The subject of black mold gathered a lot of attention in the late 1990’s. Up to that time, little attention had been given to this topic and there were few government regulations regarding black mold.
According to the US EPA from their on-line course (http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/index.html), molds are organisms that may be found indoors and outdoors. They are part of the natural environment and play an important role in the environment by breaking down and digesting organic material, such as dead leaves. Also called fungi or mildew, molds are neither plants nor animals; they are part of the kingdom Fungi.
Evidence of mold in the home can be either visual or by odor, and evidence of an indoor mold problem typically starts with a water leak. Normally, water or some form of moisture entering into the interior of your house is necessary for mold to grow. Evidence of the water leak can range from water stains on ceilings or walls, to wet floor surfaces. The presence of a constant source of moisture provides the necessary environment for mold to grow. It is also important to n...
Botulism is a rare but very serious paralytic illness that is caused by the botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum is a gram positive, anaerobic, spore forming bacterium that is naturally occurring in soil. Botulism dates back to the eighteenth century when the first food borne botulism was documented. During this time many people were doing home fermented sausages and this was thought to be the cause of botulism. This is how the toxin got its name since “Botulism” in Latin comes from “botulus” which means sausage. E. van Ermengen was the first to discover the microbe in 1897 after there was a food borne outbreak in Ellezelles, Belgium. To date there are six forms of botulism but only two forms were known until the twentieth century which were food borne and wound botulism. The first type of botulism is food borne which is a result of ingesting food that contains the pre-form toxin. Some foods that this typically occurs in are home canned vegetables, cured pork and ham and smoked or raw fish. Wound botulism is the result of C. botulinum spores growing in a contaminated wound with in vivo production. Most people that get wound botulism usually have deep and contained avascular areas and many people also had compound fractures. Wound botulism is on the rise in the U.S. because of the use of illicit drugs, “the majority were linked to injectable drug use, particularly with so-called ‘black tar heroin’ and others with nasal or sinus lesions due to chronic cocaine sniffing.” (CDC website) Another form of botulism is infant botulism. This is caused from the endogenous production of toxin germinating spores of C. botulinum in the intestines of the infants. Also feeding an infant...
The bubonic plague in the 14th century was known to be one of the most horrendous events that took place in Europe. A common name for this time period was the ‘Black Death’, however this term was not coined until the 17th century. The Black Death claimed an estimated 75 to 200 million people’s lives in all of Europe.
The possible Fungus spores could pose a health risk based upon data from the NYDHS study, Harry Dobin’s autopsy, and experts in the field. Additionally, the Fungus, presumably, is the cause of the public nuisance (i.e. the odor) and the Fungus spores are the result of Landfill’s
The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemic that hit Europe in history. The Black Death first emerged in the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 (Gottfried,1). The plague came from several Italian merchant ships which were returning to Messina. Several sailors on board were dying of an unknown disease and a few days after arriving in Messina, several residents within and outside of Messina were dying as well (Poland 1). The Black Death was as deadly as it was because it was not limited by gender, age, or species. The Black Death was also very deadly because it could attack in three different forms: the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plague.
United States Enviromental Protection Agency. (2010, September 30). Retrieved January 13, 2011, from Mold and Moisture: http://www.epa.gov/mold/
The Black Death first appeared in Sicily around October 1347, abroad Genoese trading ships that had sailed from the port of Caffa. The men on these ships were diseased and dying with black swellings and boils all over their body and most died within five days. The Black Death had made its way to Europe, and started to wreak havoc on the population. By January 1348, the plague had reached Paris and by August it was in England. Populations sharply decreased as the plague took its toll, indiscriminate in its killing. Worse of all, it wasn’t just one disease that was killing off whole populations- there were two differ...
In the years 1331 to 1350 all of Europe broke out in an epidemic, called the Black Death. This terrible sickness murdered about one third of all the people in Europe, it spread, and killed quickly. People’s lives were changed drastically; they were scared to go outside in fear of catching the gross disease. The Black Death spread rapidly through Europe having significant impacts on society.
The Black Death (also called the "plague" or the "pestilence", the bacteria that causes it is Yersinia Pestis) was a devastating pandemic causing the death of over one-third of Europe's population in its major wave of 1348-1349. Yersinia Pestis had two major strains: the first, the Bubonic form, was carried by fleas on rodents and caused swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes", and lesions under the skin, with a fifty-percent mortality rate; the second, the pneumonic form, was airborne after the bacteria had mutated and caused fluids to build up in the lungs and other areas, causing suffocation and a seventy-percent mortality rate.
Mold is a group of fungus that are a decomposer in nature. They are basically a single celled organism with thousands of nuclei. They nearly have the same life cycle as fungi. They are made up of filaments, called hyphae.They can be found in shady, damp areas outdoors, like rotting logs, or any place with decomposing vegetation. There are also parasitic molds, that live off a host. . Mold can reproduce with itself, asexually, and with other molds, which would be sexual reproduction. They use single celled bodies, called spores, to do this. Mold can have aerial spores, or even spores in the water, from water molds. Bacteria can communicate with each other. Spores are extremely versatile, and can even go dormant, for up to 75 years, and then still germinate. The have receptors that can detect positive or negative chemicals. They can sense the environment, and make decisions. I think mold will be able to have the same social interactions, and be able to know where, and where not to go. A well studied mold is the slime mold, or Physarum polycephalum. This mold, like many other inhabits shady, moist areas, such as under decaying logs. It is usually yellow in color, and eats bacteria, fungal spores, and other microbes. To consume its food, it surrounds it, and uses enzymes to break it down. Since it consumes food like this, it is not harmful. As food starts to run out, it goes into its reproductive state. Physarum polycephalum can anticipate changes. Even though they do not have a brain, or central nervous system. It can anticipate change, when dealing with its environment. I always wonder if organisms like this can think at all. Also, if we were once like this mold, as we did start as small organisms. As we e...
Mold is a nightmare for millions of homeowners throughout the nation. Most of the time, homeowners are unaware they even have the growth of mold in their home until it is too late, as it commonly grows behind walls, under sinks and carpets, and other non-visible location throughout the house. And, unnoticed mold can thrive in damp environments throughout your home, eventually causing structural damage. Plus, the formation of mold comes with some dangerous effects.
molds to help cure some skin infections and rashes. It was in the late 1800's
Anthrax is a very real and dangerous threat to all people who come in contact with it. The bacterial infection is caused by the bacteriaium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is divided into three categories all are contracted in different ways. The first type is called Cutaneous Anthrax; this is where anthrax spores make contact with the skin. If there is a cut or a lesion then a person can be infected. Cutaneous Anthrax is the most common way to get anthrax, but is also the least lethal. The second type of anthrax is called Pulmonary Anthrax this is where a person inhales the spores of anthrax directly into the lungs. If this type of anthrax is left untreated it could lead to death. The third type of anthrax is called Gastrointestinal Anthrax, this form results from eating meat from animals that have been infected with the anthrax bacteria. This causes the intestinal tract to become infected and this from is almost always fatal. This particular mode of anthrax has never been seen in the United States.
Mold is a member of the fungi family. Since mold is part of the fungi family, it cannot use the sun to obtain energy. This means that mold has to use other plants or animals to grow. Even though they cannot see them, there are millions of mold spores in the air. These spores settle down and start to multiply which can be done rapidly or slowly as long as it has a food source. Mold usually grows best in warm environments, but it can still grow in cold environments also. Mold can cause illness such as vomiting or feeling nauseated when it is eaten or when it smells bad.
Hazardous Chemicals In The Household Being a mother myself, I have to be careful about what I bring around my children. These chemicals were created for a reason. However they can’t come without consequence. There is much debate on the use, storage and purpose of these products. However it’s important to do your research and make sure you aren’t harming yourself or others.
Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungus, mold, and yeast are present and common in almost every environment on earth. The normally microscopic organisms can easily be seen using differing types of agar, which creates an ideal environment for the organisms to form colonies, which are groups of hundreds of organisms that can be seen with the naked eye. In order to see individual microorganisms, it is necessary to use the magnification of a high-powered microscope.