UV and MOLD

Is Ultra-Violet (UV) Light the Right Solution for Mold Remediation?

By Edward R Close, PhD and Jacquelyn A Close

© EJC Advantage, July 22, 2016

Ultra-Violet Light (UV) is best known for its ability to eliminate bacteria. And the effectiveness of germicidal UV has not only been recognized but also incorporated in the Facilities Standards for Public Buildings as follows:

"Ultraviolet light (C band, UVC) emitters/lamps shall be incorporated downstream of all cooling coils and above all drain pans to control airborne and surface microbial growth and transfer. Applied fixtures/lamps must be specifically manufactured for this purpose."

http://www.americanairandwater.com/mold/mold-uv.htm

You need to know, however, that while UV emitters placed in the airflow downstream of AC coils and drip pans may help improve the air quality coming from HVAC systems, they will have no effect on mold colonies growing elsewhere in a building.  In addition, the effectiveness of UV in HVAC systems depends on a number of factors such as: rate of air flow, humidity, placement and distance between the UV light and the microorganisms it targets, irradiation time, as well as other variables occurring in real world environments that make calculation of effective UV dosage very difficult.

It is true that UV light will destroy the DNA of harmful microorganism given a high enough dosage over a sufficient length of time. And germicidal UV systems may be successfully utilized in hospitals and public buildings to inhibit microbial growth in HVAC systems, thereby improving the quality of indoor air and decreasing the risk of bacterial and fungal infections in people with compromised immune systems and/or open wounds. But the question is this:  Is it an effective solution for remediating a building infested with mold? In a word: NO.

The problem with UV or UVC systems for addressing mold infestations is the fact that they only treat the airstream within the HVAC system, and cannot safely address the many sources of mold spores that may exist in a building in places other than inside the air-handling system.

Sources of mold around leaks, in moisture from humidity condensation, and other conditions that lead to the growth of mold super-colonies, are not affected by the air flowing through an HVAC system. Sources of mold spores can be also be found on surfaces, such as the exterior of HVAC ductwork, walls, floors, in bathrooms, in fact almost any surface inside or under a building. While some spores in the air flowing through a UV system may be killed, UV only treats the air that flows through the system and nothing more.  

For UV light to destroy mold spores, one must have two things —

1.  Sufficient UV light intensity, which decreases rapidly with distance from the bulb, and
2.  Sufficient “dwell time” which is the time that the mold spore is actually exposed to the UV light.

The amount of exposure time required to destroy a mold spore varies greatly for the different species of mold. Some spores are destroyed after a few seconds — others require 8,000 seconds or more. That’s more than 2 hours.

The air traveling in an air duct is moving at a minimum of 100 feet per minute. You have to ask: what are the chances that a mold spore in the airstream inside the ductwork will be exposed to the UV light for a sufficient length of time? Pretty slim.

And while the air may be re-circulated, mold spores can fall out anywhere along the path from the outflow vent to the intake vent, and never be returned to the UV system for additional treatment.

“UV lights have been shown to reduce mold when exposed continuously to the coils of the HVAC system. Cleaning the coils periodically would accomplish the same result.”

http://www.allergyclean.com/youve-got-mold/

Cleaning with essential oils and essential-oil-based cleaners will be far less costly. 

So, UV and UVC systems may be helpful in improving indoor air quality, however, they are not effective in eliminating most mold infestations and may pose health dangers if not properly installed, shielded and maintained. In general, they are far more costly and less effective than using essential oils and essential oil-based cleaners.

Limitations of UV or UVC Systems

1. They cannot address many sources of or surfaces infested with mold
2.   Intensity and “dwell time” requirements do not address all mold species
3.   Humans have DNA, and since UV and UVC are known to destroy the DNA of microorganisms, special handling of lamps, installation of shielding, and added protection for human inhabitants increase the risk of damaging the DNA of humans that come in contact with the light, as well as increasing the costs associated with its installation and maintenance.

Is UV right for your mold problem?

The best answer is that it depends on the building and the budget. It is only one of a number of options that can be utilized for improving air quality as part of the solution for a building with a mold problem. It is not a solution in and of itself, and not necessarily even a part of the best possible solution for a given mold problem. There are far more cost-effective options available that can help you address all sources, surfaces, and air streams. 


We have more than 20 years of mold remediation experience, over 10 years experience using The Close Protocol to Remediate Mold in Buildings, and many hundreds of personally-supervised mold remediation projects where The Close Protocol was employed, and we have found that essential oils and essential-oil based cleaners have proven far more cost effective as well as more effective and complete in addressing and remediating mold in buildings.

Many discussions of mold remediation options and detailed answers to questions about using the Close Protocol for Mold Remediation in Buildings are freely provided on this website. For those of you who require additional help, please contact us.

Basic information about the ten-step protocol is presented in Chapter 7 of our book, Nature’s Mold Rx, The Non-Toxic Solution to Toxic Mold. The book also discusses twenty (20) case studies in detail, and most of the questions that may arise when the protocol is applied are answered in the book.

Be blessed richly and may you always enjoy Vibrant Health!

Very Sincerely,

Dr. Ed And Jacqui Close

EJC Advantage LLC

P.S.:  If you have gotten value from the information shared, please take just a couple of minutes to comment on our posts in the Comments Section below and share your experiences. We love to hear from you this way. We also invite you to share this on Social Media. Thank You!

NOTE:  The information above is copyright protected and all rights are reserved.

 
Copyright EJC Advantage LLC and Edward R Close and Jacquelyn A Close, 2016 and continuing.  This information and parts thereof may not be reproduced, copied, pasted, or posted elsewhere through any means whatsoever without written permission from the authors. We invite you to provide a link to this webpage if you wish to share this information with others.

Nature's Mold Rx Enters 3rd Printing

Our book, Nature's Mold Rx, has now entered it's 3rd printing. Thank you everyone. We are so happy that so many of you have found value in our work and have shared it with others. We also thank the book stores and retailers who continue to make this book available:  Life Science Publishers, Abundant Health, Sound Concepts, CARE, and Amazon.com.

We are so grateful to God for having been chosen to discover and share the benefits of His Wondrous Gifts of how oils from plants are our best protection and our greatest harbor of safety from the destruction and ravages of mold and mold exposure. God created mold and he created the solution to the problems mold would cause us in both the buildings we inhabit and in our bodies.

If you would like information on additional publications by Dr. Ed and Jacqui Close, visit our Publications Page at this link:  Publications by Dr. Edward R Close and Jacquelyn A Close.

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Joyous Holiday Season.
Dr. Ed and Jacqui Close

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF MOLD EXPOSURE

SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MOLD EXPOSURE

By Jacquelyn A Close

© Copyright November 2, 2013

 

When mold species, such as Stachybotrys chartarum or Aspergillus/Penicillium, invade your body they are just trying to do what they were created to do and that is break down organic material so it can be recycled. But when mold invades our human bodies, it wreaks havoc and creates misery. So what symptoms are associated with mold exposure?  And how do you protect yourself?

The most common symptoms of mold exposure include:

Headaches                               Allergies

Breathing Difficulties             Coughing

Colds                                       Flu-Like Symptoms
Aching Muscles                      Sore Throat

Nausea                                    Vomiting

Diarrhea                                  Constipation

Fever                                       Sinus Congestion

Runny Nose

What do those symptoms sound like to you? Some type of virus or bacterial infection maybe?

That is usually what a doctor thinks when someone comes to him with these symptoms. We know, because we have heard people tell us this story over and over and over again for years now.

Here are some other fairly common symptoms of mold exposure.

General Fatigue, Malaise           Nosebleeds

Eye and Vision Problems          Earaches

Dandruff                                      Hair Loss

Fatigue                                        Hearing Loss

Irritability                                    Memory Loss

Learning Difficulties                  Memory Problems

Difficulty Speaking                    Seizures
Skin Sores                                  Rashes

Sleep disorders                          Sneezing

Lightheadedness                       Vertigo

Dizziness                                    Weight Gain

Anger                                          Rage

Anxiety                                       Drug abuse

Diseases Scientifically Linked to Mold:

Asthma                                  Allergies

Bleeding Lungs                    Dermatitis

Weight Gain                          Anger, Rage

Anxiety                                  Bi-Polar

Drug Abuse                           Addiction

Chronic Fatigue                    Fibromyalgia

Depression                            Alzheimer’s

Multiple Sclerosis                 Insomnia

Neuropathy                           OCD

Panic Disorder                      Paranoia

Schizoid Syndrome              Hives

Kidney Failure                      Infections

Death                              And the list goes on.

How can mold do or cause all of these different things?

Because mold infests, colonizes, and destroys our bodies, including our brains. It uses our skin and every opening into the body to attack us. And when mold finds a foothold in the body, it starts reproducing itself and using our bodies, our tissues, organs, our blood and even our brains for food. When mold is reproducing right inside our bodies that creates irritation, which leads to inflammation. And if we cannot stop that process and eliminate the mold, then we end up with a systemic inflammatory condition. That spirals into the inflammatory cascade that, even a little research shows contributes to and may even be the primary cause for pretty much every immune disorder and immune system disease known to man.

IMMUNE DISORDERS AND DISEASES CAUSED BY INFLAMMATORY CASCADE

Cancer                                                Diabetes        

Rheumatoid Arthritis                      Heart Disease

Bursitis                                              Laryngitis

Gingivitis                                           Tendonitis

Gastritis                                             Celiac Disease

Diverticulitis                                     Sepsis

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

And here’s the gospel truth, most doctors don’t even know, believe or understand that mold is or even could be the source of these problems. They don’t test for mold in your blood or urine, even though those tests are available. Blood serum testing is extremely expensive, however, the urine testing is much less costly. But most doctors don’t even know to do those tests. We have had numerous people tell us that they asked their doctor to test them for mold and they were told:  “There is no medical diagnosis for mold or mold exposure.”

Typically, doctors prescribe a round of antibiotics to treat the identified symptoms. Usually that approach has some effect, but then after a short while the person gets sick again. They go back to their doctor.

The problem is this:  Mold is a living organism that adapts to antibiotics.

So, when the patient’s symptoms return, the doctor prescribes another round of antibiotics that is stronger, and recommends that the person stay on them longer. Why? Because that’s what the medical profession is taught to do. They know the previous antibiotics were not totally effective, and they know those same antibiotics have less chance of being effective a second time. More and more rounds of different antibiotics are prescribed. And what happens?

The antibiotics depress the immune system, making it more and more difficult for your body to fight off this mold invader, and over time the problem gets worse and worse, adversely affecting more and more of the body. And the stronger the antibiotics, and the longer you have to be on them, the worse the side effects. Antibiotics make the problems associated with mold exposure worse, not better. Unfortunately, it isn’t always apparent to the people involved until their body has been so depleted that they think they will never be well again.

Don’t let this scare you, because we have a SECRET weapon. We have essential oils. Plants had to create something to protect themselves against mold because these two (plants and mold) appear in the geologic record at roughly the same time. And mold’s favorite food is cellulose from plants. If plants hadn’t had these built-in defense mechanisms, they would not have survived the onslaught of mold. So don’t be scared. Just learn how to protect yourself. 

To help you, there is a wealth of free information available on this website. And if you would like to try essential oils to see for yourself what benefits are available, then click this link:

http://www.naturesmoldrx.com/p/what-to-order.html

If you need help, I am happy to help answer your questions. Please review more of the information available here first:  http://www.naturesmoldrx.com/p/monthly-oils-training.html

And then click this link to request help:

http://www.naturesmoldrx.com/p/request-help-consulting-subscribe-to.html

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REQUIRED DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this presentation is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat, or cure any disease, ailment or injury to the body. It is not medical advice. FDA regulations prohibit the use of medical claims in conjunction with the sale of any product not approved by the FDA. Statements made herein have not been evaluated by the FDA.  

Any products, techniques, and/or personal usage tips referred to are not suggested as a replacement for proper treatment from a licensed health care professional. I am not a licensed health care professional and the decision to use or not to use any of this information is the sole responsibility of the listener and/or reader.

Everyone is an individual with different body types, different blood types, different body chemistries, and it is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another person.

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Wishing You Vibrant Health!

Jacqui Close

 

Jacquelyn A Close

© Copyright November 2, 2013

Jacquelyn A Close and EJC Advantage LLC

This information is copyright protected and may not be distributed, copied, or transmitted by any means whatsoever without written permission from the authors.