The Difference Between Mold Spores and Mycotoxins

Molds are tiny organisms that can be found almost everywhere, both indoors and outside. While they are a natural part of the environment, they can sometimes cause problems, especially when they grow indoors. We often hear about dangerous “black mold” causing health issues, but are those issues caused by the mold spores themselves or by the toxins that mold produces? Learn the differences between mold spores and mycotoxins to learn how you can detect, treat, and prevent mold illness.

What Are Mold Spores?

Mold spores are like the seeds of molds. They are very small and lightweight, which allows them to travel through the air. Mold spores help molds reproduce and spread to new places. They can land on surfaces, including walls, floors, and even our skin. When mold spores find a damp and warm spot, they can start growing into new mold colonies.

Mold spores are everywhere, including in our homes. They can come in through open windows, doors, and even on our clothes and pets. Because they are so tiny, we often don’t see them, but they are always around us, measuring between 1 and 20 microns.

What Are Mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by certain types of molds. Not all molds produce mycotoxins, but the ones that do can be dangerous. These toxins can contaminate our food, water, and air. Mycotoxins are harmful to both humans and pets, and they can cause serious health problems if we are exposed to them for a long time. These toxins are extremely small, measuring around 0.1 microns, an order of magnitude smaller than mold spores, making them impossible to detect without testing.

Different molds produce different types of mycotoxins, and they can affect our bodies in various ways. Some mycotoxins can cause allergic reactions, respiratory issues, and even more severe health problems like liver damage or cancer.

Ability to Travel

Mold spores and mycotoxins travel differently. Mold spores can float around and settle on different surfaces, spreading mold to new areas. They can also travel on water and attach to objects, making it easy for them to spread. However, they are larger than mycotoxins and designed to be “sticky” so that they can start a new colony wherever they adhere, so they tend not to spread quite as far as mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins, on the other hand, usually spread through contaminated food, dust, and air. Mycotoxins may stay on the surfaces where they are produced or on materials that have been contaminated by mold, but when disturbed they can behave almost like a gas due to their extremely small size. Even in spaces where there is no visible mold, or where mold has been eradicated, mycotoxins can persist due to how difficult they are to break down.

Impact on Health

Both mold spores and mycotoxins can make us sick, but in different ways. Mold spores can cause allergic reactions like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. They can also make asthma worse and cause respiratory problems, especially in people who are sensitive to mold. If your mold allergies are extreme, exposure to mold spores may even cause severe allergic reactions like hives, rash, and difficulty breathing.

Mycotoxins are more dangerous because they are toxic. Different varieties of mycotoxins have differing effects on the body, but the more mycotoxins you are exposed to over a longer period, the more severe your symptoms can become. Exposure to mycotoxins can even lead to serious health issues, such as liver damage, immune system problems, and even cancer.

Pets and vulnerable people, like children and the elderly, are especially at risk. The symptoms of mold illness, or mycotoxic toxicity syndrome, are many and varied, and go beyond the expected upper respiratory symptoms like coughing and wheezing. The big takeaway is that these symptoms are caused by the mycotoxins released by mold, and not by the mold spores themselves.

Testing for Mold and Mycotoxins

Testing for Mold in the Environment

To find out if there is mold in your home, you can test for mold spores. There are different ways to do this, such as air sampling, surface sampling, and bulk sampling. Professional mold inspectors can help you with these tests and interpret the results. Do-It-Yourself testing is also available but can vary widely in how effective and informative it is.

While some inexpensive home tests claim they can tell you if you have mold in your house, many simply provide a binary positive or negative answer without going into detail about the species of mold or how much of it is present. Better testing provides a detailed breakdown of what species of molds are present in the sample sent to them, and requires a swab, a piece of HVAC filter, or a piece of gauze.

Testing for Mycotoxins in the Environment

Detecting mycotoxins in your home can be more challenging. There are special tests, using methods like ELISA and chromatography, that can find mycotoxins in the environment. Unlike mold tests, which rely on gathering a sample where mold is present, mycotoxin tests are more likely to find dangerous molds that may be present in your home because mycotoxins, which can travel more freely, can be present even if there is no visible mold. By testing a space for mycotoxins instead of just mold spores, you can see more easily whether your health is being affected.

For a complete view, getting a combined mold and mycotoxin test, such as the Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment (EMMA) from RealTime Labs, can tell you about both the molds and the mycotoxins present in your home or other building. This allows you both to see potential future issues by looking at the species of molds present, as well as current concerns with regards to mycotoxin levels.

Testing for Mycotoxins in the Body

If you think you might have been exposed to mycotoxins, you can get tested. Doctors can use urine tests, blood tests, and other medical tests to find mycotoxins in your body. These tests can help doctors understand if mycotoxins are making you sick and what treatment you might need. If you’re having trouble getting a diagnosis from your doctor, come armed with information with one of our at-home Mycotoxin Profile tests that you can collect without any specialized knowledge.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between mold spores and mycotoxins is important for keeping yourself and your family healthy. Mold spores can spread easily and cause allergic reactions, while mycotoxins are toxic and can lead to serious health problems. Testing your home for mold and mycotoxins, as well as testing your body if you have symptoms, can help you identify and address potential health risks. If you suspect that mold or mycotoxins are affecting your health, ask yourself a few questions to see if mold might have been the cause, get yourself tested, and consider seeking professional help to ensure a safe and healthy living environment.

References

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012) A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-10/documents/moldguide12.pdf

World Health Organization. (2009) WHO guidelines for indoor air quality : dampness and mould. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/164348/9789289041683-eng.pdf