How to ease symptoms of black mold exposure
Mindy Phillips, a resident of Ontario, Canada, first noticed something was wrong when she started having breathing problems. Over the next few years, she developed other health issues, including chronic coughing, eye irritation, nausea, and more, all while living her usual life at home. She could not figure out what was wrong. Then one day she noticed small black dots covering the air vents in her living room. Shortly after, a home inspection revealed the bad news: she was experiencing the symptoms of black mold exposure.
What is black mold?
“Black mold” is the common name for the species Stachybotrys chartarum, but there are many molds that can affect human health. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “there is always a little mold everywhere—in the air and on surfaces.” Mold becomes dangerous to human health when it feeds off of organic materials that have been exposed to moisture and releases toxic spores, known as mycotoxins, indoors. These types of materials are often used in building construction, and include things like wood, drywall, and carpet. The mold attaches to these materials and grows.
Black mold symptoms
Early symptoms include persistent headaches, respiratory problems, and itchy eyes. Additionally, it’s important to note that some people are more sensitive to mold exposure, and they may experience more severe symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, and rashes. Further, people with preexisting health conditions, like asthma or low immune systems, will feel black mold symptoms more acutely.
Black mold removal
The CDC says that all mold should be removed from indoor surfaces—there’s no need to identify the type. First and foremost, it’s crucial to find the source of the mold. Look for damp spots, such as places where a leak has occurred or rain has gotten into the home. Once you find the source, seal it off to stop the spread of mold. You can use a bleach solution to clean mold from hard surfaces, like Mindy Phillip’s metal air vents. For more porous materials, like carpets and drywall, it’s best to replace them entirely.
The Coway Airmega line of air purifiers feature True HEPA filters that trap and remove airborne mold spores from the indoor air in your home. This can help you and your family find relief from the symptoms of black mold exposure while you work to fix the problem.
Disclaimers
1Coway air purifiers have been proven to trap dust, pollen, dander, viruses and bacteria in the air based on KCL (Korea Conformity Laboratories) testing.They have been tested in a 30㎥ size chamber according to the Korea Air Cleaning Association standard (SPS-KACA 002-132:2022 Modified) to measure the 0.01㎛ size of particle removal rate. It was tested on maximum airflow speed in normal room temperature and humidity conditions. The performance may vary in the actual living environment of customers.
→ Tested with Airmega Aim, 100, 150, 160, AP-1216L, AP-1512HH, AP-1512HHS, 200M, Icon, IconS, 230, 240, 250, 250 Art, 250S, 300, 300S, 400, 400S, ProX
299.97% of viruses, bacteria, fungi and pollen were verified to be removed from the air for Coway air purifiers which have Green True HEPA™ filter applied based on the Japan Food Research Laboratories(JFRL) testing according to JEM 1467 standard.
→ Tested with Coway Airmega AP-1512HH, AP-1512HHS, 250, 250 Art, 250S, 300, 300S, 400, 400S
→ All tested by JFRL and received above result within below time.
All tested by JFRL and received above result within below time.
- Virus: Tested with Escherichia coli phage ΦX174 NBRC 103405, 60 minutes
- Bacteria: Tested with Staphylococcus epidermidis NBRC 12993, 60 minutes
- Fungi/Mold: Tested with Penicillium citrinum NBRC 6352, 60 minutes
- Pollen: Tested with Cedar Pollen extract, 60 minutes
3Aerosol test conducted in a Biosafety level 3 laboratory with two Coway air purifier models, Coway Airmega 250 and 400 for removal of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol by US based MRI Global, a not-for-profit laboratory and partner of US Department of Defense. The test was conducted in a 13.1ft3 chamber. Virus was aerosolized for 15 minutes and the product was turned on high for 2 minutes. Result showed each product effectively removed over 99.98% of the SARS-CoV-2 in 2 minutes. This is a result from a laboratory experiment condition and result may vary in different conditions. This result does not imply it kills SARS-CoV-2 or prevents the transmission of Covid-19. Coway Airmega 250S and 400S are identical to the tested models and has equal performance with an additional mobile connectivity function.
4The concentration of ammonia, acetaldehyde and acetic acid were proven to be removed within 30 minutes by FCG Research Institute, Inc. Human Life Science Lab. It is not a demonstration result in the actual use space. Not all odors and gases may be supported. → Tested with Coway Airmega 150, 160, AP-1512HH, AP-1512HHS, 400, 400S
5The coverage area of the air purifier is based on an area where the air cleaner can make two air changes per hour (ACPH). An air change per hour translates to how many times an air purifier can clean an area, assuming the height of a ceiling to be 8 ft, in one hour. Therefore ** means two air changes per hour means that the cleaner can clean the area once every 30 minutes and * means air changes per hour means that the air purifier can clean the area once every 60 minutes.
10Terms and conditions apply. Discounts, including promotions, coupons, bundle discount and subscription discount, cannot be stacked on top of other coupons. During promotional periods, discount codes will not be able to be applied to orders. Promo codes may apply to products only—filters, accessories, and new products within 3 months of the release date are not included.
