On this page you can find useful documents and FAQs about mold from various federal and state agency resources.

Federal

• Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, CDC

  • Mycotic Diseases Branch
    Provides fact sheets on fungal diseases.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Mold Web Site
    Provides mold information, actions you can take, and links to other resources.

  • Frequently requested EPA documents:

    • A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home

    • Asthma Triggers - Molds

    • An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Biological Pollutants

    • Fact Sheet: Flood Cleanup - Avoiding Indoor Air Quality Problems

    • Flood Cleanup

    • Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings

    • Mold Resources

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  Provides documents on mold from FEMA, whose mission is to reduce loss of life and property and to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from hazards.

• National Ag Safety Database

  • Causes and Symptoms of Mold and Dust-Induced Respiratory Illness
    Provides information on Farmer's Lung and other respiratory hazards related to exposure to mold spores while working in dusty fields, silos, and grain bins. Includes symptoms, treatment, and control procedures.

  • Farmer's Lung: It Takes Your Breath Away!
    Provides information on Farmer's Lung, an allergy caused by dust from moldy hay, straw and grain, including symptoms and methods of minimizing exposure.

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

  • Moisture, Mold, and Mildew[PDF - 196 KB]
    Provides information for building managers about identifying and correcting problems caused by mold and mildew, including factors that govern relative humidity, common moisture problems, and their solutions.

  • NIOSHTIC-2 Database
    Provides search results on Indoor Environmental Quality and Mold from NIOSHTIC, a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Click "Full View" to read article abstracts.

  • NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures Caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustrial Buildings[PDF - 1.35 MB]
    Provides information on indoor dampness and associated health risks.

  • Indoor Environmental Quality
    Provides information about understanding the sources of indoor environmental contaminants and how controlling them can often help prevent or resolve building-related worker symptoms.

• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)

  • Mold Allergy Web Site[PDF - 8.55 MB]
    Provides questions and answers on mold allergies.

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
  Provides documents on mold from NIEHS, whose mission is to reduce the burden of human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes by understanding each of these elements and how they interrelate. Search on “mold” to see NIEHS’ list of mold-related documents.

• National Library of Medicine Mold Web site
  Provides information in English and Spanish on molds, including cleanup, health aspects, organizations dealing with it, and other resources.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

  • A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace
    Provides recommendations on how to prevent mold growth and how to protect workers involved in the prevention and cleanup of mold.

  • Preventing Mold-Related Problems in the Indoor Workplace[PDF - 207 KB]
    Provides recommendations to owners, managers, and occupants on how to fix mold problems in buildings.

 

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Nonfederal

• Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA)
  Provides information on mold and allergies from AAFA, a non-profit patient organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies and their caregivers, through education, advocacy and research.

  • Mold Allergy

• American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

  • Evidence Based Statement on Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment
    Provides an evidence-based discussion of the state of scientific knowledge about the nature of fungal-related illnesses, emphasizing their possible relationships to indoor environments. Particular attention is given to the possible health effects of mycotoxins.

• California Department of Health Services

  • Mold in My Home: What Do I Do?[PDF - 42 KB]
    Provides answers to questions and concerns regarding mold in the home and other indoor environments, test interpretation, and cleanup methods.

  • Molds in Indoor Workplaces[PDF - 1.5 MB]
    Provides answers to questions and concerns regarding mold in the workplace, health effects, and cleanup methods.

   

• Indoor Air Quality Information by State
  Links to offices or programs for each state regarding indoor air-related health inquiries.

• Indoor Mold, Toxigenic Fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: Infectious Disease Perspective
  Scientific review of recent articles regarding indoor mold exposure and mycotoxicosis, with an emphasis on S. chartarum. Possible end-organ effects, including pulmonary, immunologic, neurologic, and oncologic disorders are also examined.

• Institute of Medicine's Damp Indoor Spaces and Health Project
  Provides background and status information on this mold project.

• Minnesota Department of Health’s Mold in Homes
  Provides information regarding health concerns associated with mold exposure in the home and advice on finding and removing mold contamination.

• New York City Department of Health

  • Facts About Mold
    Provides common questions and answers about mold.

    • PDF[75 - KB]

  • Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments
    Provides information on health issues, assessment, remediation, and hazard communication.

• North Carolina State University

  • Mold, dust mites, fungi, spores, and pollen: Bioaerosols in the human environment
    Provides information on bioaerosol effects, sources, and control.

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  • Causes and Symptoms of Mold and Dust Induced Respiratory Illness
    Provides information on Farmer's Lung, a noninfectious allergic disease caused by inhaling dust from moldy hay, straw, or grain.

• World Health Organization

  • WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould[PDF - 2.5 MB]
    Review of scientific evidence on health problems associated with building moisture and biological agents.