# Mold and Mycotoxins

Indoor mold grows wherever your building stays damp. The usual culprits are Stachybotrys chartarum, plus Aspergillus and Penicillium species. They can release living spores, fragments of their filaments, and toxic byproducts called mycotoxins (like aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and macrocyclic trichothecenes). The 2009 WHO guidelines on dampness and mold reached two key conclusions. People in damp or moldy buildings have up to a 75% greater risk of respiratory symptoms and asthma. And about 13% of childhood asthma in WHO's European Region traces to damp housing. Aflatoxin B1 is a confirmed human carcinogen (IARC Group 1, 2012). Chronic dietary exposure causes liver cancer, especially in people with hepatitis B (HBV). The evidence for harm from inhaling mold is weaker than for eating it. But Stachybotrys trichothecenes are potent protein-synthesis blockers, implicated in 'sick-building' symptoms. The fix focuses on removing the moisture, not on spraying biocides.

## Sources

- World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (2009). WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould. WHO Europe. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289041683
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2012). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 100F: Chemical Agents and Related Occupations — Aflatoxins. IARC Monographs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK304413/
- Mendell MJ, Macher JM, Kumagai K, et al.. (2023). Fungal Contamination of Building Materials and the Aerosolization of Particles and Toxins in Indoor Air and Their Associated Risks to Health: A Review. Toxins. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/15/3/175

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_Canonical: https://usa-longevity.com/en/glossary/mold-mycotoxins · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_