by Sharise Cunningham

Created on: August 19, 2007

Mysterious Mold

Ed McMahon has it. And so does scantily-caped environmental crusader Erin Brockovich. But unlike what's in many millionaire homes, this is something you wouldn't wish for.

It's moldnot the kind that builds up on your ignored leftoversbut a more invasive variety that secretly builds up behind walls, under floors and in other moist areas of your home.

This often hidden mold, left untreated, is toxic and can cause a variety of problems ranging from health-related issues to structural damage to your home.

Types of Mold
Molds are fungi, microscopic organisms that are found indoors and out. The most common household molds are Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Mucor and Penicillium. Stachybotrys and Memnoniella, however, are two species of toxic black molds found in homes. Of the two, Stachybotrys is the most common.

How it Can Affect You
Stachybotrys chartarum (Stachybotrys atra), or toxic black mold has been associated with a number of respiratory and central nervous system problems. What makes this mold toxic is the presence of a poisonous substance called mycotoxin. Stachybotrys looks like a slimy greenish-black tar.

Recently recognized as a hazard, it's been found to cause or aggravate asthma, sinus congestion, headaches, runny nose and eyes, and fatigue. More severe symptoms of brain damage and memory loss have not been verified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

It's this mold that prompted former Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon to file a $20 million lawsuit against his insurance company for failing to properly clean up after fixing a broken pipe in his Coldwater Canyon, CA home. In the suit filed this past April, McMahon contends that the mold spread from his den where the broken pipe occurred throughout his home and killed his dog.

Erin Brockovichmade famous by Julia Roberts in the movie bearing her name for tracing illnesses in a small California town to groundwater contaminationis now dealing with her own toxic battle as Stachybotrys takes up residence in her dream home purchased with money from her $2 million bonus for her work in the PG&E case.

Brockovich suffered with unshakeable flu-like symptoms for over a year before a referral to an attorney who specializes in toxic mold cases helped her trace her problems to the invasive mold. True to form, Brockovich is fighting by suing the builder, subcontractors and the former owner, claiming faulty construction caused water leaks that led to the mold. In the meantime, she refuses to leave

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