Many buildings in Orange County and other areas of Southern California experience what is known as sick building syndrome. This unhealthy indoor environmental condition is caused by molds which directly or indirectly affect the indoor air quality, leading to health problems for people and animals who use the building.
Mold Problems in Southern California Buildings
When moisture from flooding, leaking pipes and drains, ground water, or other sources come in contact with walls, floors, and ceilings in a building, it creates the perfect conditions for mold growth. As these molds grow they develop reproductive spoors containing a toxin called mycotoxin. Many people and animals develop allergies and chemical sensitivity when exposed to the invisible mycotoxin dust particles as they float around in the air.
These aerosolized mycotoxins were then observed dispersing into the air and traveling around inside the building. From there, they can easily enter the respiratory tract of a person or animal, making them sick, even though they never directly contacted the mold itself.
Health experts estimate between twenty and forty percent of all buildings in the United States have visible mold growing somewhere in the building, creating conditions where sick building syndrome can develop. The best prevention for sick building syndrome is repairing water-damaged areas as soon as possible and hiring a contractor with the right experience, personnel, and equipment for remediating water and mold damage in a timely way.
