As you learn about mold, this new concept of mycotoxins–invisible things that get everywhere and can literally kill you–is quite confusing.
What Are Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are tiny chemical by-products produced by toxic molds. They are chemicals that are not living. Just like your cells produce waste products and you pee them out, this is mold’s waste.
But How Do They Get Around So Well?
Basically they become aerosolized. Think about hair spray or spray paint–these are particles being distributed by compressed air.
Mold in your home- even inside your walls–can be affected by air as well. You have air flow through every nook and cranny of your home. Many things can create air flow in your home, including:
- You walking around
- Vacuuming
- Running a fan
- Temperature changes
- Storms
- Running the AC or heater
A degrading colony of mold is releasing spores but also many, many spore fragments, and mycotoxins can travel on these.
Once released, mycotoxins can also now get stuck to dust, dander, smoke and other particles in your home.
- Mycotoxin size is .1 micron
- Spore fragments are .02- .7 microns (source)
- A typical Aspergillus spore is 2 -3 microns in diameter (source)
So please take the concept of mycotoxins seriously!
These little buggers can lodge in your books, clothes, appliance motors and more.
They can keep you sick if you bring them to a new house.
They cannot be ‘killed’ but they can degrade over time or be transformed into safer compounds by things like enzyme formulations.
Here are a couple of resources about home fogging:
If you haven’t picked up our starter guide click the link below:
Your Complete Guide to Health Recovery from Toxic Mold >>
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is an acupuncturist turned functional health coach and has worked with thousands of clients since 2004.She is the founder of FunctionalDetoxProducts.com and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Toxic Mold Recovery: Take Back Your Home Health & Life, available in audiobook, Kindle and paperback on Amazon.