MTS#8 MOLD EXPOSURE GUIDELINES

General. There are no well accepted numerical guidelines for mold exposure. Some persons are much
sensitive (allergic) to mold than others. There is disagreement as to what levels of exposure and what types of
mold may cause various symptoms. There is general agreement that damp (and often moldy) buildings are
associated with increased health problems.
Visible Mold. Many experts argue that the presence of visible mold in buildings is unacceptable on health and
hygienic grounds (Samson, et.al., 1994, Health Implications of Fungi in Indoor Environments, Elsevier, p.532).
The presence of visible mold indicates dampness has occurred at some time. However, from a practical
perspective, small amounts of visible mold (<1-10 ft2) can often be found in many buildings and may not
always pose a serious health concern. On the other hand, where visible mold is present, much more mold may
be hidden behind walls. Large amounts of visible mold (covering large areas of walls, etc.) are a definite health
concern (regardless of the type of mold). Large amounts of visible mold are often associated with elevated
airborne mold levels. The NY City Health Dept and the US EPA consider visible mold <10 ft 2 to be limited to
where professional cleaning assistance may not be needed.
Types of Mold. Although there are thousands of types (genus-species) of molds, a relatively small number
account for most indoor and water damage situations. Some molds are considered worse (more allergenic or
toxic) than others. The common mold Cladosporium is widespread inside and outside and is typically not
considered as bad as some other molds. The wet black molds Chaetomium and Stachybotrys often occur on
sheetrock and are considered problem molds. They have large spores and tend not to occur at high levels in
the air unless disturbed. They require very damp conditions to grow. The most common problem molds are
Aspergillus-Penicillium. They require only moderately damp conditions for growth. They have very small spores
that are easily airborne and can float in the air for many hours when disturbed.
Visible Mold Tests. Tape or bulk tests can be taken of visible mold. These are useful to verify the presence
and type of mold present. However, it must be emphasized visible mold tests are insufficient to provide an
adequate exposure assessment. This requires site assessment and airborne mold tests. See MTS handout #1
on collecting visible mold tests.
Airborne Mold. The primary health concern from mold is AIRBORNE exposure. There are no well accepted
numerical guidelines. As a rule of thumb, indoor levels should be less than outside (in warm weather) and
elevated levels of the problem indoor molds Aspergillus-Penicillium and Chaetomium-Stachybotrys should not
be present. Based on work at hundreds of buildings, MTS has developed an informal working guide. This is
NOT a formal standard. Activities that disturb mold (clean-up, remodeling,etc) and cause indoor airborne levels
>5000-10,000 total spores/m3 are often associated with health symptoms (especially with high levels of
Aspergillus-Penicillium and/or Chaetomium-Stachybotrys.

Normal (Upper Range) Airborne Indoor Mold Levels (spores/cubic meter)

Type of Mold
Upper Range Most Bldgs
Upper RangeGood Filtration

Total Mold
<2000-4000
<1000-3000

Common Mold

Problem Damp Molds

Problem Wet Molds

Cladosporium
<2000-3000
<1000-2000

Asper.-Penicillium
<1000-2000
<500-1000

Chat.-Stachybotrys
<250-500
<50-250

See Meyer,M, 2009, Paper #203, Healthy Buildings Conference Proc., Syracuse, NY.

Summary provided by Mold Testing Services, LLC. , 2900 S. Phillips Ave., Suite 700, Sioux Falls, SD 57105.
Ph 605-951-4857. E-mail: moldymike@moldtestingsd.com (MTS 5-12-10). See our web site at
www.moldtestingsd.com