen at any moment. Such a development of events is fraught with a fire, the complete destruction of the apartment.

hidden corners

What else is dangerous in the apartment - various hidden corners. You can not notice, run into the wall, bruising your forehead. Children walk uncertainly, stumble on walls, getting bruises, bruises, abrasions. Everything should be studied and marked. The optimal solution will be the construction of barriers that allow the child to smoothly go around dangerous areas.

Damp and musty rooms

What else can be dangerous for a child in an apartment? Experts say: mold, musty air. Mustiness is stale air where bacteria accumulate. These enter the human respiratory tract, aggressively affect the mucous membranes. The result is constant problems with the lungs, frequent respiratory diseases. Endless excess moisture- the cause of the development of inflammatory processes. Some pneumonias are fatal.

Stale air hinders breathing bad smell. A person begins to breathe less often, more often, which negatively affects the work of internal organs that receive less oxygen. Digestive system malfunctions nervous system, of cardio-vascular system.

Residents of such a house begin to actively get sick, they are difficult to tolerate various viruses, and have significantly reduced immunity.

Mold and fungus

If there is a fungus in the apartment, the situation becomes threatening to health. Often the mold component is collected in rooms prone to this - bathrooms, areas around the sink in the kitchen, under windows (relevant for "crying"), etc. In rooms with high humidity the fungus grows very quickly.

What is dangerous fungus in the apartment, not everyone knows. The threat from him is very real. Fungi and mold in the apartment, dangerous to health, can quickly enter the human body. Their main disadvantage is the rapid spread of spores. Once in the bloodstream, the spores spread throughout the body, leading to diseases of the respiratory systems and heart.

When doctors are asked: what is the danger of mold in an apartment for a person, they answer: everyone. It overloads the body. Black mold, which is considered the most dangerous for all living beings, usually spreads in apartments. Black mold is a fungus. It is not excreted - neither from the room, nor from the body. To get rid of black mold, it is necessary to completely clean the walls, carry out appropriate processing so that the mold element is completely eliminated. After the wall is thoroughly dried. Only a set of measures can guarantee a successful disposal of the problem.

Black mold, fungi are bred in damp rooms, where it is constantly humid. Therefore, houses with moist air and mustiness are considered unfavorable.

How to protect yourself

What dangerous places in the apartment can be secured? Almost everything. The main thing is to worry about prevention in time. If possible, it is worth replacing the wiring with a new one. If you have children, you need to be more careful about places that cause harm - put plugs on sockets in time, take care of smoothing corners.

A prerequisite for safety is the elimination of harmful elements, such as mold and fungi - for this it is enough to make repairs and carry out a specialized antiseptic treatment walls. You should also be concerned about reliable system ventilation to ensure Fresh air in home.

In contact with

Mold is a fairly common occurrence. At the same time, in many cities its concentration is several times higher than the permissible norm. And no matter how a person struggles with it, it always appears again. Perhaps the neighborhood of mold is not so scary? Unfortunately, it causes significant harm to the body of both the child and the adult. But the most unpleasant thing is that a person rarely thinks about what is dangerous and does not always take measures to get rid of it, thereby exposing themselves and children to the risk of serious pathologies.

What is mold?

This is the real fungus. Initially, it appears as a small dot on the ceiling, wall. But soon it begins to grow, and quite intensively. When favorable conditions for the development of mold, it will very quickly occupy a vast territory. You should understand how dangerous mold is in the apartment. It is not only unaesthetic appearance but also a favorable environment for the development of many diseases, including oncology.

Characteristics of the phenomenon

Mold can be of various colors:

• white;
• black;
• red;
• blue;
• green.

Black is often found in houses and apartments. She settles on the walls of the kitchen, in the bathroom, toilet and other rooms. Especially often it can be found in basements. Mold spores are so microscopically small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. At a comfortable temperature and they very quickly begin to multiply.

One square meter in about an hour it can be filled with millions of spores. Is the apartment dangerous? Of course yes! Children begin to get sick more often, because the mold spreads not only an unpleasant repulsive smell, but also releases toxins.

Causes of the problem

This question often torments home owners who have just got rid of an unpleasant defect, and after a while they noticed it again. Therefore, it is important not only the question of why mold on the walls in the apartment is dangerous, but also why it occurs.

In this case, the following factors play a major role:

1. Mold spores are often brought into an apartment or house from the street along with shoes, things, animals, and products.
2. Mold needs certain conditions to grow. After all, such a fungus is a living organism. And for its development, a nutrient medium is needed. Substances that promote the spread of mold can be paper, wood, houseplants, fabric and more.
3. For the development of the fungus, a certain microclimate is necessary. Mold grows in a room where high humidity(approximately 50-60%), no ventilation, fever. Naturally, such conditions are ideally suited to the bathroom, toilet and kitchen. Not surprisingly, it is in these rooms that most often you can find pockets of harmful mold.
4. Quite often, the fungus settles in apartments located on the ground floor. The source that provokes the development of mold is damp basement with poor waterproofing.
5. Often the fungus breeds in apartments located on upper floors. The culprit for the development of mold is insufficient insulation of the roof.

Initial symptoms

So, let's figure out how dangerous mold is in an apartment? Most people still believe that the fungus is only an external defect, completely unaware of the danger it poses to the body.

This is not surprising, since the homeowner and his children do not experience a sharp deterioration in their condition. Mold is so insidious that it affects the body slowly.

Initially, the child may experience, for example, a chronic runny nose or cough. Some children have inflammation of the eyes or headaches. But would anyone associate such symptoms with ordinary mold? Obviously, such manifestations are most often attributed to nature, weather and many other factors.

Frequent illnesses

Consider if a fungus and mold have appeared in the apartment, than it is dangerous. It is worth emphasizing once again: get rid of it immediately, do not wait for the next repair. It is very dangerous to underestimate the harm of mold.

The most harmless disease that can be triggered by a fungus is the occurrence of an allergy. Remember, mold spores are extremely toxic and can cause many serious pathologies.

Doctors have experimentally proven that a fungus that has a long-term effect on the body can cause a number of serious diseases:

• laryngitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• tracheitis;
• asthma;
• pathology of the musculoskeletal system;
• dermatitis;
• stomatitis;
• conjunctivitis;
• eczema;
• damage to the kidneys, liver;
• internal and nasal bleeding;
• thrush.

This is an incomplete list of all the pathologies that such a harmless, according to most residents, mold can cause.

If children often suffer from headaches, chronic fatigue, unexplained vomiting and nausea, the cause may be hidden not only in overwork or poisoning. Mold can also cause these symptoms.

Beware of cancer!

The harm of mold in its allergic effects and toxicity. Fungal colonies produce aflatoxins - poisons. Getting into the body through the nasal passages, skin, mouth, they are able to accumulate.

Doctors constantly warn about the dangers of black mold in an apartment. Toxins accumulated in the body can eventually lead to the development oncological disease liver. After all, it is this body that tries to neutralize all poisons. However, if their number exceeds allowable rate, the liver is not able to cope with such an onslaught of harmful toxins. As a result, the process of poisoning the body begins.

In addition, as noted above, many systems suffer. Mold ingested with food can become a source of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, a wide variety of diseases develop in various forms.

Mold is extremely dangerous for babies.

More than anything negative impact children are susceptible to mold. After all, their immune defense is still being formed.

How dangerous is mold in an apartment for children? The development of all of the above pathologies. Only in a growing organism such diseases, as a rule, develop much faster and can carry more serious consequences.

Therefore, having noticed an allergic reaction in a crumb, do not postpone a visit to the doctor. Experienced specialist will help to identify the source that provoked pathological symptoms.

Damage to property

The fungus has an extremely negative effect not only on human health. Thinking about how dangerous mold is in an apartment, carefully look around. The fungus can damage your property. Particularly susceptible to damage wooden structures. Certain types of mold are capable of making dust out of furniture in a short time.

Almost everywhere there are spores of the fungus: in the air, water. And only once in a favorable environment, they begin to multiply rapidly. Building and finishing materials, regardless of quantity and cost, are also susceptible to mold.

The main symptom that characterizes the occurrence of the fungus is the presence of an unpleasant smell of dampness and sharpness. And only then there are characteristic spots of white, gray or black.