What to Know About Black Mold
Black mold, also called toxic black mold, has received a lot of bad press, some well-earned, some blown a bit out of proportion. Black mold is a type of mold growth typically found growing on cellulose-rich building products like sheetrock that have been saturated with water. Technically, black mold is a mold from the genus Stachybotrys (pronounced STACK EE-bot-ris or shortened to just STACKY if you are in the business).
What Does Black Mold Look Like?
Stachybotrys, or black mold, can be brown, dark green or black in color, and it often grows in clumps or clusters. The mold itself can look slightly slimy or furry up close (though don’t spend too much time near black mold). You might also notice an earthy or musty smell near the black mold.
How Dangerous is Black Mold?
The press hype surrounding black mold began with a 60-minute TV episode from 2001 whose dramatic title “Silent Killer” referred to Stachybotrys. Many other articles and stories followed. The reality is that Stachybotrys is a potentially toxic mold that you do not want growing indoors where you could be affected by it — but the same can be said for other molds as well. When people talk about Stachybotrys as the “bad mold” it implies that there is a “good mold.” In reality you don’t want any mold growths indoors. Chantarelles may be a tasty mushroom, but you don’t want them growing out of your walls.
Stachybotrys is a mold of concern as it can produce toxins and some people have serious allergic responses. But the same is true of many other molds that didn’t get their own TV show. The approach to dealing with Stachybotrys is the same as with any other mold: remove growths under controlled conditions, clean and then disinfect surfaces, and correct the water source that caused it.
