Cladosporium
In its natural outdoor habitat, this little guy hangs out in dead plant matter, straw, soil, woody plants and the like. So, what is it doing in the cabinet under my kitchen sink? Probably from when the icemaker’s copper tubing sprung a leak a few months ago and flooded half the kitchen overnight. Cladosporium’s mode of dissemination is by air; meaning this bugger was outside munching on the neighbor’s perennials then came flying through my window, did a water landing in the kitchen, decided (no it can’t really ‘think’) to stay and colonize; it has traded eating lilacs and crape myrtles for cabinet wood -and loving it, my 72* indoor temperature is far more appealing than the November outdoor temps.
But besides the physical damage to the kitchen, should we be worried about this mold spore? Yep. Not to be dramatic but here are a few concerns: Cladosporium has an allergic potential of Type 1 [asthma and hay fever]. In addition, it is an opportunistic pathogen with the potential to cause or exacerbate conditions of edema, keratitis, onychomycosis, sinusitis and pulmonary infections. The potential toxins produced include cladosporin and emodin. Ok, that is a lot of negative! A positive is that Cladosporium is used in industry to produce antigens; and of course, Cladosporium, like all molds play an important role in nature, speeding up the process of natural decomposition by breaking down organic materials, basically getting rid of natures trash. But that is where mold belongs: out in nature, and not in my kitchen cabinet!
ProClean Environmental provides affordable, professional microbiology and indoor air quality laboratory testing. Call us today, or use our online scheduler to book an onsite appointment.
-Bella Milan is busy in the local community actively promoting a quality lifestyle through health-enhancing exercise, diet, positive mental habits and behavioral change. She also happens to be a Certified Mold Inspector and Trauma Scene Waste Management Technician.
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