Study Shows Risks of Kids Riding in Shopping Carts

FoodSafetyNews.com -
by Alexa Nemeth

In the June issue of the Journal of Food Protection, a study conducted in Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites identified an association between riding in a shopping cart next to raw meat or poultry products and infection caused by Salmonella or Campylobacter in infants younger than 1 year.

FoodNet is the principal foodborne disease component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Emerging Infections Program, a collaborative project involving the CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and 10 state health departments.

According to the study, Salmonella and Campylobacter are the most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States, resulting in an estimated 1.4 and 2.4 million illnesses each year, respectively. Infants and children younger than 5 years are at increased risk, with reported rates 2 to 10 times higher than for persons 5 years or older.

Among infants, riding in a shopping cart next to packaged raw meat and poultry has been shown to be an important risk factor for Salmonella and Campylobacter infection.

Salmonella and Campylobacter have been detected on the outside of packages of meat and poultry at retail outlets which indicates that these contaminated surfaces could play a role in transmission.

They defined exposure as answering yes to one of a series of questions asking if packages of raw meat or poultry were near a child in a shopping cart, or if a child was in the cart basket at the same time as was raw meat or poultry.

“We compared children who were exposed to raw meat and poultry products with those not exposed by the following variables: location of the child in the shopping cart (i.e., only seat, only basket, both basket and seat, any basket [includes only basket and both basket and seat]) and sociodemographic characteristics (parent’s education level, household income, race or ethnicity),” reported the researchers.

Among 1,273 respondents, 767 (60 percent) reported that their children visited a grocery store in the past week and rode in shopping carts. Among these children, 103 (13 percent) were exposed to raw products. Children who rode in the baskets were more likely to be exposed than were those who rode only in the seats.

“Our study shows that children can be exposed to raw meat and poultry products while riding in shopping carts. Parents should separate children from raw products and place children in the seats rather than in the baskets of the cart. Retailer use of leak proof packaging, customer placement of product in a plastic bag and on the rack underneath the cart, use of hand sanitizers and wipes, and consumer education may also be helpful.”

Reusable Shopping Bags: Safe?

FoodSafetyNews.com -
by Alexa Nemeth

According to a joint food safety research report issued by researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, reusable grocery bags can serve as a breeding ground for dangerous foodborne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health.

The researchers randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Tucson. Researchers also found consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.

“Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half the bags sampled,” said Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a University of Arizona environmental microbiology professor and co-author of the study. “Furthermore, consumers are alarmingly unaware of these risks and the critical need to sanitize their bags after every use.”

Gerber said the bacteria levels found in reusable bags were significant enough to cause a wide range of serious health problems and even lead to death. This is a particular danger for young children who are especially vulnerable to foodborne illnesses.

The study found that people were not aware of the potential risks.  A full 97 percent of those interviewed have never washed or bleached their bags.  Gerber said that thorough washing kills nearly all bacteria that accumulate in reusable bags.

The Five-Second Rule: Fact or Fiction?

FoodSafetyNews.com -
by Laurel Curran | Jul 24, 2010

Whether you abide by the five-second rule, seven-second rule or five hour rule you may want to consider new research completed by Clemson University scientist Paul Dawson. He and his students recently published a study in the Applied Journal of Microbiology delving into the science behind the infamous five-second rule.

Dawson’s team analyzed the ability of bologna and bread to pick up the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium from tile, wood, and carpet.  They discovered that the dangerous bacteria can last on dry surfaces for up to 4 weeks in high enough populations to be transferred to both bread and bologna immediately upon contact.  With bologna, 99 percent of bacterial cells were transferred from tile after 5 seconds of contact. Transfer from carpet to bologna was very low when compared with transfer from wood and tile.  

“This study demonstrates the ability of bacteria to survive and cross-contaminate other foods even after long periods of time on dry surfaces, thus reinforcing the importance of sanitation on food contact to minimize the risk of foodborne illness,” the authors state.

Dawson is a food scientist at the food science and human nutrition department at Clemson University.  His work on the five-second rule was recently showcased in National Geographic magazine.  The article made a strong case for the “zero-second rule.”

His work focused on household surfaces like wood and tile. Many scientists agree that these surfaces are most likely to be contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella, but that outdoor surfaces are normally pretty clean.

“It’s OK to brush off the bagel that fell from the stroller onto the sidewalk and give it to your screaming child, for example, because the pavement is cleaner than the kitchen floor in terms of the types of germs that cause illnesses,” said Dr. Harley Rotbart, a professor of microbiology and pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“The kitchen floor, however, is probably a zero-second zone because the bacteria from uncooked meat and chicken juices are more hazardous than the ‘soil’ bacteria outside,” said Rotbart.  Rotbart is the author of “Germ Proof Your Kids.”

Researchers agree that most people will pick up food from any surface if they want it badly enough.

Secret Allergy Triggers

Health.com -
By Arianne Cohen

You could blame weeds, trees, and grasses if you start itching, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing this fall. But the usual suspects aren’t the only triggers. A host of household items candles, chemicals, stuffed animals, and spices may be the real culprits.

“Many homes are filled with irritants, and if there’s a high enough count of an irritant, you’ll react,” says Christopher Randolph, MD, an allergy expert at Yale University.

Lemons and limes
Limonene, a zesty compound in lime and other citrus fruits, gives many people watery eyes and a burning sensation in the nose, according to James Wedner, MD, chief of allergy and immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine. It might even irritate your skin, whether you touch, eat, or drink products containing limonene.

Stuffed anything (even Teddy)
Dust mites living in mattresses, plush toys, and pillows are a huge allergy trigger. Roughly 15 percent of the population is allergic to these microscopic bugs. Encasing mattresses and pillows with impen­etrable covers and cases is a useful step but it’s not enough. The mites also love kids’ favorite furry toys.

Candles
You can’t be allergic to essential oils which make candles smell like autumn leaves or dune grass but their odors can inflame your nasal cavities, says Dr. Wedner. “People with nasal allergies have a natural increased sensitivity, so they’re likely to get a runny nose or watery eyes around candles,” he says. “To the person with the sensitive nose, it’s no different than cigarette smoke.”

Perfume
Fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals that are mostly untested on humans, Dr. Wedner says. When those chemicals bond with the essential oils in perfumes and are then sprayed into the air, sensitive people may take offense. Sneezing, congestion, and headaches can be the result.

Soaps and detergents
You think it’s the chemicals in cleaning products that make you itch? Surprise: “The majority of skin sensitivities are caused not by the cleaning agent but by a perfume additive,” Dr. Wedner says. “And nearly every soap now has some sort of plant in it to make it fancy roses, elderberries, etc. The skin can respond with irritation, and give you a rash.”

Carpeting
You may love the feel of carpeting under your feet, but mites find it just as attractive. “Even if you vacuum constantly, you’ve still got mites,” Dr. Wedner warns.

Spices
They add nuance and zing to a variety of dishes, but there’s no getting around spices’ origin: pungent plants. For some people, eating the spices made from these plants leads to a just little sniffling. For others, it may cause itching, swelling, and even burning of the lips.

Wall paint
The solvents and synthetic resins used in paint often lead to itchy eyes and headaches. Oil-based paints are a particular problem because they can continue releasing chemicals even after they dry.

Beer and alcohol
An actual allergy to alcohol is quite rare, but being allergic to the grains and additives used in liquor is not: Wheat or the preservative sulfur dioxide could cause a rash or a stuffy nose. New York City allergist Wellington Tichenor, MD, founder of the information site Sinuses.com, also blames grains like corn, bar­ley, and rye, as well as fruit flavorings. Wine and beer may create problems too.

Christmas trees
A word to the wise before the holidays: Mold grows fast on Christmas trees. “When you put that tree in a bucket of water, invisible mold grows almost immediately,” Dr. Wedner says. “Most people are allergic to or irritated by mold spores.”

10 Ways to Reduce Your Mold Allergy Symptoms

WebMD.com -
By Jeanie Lerche Davis

If you have allergy symptoms year-round — or if they get worse in damp weather — you may be allergic to mold. While people with pollen allergies tend to have seasonal symptoms, mold allergies can flare all year long. Indoor mold can be a problem in winter months, because mold will grow in your house where there is enough moisture — whether it’s on a basement wall, in your crawl space, a damp carpet, or behind the bathroom tile.

You may not even realize the mold is there — but if you’re sensitive you’ll react with coughing, wheezing, stuffy nose, or irritated eyes.

“Very often, people don’t really know what the problem is,” says John Martyny, PhD, an industrial hygienist with National Jewish Health Center in Denver. “They have an allergic reaction, lots of sinus drainage, lots of upper respiratory problems, and it doesn’t last for just a month or two. This goes on 12 months a year. It is not a minimal problem — it can really change your life.”

We’re all exposed to mold spores. Mold is a fungus that breaks down plant or animal matter, like leaves, wood, dirt, and food. It’s present both indoors and out. The trouble comes with a mold allergy, when mold spores trigger reactions like allergic rhinitis or asthma. Molds can also produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — the musty odor that irritates eyes, nose, and throat.

Black Mold: Toxic or Not?

What’s known as black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is a slow-growing mold that grows only on wood, paper, and cotton. It’s often called “toxic black mold,” but the mold itself is not poisonous.

“There’s no question that the mold spores are very potent, but they are given off in extremely low levels,” he tells WebMD. “It’s really just another mold. What we see is an allergic reaction or asthma.” 

Black mold has been blamed for serious lung problems in a small number of infants, but that has not yet been proven. It’s not uncommon for people to develop an allergy to mold — not just black mold, says David Lang, MD, head of allergy/immunology at the Cleveland Clinic. “Infants, small children, and elderly adults are more likely to react to any type of mold,” he says.

It may be hard to get a mold allergy correctly diagnosed. “Very often, the root of the problem isn’t identified correctly,” Martyny says. “People have these symptoms, but they don’t realize they have a moisture and mold problem at home. If you get rid of the allergens — the mold — people get better, and they get better pretty fast.”

In some cases, mold exposure can cause serious respiratory problems, with symptoms like chest tightness and difficulty breathing. “Some people who are exposed to high levels of any mold for a long time develop lung hypersensitivity — which leads to scar tissue in the lungs,” Martyny explains. “Some people recover when the mold source is removed. But if they’ve been exposed for a long time, they may never recover.”

Coughing, wheezing, runny nose, irritated eyes or throat — these are all signs of mold allergy. Mold allergies can also trigger an asthma attack, with symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. If you have these symptoms, see an allergist for skin testing or a blood test to diagnose mold allergy.

Do You Have Mold?

Older homes are prime habitats for mold, which thrives in a dark, damp, warm environment. If you have water damage, water leaks, a leaky roof, a washing machine that overflows frequently, that moisture can give mold a toehold.

In winter months, indoor heat inside the house will pull air from the crawl space into the living space, says Martyny. That’s one reason a mold allergy may get worse in winter.

“In some instances, it can be hard to see the water damage,” he adds. “You may have to have a professional with a moisture meter and infrared cameras see if anything is leaking.”

So what can you do to reduce your exposure to mold? Attack mold on two fronts — removal and prevention:

• Get your house tested for mold. A moisture meter test will help. Also, a dust sample from your carpet can show whether mold spores are in your home. Check with your state health department about mold testing. Or look in the yellow pages for environmental testing, Martyny suggests. 
• Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. If you have mold in your crawl space or basement, locate the source and stop the water from coming in. 
• If your crawl space has mold, call an environmental service to get rid of it. If a small area is moldy, you can try cleaning it yourself. 
• Check inside drywall for mold inside the wall. You can usually smell mold even if you can’t see it. Moldy drywall must be cut out and replaced. Moldy insulation also must be removed and replaced. 
• Wash mold off hard surfaces. You don’t have to use chlorine bleach; soap and water, combined with scrubbing from a stiff brush, works to remove mold. Some people also recommend vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Non-toxic cleaners are also available. Allow areas to dry completely. 
• Dry water-damaged areas and items (like carpeting) within 24 to 48 hours of flooding. Don’t install carpeting in areas where there is a moisture problem. 
• If ceiling tiles or carpet have become moldy, they must be replaced. Throw out all wet, moldy tiles and carpeting. 
• Reduce indoor humidity by venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources. Exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens can help. If you don’t have exhaust fans, crack a window in the kitchen when you’re cooking or in the bathroom when you’re bathing. 
• Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers inside your home. Change filters regularly. Use a dehumidifier to get rid of dampness in basements. 
• Add insulation to windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors where there is potential for condensation on cold surfaces.

If you’re working in a moldy area, always wear a filtered face mask so you won’t inhale mold spores.

5 Most Common Myths About the Common Cold

Health.com -

Find out if there’s a grain of truth in some other old saws, such as “feed a cold, starve a fever,” or in wearing garlic to fight colds.

Chicken soup

Can a bowl of chicken soup help fight a cold? Maybe: Some research suggests it could relieve inflammation. But will going outside with wet hair make you sick in the first place? Nope. That’s just another old wives’ tale about the common cold. Here are some more.

Feed a cold, starve a fever

Being sick often kills your appetite; force-feeding won’t help. What will help is staying hydrated and getting enough calories. A 2008 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that mice exposed to the flu took longer to recover and were more likely to suffer ill effects if they were on a low-calorie diet. The researchers’ recommendation? Skip dieting until after flu season.

You’ll get sick if don’t wear a coat

George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life earned a punch in the nose over this one, but would Zuzu really have stayed healthy if her teacher had buttoned her coat? Not likely. Colds and flu are caused by viruses. They do circulate during cold-weather seasons, but you’re more likely to pick them up inside than out. In fact, going outside and getting more physical activity—and not just during cold and flu season—may help prevent sickness.

Vicks VapoRub in your socks cures coughs

In 2007, a widely circulated email recommended putting Vicks VapoRub on children’s feet at night and covering them with socks to cure coughs; it became an Internet sensation. The email identified the source of the miracle cure as the “Canada Research Council,” which prompted the National Research Council of Canada to issue a statement saying it had nothing to do with the email or its advice. VapoRub, which is usually applied to a child’s chest or throat, releases vapors that are intended to relieve cough symptoms when inhaled—so it seems far-fetched that it would work if it’s in your socks. Still, some fans stand by this unorthodox treatment.

A wet head can make you sick

You’ll probably feel chilly if you skip the blow-dry on a cold day, but not much else will happen. Again, colds are caused by a virus. Unless you are so cold that you get hypothermia, which could make you susceptible to infection, wet hair or clothes won’t increase your vulnerability. 

Wearing garlic prevents colds

The pungent odor may keep germ-spreading friends and coworkers away, but you have to actually ingest it for the health benefits. Garlic is rich in antioxidants, which boost immunity and fight inflammation. Experts recommend adding one to two cloves a day to your diet, a small enough amount that it shouldn’t cause gas or acid reflux. If you’re worried about the smell, try a garlic extract capsule to get the benefits without the stink.

The New Allergy Zones

Prevention - 
By Jenny Stamos Kovacs

The spring allergy season has sprung, but don’t blame your watery eyes and runny nose entirely on pollen.

Other surprising allergens may lurk in unexpected places in your home–and make you feel even worse. In fact, the list of sneeze-inducing culprits is long: animal dander, mold, dust, and dust mites (tiny insects that thrive on organic matter, primarily flakes of skin), as well as pollen carried into the house from outside. But these irritants are manageable–and getting a handle on them will help reduce your symptoms. We went to four top experts for the unexpected sources of your sneezes and some room-by-room tips for eliminating them.

1. Pet-Owning Visitors
They usually have animal dander on their clothes, and can deposit this irritant on upholstered furniture–even if they don’t bring Fido or Felix with them.

Solution: Vacuum your couches and padded chairs after pet-owning pals sit on them. Prevent the allergens from spewing right back out of the machine by using one with a HEPA filter (which traps tiny particles so they can’t escape the dust bag).

2. Couch Pillows, Throws, and Stuffed Toys
These items come into contact with skin, and that means tiny flakes that slough off and encourage dust mites. If your pet sits on, fetches, or plays with any of these, they’re also covered with animal dander.

Solution: Tumble the items in the dryer on high for 10 to 15 minutes each week. (If this will damage the material, clean instead according to the manufacturer’s instructions.)

3. Book Shelves
You can also blame the dust that collects on books and other shelf-dwellers, including framed photographs and mementos. Books can also contribute to indoor mold problems, especially in humid conditions.

Solution: Keep shelves of all kinds, including bookshelves, away from the bed, or banish them from the bedroom entirely. Place trinkets behind glass doors so they don’t collect dust. Clean surfaces and vacuum bedroom floors at least once a week.

4. Bed Pillows
The warmth and humidity of your body encourage dust mites to grow in bed pillows, no matter what type of stuffing they have.

Solution: Either trade old pillows for new ones annually, or encase pillows in allergy-proof covers that you wash once or twice a month in hot water (follow the manufacturer’s instructions). The most allergy-resistant, comfortable cases are made of tightly woven fabric that’s impermeable to dust mites–and feels good to the touch.

5. Bathroom Floor Mat
Trapped moisture in the bath mat causes dust mites and mold to thrive.

Solution: Choose a washable mat and clean it weekly. After a shower or steamy bath, hang it up and open a window or run the fan.

6. Refrigerator Door Seal
As you transfer food in and out of the refrigerator, moisture, crumbs, and spills can build up in the crevices of the door seal and encourage mold to flourish there. 

7. Cooking Steam
Steam wafts from pots and pans as you cook and settles in places you may not clean daily, causing mold to build up. Spots where dampness may land include walls, ceilings, cupboard doors, upper shelves, and areas hidden behind large appliances.

Solution: Run the stove’s exhaust fan to vent cooking moisture–not just smells–out of the house.

8. Damp Clothes
Mold and bacteria can develop on damp, unwashed clothing that sits around for days before it’s laundered, as well as on clean items left in the washer tub for more than a few hours.

Solution: Don’t let moist, dirty laundry build up, and dry freshly washed items ASAP. Here’s a bonus idea: Use liquid detergent instead of powder, which can produce irritating dust, worsening your allergy symptoms.

9. Your Hair and Clothes
When you arrive home after spending time outdoors, you carry in dust and pollen on your shoes and clothes and in your hair (long hair and loose hairstyles tend to trap more irritants than short or tightly bound strands).

Solution: When outside, cover your hair with a hat or scarf. When you get home, remove your head covering and shoes inside the door, change into clothes that you wear only indoors, and shampoo and dry your hair. Wash your comb and brush weekly to keep them free of any irritants they’ve picked up.

10. Plants
Damp soil can support the development of mold, and if you spill occasionally as you water, you can encourage growths in any carpet or curtains you happen to hit.

Solution: Give away or toss out plants if mold and dust cause you to have severe symptoms. If you choose to keep the plants instead, place the pots on tile and well away from curtains. Bonus tip: A layer of pebbles or small stones placed on top of the soil will prevent the release of mold spores that may be growing in the soil.

11. Fish Tank
Mold grows on parts of the tank or bowl that are out of the water but nevertheless remain damp. Carelessly strewn fish food also helps mold develop and can nourish a dust mite colony.

Solution: Use a rag to dry off above-water tank parts daily. When you feed the fish, make sure the food lands in the water, not on the tabletop or floor.

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9 Things That Make Allergies Worse

Prevention -
by Liz Vaccariello

Are Your Allergies Awful?
If you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer (60 million of Americans are), you probably already have a few tricks to avoid triggers, like not running outside when pollen counts are sky-high or keeping the windows closed and blasting the AC. But you may not know about these less obvious factors that can make symptoms worse.

1. Stressful work deadlines
In a 2008 experiment, researchers at Ohio State University College of Medicine found that allergy sufferers had more symptoms after they took an anxiety-inducing test, compared with when they performed a task that did not make them tense. Stress hormones may stimulate the production of IgE, blood proteins that cause allergic reactions, says study author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD. If you’re under stress, get enough sleep. A sleep deficit can worsen both allergy symptoms and stress, she says.

2. An extra glass of wine with dinner
Alcohol can raise the risk of perennial allergic rhinitis by 3% for every additional alcoholic beverage consumed each week, Danish researchers found. One potential reason: Bacteria and yeast in the alcohol produce histamines, chemicals that cause telltale allergy symptoms like stuffy nose and itchy eyes. Avoid alcohol when your symptoms are acting up, says Richard F. Lockey, MD, director of the division of allergy and immunology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

3. Waiting too long to take meds
Medications that block histamines work best before you’re even exposed to allergens, says allergist James Sublett, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Start medication a couple of weeks before the season commences or before you’ll be around allergens (if you react to grass, before a golf game, for example).

4. A not-hot-enough washing machine
If you find yourself sniffling in bed, crank your washing machine to the hottest setting. In a South Korean study, laundering cotton sheets at 140°F killed 100% of dust mites, while a warm 104°F wash destroyed just 6.5%. A machine’s “sanitize” setting is likely hot enough; check the manual if your model lacks this option. Some units heat water internally, but others use what flows through the pipes, so you may need to boost your water heater. (Caution: This temp can scald in 5 seconds.)

5. Houseplants that make you sneeze
Your innocent orchid could bring tears to your eyes. More than 75% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to at least one common houseplant, found a Belgian study. Allergens in plant sap can diffuse into the air and set off your sniffling. Though any potted greens can be trouble, researchers found that ficus, yucca, ivy, palm, orchid, and fern varieties are most irritating to allergy-prone people.

6. Skipping medication in the evening
One time not to forget your allergy med? Before bed—so the medication will be circulating in your bloodstream early the next day. Symptoms such as sneezing, weepy eyes, and runny nose peak in the morning, says Richard J. Martin, MD, chair of the department of medicine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. Choose regular (instead of nondrowsy formulas) for extra help falling asleep promptly.

7. Water workouts in an indoor pool
Chlorine-filled lap lanes can wreak havoc on your system. Used to disinfect, chlorine is highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, says Prevention advisor Andrew Weil, MD. And a recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that teens who log more than 100 hours in a chlorinated pool have a 3 to 7 times higher risk of developing hay fever, compared with swimmers who dunk in chlorine-free pools. To reap the benefits of your water workout without wheezing and sneezing, consider wearing a mask or goggles when swimming to protect your eyes from chlorine’s temporarily irritating effects. Try to swim in outdoor pools, where the gas is more readily dispersed, instead of indoor ones, and avoid swimming in chlorinated pools daily.

8. Friends who smoke
Cigarettes—with their numerous toxic chemicals and irritants—are nasty for everyone, but allergy sufferers may be especially sensitive, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. In fact, one Japanese study of teenage students found that more than 80% of those who came from homes where family members smoked heavily showed signs of nasal allergies. Even if you don’t hang around smoky bars or other areas, particles on the clothing of smoking friends or coworkers can pollute the air in your home or office.

9. Showering in the AM only
Hay fever sufferers would benefit from a quick rinse as soon as they get home from work or after being outside for a while, says allergist Stanley Fineman, MD, a physician at the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic. That’s because hidden pollen particles can get trapped on your body, hair, clothes, and shoes—continuing to trigger symptoms after you’ve returned indoors. If you’re prone to pollen allergies, slip off your shoes, throw your clothes in the hamper, and shower as soon as you get home to avoid dragging particles all over your home.

Protect Your Home and Family From Dangerous Mold and Mildew

ThisOldHouse.com -
By: Daniel P. Simmons III

With more than 100,000 species worldwide, roughly a thousand of which are native to the United States, molds are literally everywhere on the planet, including Antarctica. In nature, these fungi serve as a catalyst—speeding decomposition and ridding the planet of megatons of dead plant matter. And some varieties even have a time-honored place within our homes. After all, you owe the penicillin in your medicine cabinet to a mold called Penicillium chrysogenum, part of the same genus as Penicillium roqueforti, the mold you can thank for that delightful Roquefort cheese stinking up your fridge.

But no good can come from uninvited mold (aka mildew) indoors, since these microscopic organisms make their living by consuming the surface they’re growing upon. It’s bad enough when their food source is a little soap scum in your shower, but when it’s the cellulose in wallboards or ceiling tiles, or worse yet, in the wooden studs that support them, the resulting property damage can be significant. Even more serious are the potential health effects for your home’s occupants.

Read the entire article here!

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