San Leandro, CA, January 16, 2017
Last month, the
Norcal Record published an article about a San Francisco construction company’s lawsuit against their commercial general liability insurance provider. The case will be heard at the U.S. District Court for Northern California and involves a condominium complex that suffered water damage and subsequent mold growth. A pretrial conference is scheduled to begin this month over who is financially responsible for the damages.
Construction defects, water incursions and plumbing leaks are just a few of the common causes of indoor mold contamination. Moisture is a key factor influencing mold growth and controlling it is crucial as mold can begin to grow indoors in as short as 24 to 48 hours when conditions are favorable.
Besides moisture, mold also needs nutrients to grow. Mold can grow on virtually any organic substance. Unfortunately, most buildings are full of organic materials that mold can use as food, including many building materials, household furnishings and personal belongings. In most cases, temperature is not a major issue as some molds grow in warm areas while others prefer cool locations. Quite often, more than one type of mold can be found growing in the same general area, although conditions such as moisture, light and temperature may favor one species of mold over others.
“In extreme cases, the presence of mold indoors could even lead to structural concerns in a home or building,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “If building occupants are exposed to high levels of mold, it can cause allergies, respiratory issues, trigger asthma attacks in sensitive individuals, and a few types of fungi could even lead to infections in some people with a weakened immune system.”
To help identify water damage, mold growth and a wide range of indoor air quality concerns, EMSL Analytical, Inc. offers comprehensive air testing services, test kits and monitoring instruments. EMSL has also sponsored an educational video about what mold needs to grow indoors that can be seen at:
http://youtu.be/Tr6_zVT-SP0.
To learn more about mold and indoor air quality testing or other environmental, occupational, health and safety services, please visit
www.EMSL.com, email
info@EMSL.com or call (800) 220-3675. For access to indoor environmental test kits, please visit
www.EMSLTestKits.com.
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical, Inc. is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 40 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria,
Legionella, USP <797>, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at
www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.