Mold, one of the most notorious allergic naturally occurring substances, can be found not only outdoors but indoors as well. This fungus which often takes the shape of a fuzzy, sometimes velvety clump can be found almost anywhere. Outdoors, they are more commonly found and in their highest quantities, around and on decomposing matter such as rotten logs, trash, dead animal bodies, and in moist and dark areas such as canals.

In the environment, molds are able to contribute to natural processes by speeding up decomposition. It becomes harder to detect and identify molds indoors. Molds indoors may not always appear as they do outdoors. They do not always come green and fuzzy but rather they may materialize as tiny black or grey matter that you would often mistake for just dirt. There can be many areas inside houses and buildings where mold may emerge such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, attics, cellars, damp basements, and even food storage compartments. Molds may also be seen on walls because the glue from the wallpaper and the paint on the walls may help promote certain mold growth especially when dampness is fostered and humidity is obliviously maintained at 60° to 80° F.

Mold growth happens when molds release mold spores that attach themselves to wet, damp, and rotten objects. Decomposing matter or wet matter becomes food to these baby mold called mold spores. Mold spores digest the matter and thrive in higher quantities than before. Mold spores also come in different varieties depending on what type of mold it has come from. There are harmless ones such as those found at the backside of wallpapers and on roofs that have leaked in the past. Mold spores become problematic when they are airborne. Airborne mold spores can release allergens that could be inhaled by people. These could produce mild allergic reactions such as sneezing, wheezing, headache and mild skin irritation to more severe ones such as fever, chronic bronchitis, lung infection, and lung failure. The most dangerous of airborne mold spores are the ones that are toxic such as the stachybotrys. Other toxic mold spores that could be found in the air are Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Penicillum.

Toxic mold can be dangerous and so it is advisable not to tamper with mold once it has been identified. The best way to eliminate mold found indoors without having to come in close contact with mold spores, is an ozone generator. Mold spores can be killed with ozone. Ozone detoxifies mold and eliminates all possibilities of mold spore germination. For ozone to kill mold spores, it has to saturate the quantity of mold in an area meaning to say that the ratio of ozone to mold must be high. Ozone counteracts mold spores best when it is airborne and distributed in the air. An ozone generator machine can effectively disperse ozone in a room where mold growth is found. To ensure the elimination of mold spores, regular use of ozone should be implemented. The ozone generator must be turned on high and left for a few hours.