You will find all kinds of scientific answers to the questions about black mold: what is it? What does it look like? How dangerous is it? I like to simplify answers to questions so folks with little technical and scientific background can grasp how to apply the information to their own lives, situations and circumstances. Please know that all the information presented here is not all encompassing and, almost everything I comment on there can found to be an exception to.
“Black mold” or “toxic mold” is, most frequently, referring to one (or many) of the Stachybotrus, Chaetomium, Memoniella & Fusarium mold spore types. These molds are most commonly discovered attached to wet and decomposing building materials such as drywall and wood. Once disturbed it can be detected in the inside air; occasionally, it can be detected in the inside air without having been disturbed during air sampling.
Below is a photo taken of an interior (exterior wall) in a home that suffered water damage followed by very poor humidity control. The types of molds discovered would be expected under these conditions.
Below is a photo taken of an interior (exterior wall) in a home that suffered water damage at the kitchen base cabinet. The types of molds discovered would be expected under these conditions.
Both these examples revealed a highly toxic environment from four mold types. Another example is Penicillium/Aspergillus Type Mold Spores and are usually associated with poor control of indoor humidity (see information guide and blogs). This mold often looks like the photos below:
