Midwest Aerobiology Labs (Mold & Asbestos Inspectors)

Know Your Mold

Mold: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

First, let’s define exactly what mold is. Molds are forms of fungi that occur naturally in the environment. They are in the earth and play an important role outdoors when it comes to breaking down matter such as plant debris. In order for mold to reproduce, it makes tiny spores—just like some plants produce seeds. When indoors, mold spores move throughout the air and settle on various surfaces.

Typically, molds need moisture and food sources such as cloth, wood, drywall, etc. to grow. Now, mold may become troublesome if a wet surface is not dried up or promptly discarded. In fact, it will quickly grow within 24 to 48 hours. So, while mold is important in many ways, it also has some drawbacks. We need to be aware of these drawbacks and understand how to deal with them.

Mold Fact

The Master of Reproduction

Mold is a reproduction master. In the common bread mold, Rhizopus stolonifer, the tiny black dots are the spore bodies, or sporangia. Just one dot contains upwards of 50,000 spores, each of which can produce hundreds of millions of new spores in a matter of days! (Awake, 2006)

New Service

What's in your air? Find out with our new ERMI Mold Air Testing