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Toxic Mold Injury Resources
Phares Heindl, a former chemical engineer and Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer with over 20 years experience, represents victims of toxic mold.
If you have sustained an illness or injury, incurred substantial property damage or were denied insurance coverage because of toxic mold in Florida please email inquiry@heindllaw.com or contact us.
You will find helpful resources regarding toxic mold below. Please note that this website is for informational purposes. We do not endorse any listing on this site. For frequently asked questions regarding toxic mold, CLICK FAQ Toxic Mold.
Page Index- click links below for resources.
2. Mold Test Labs, Test Kits & Serology
3. Find a consultant to test your home or building
4. Mold Remediation, Moisture Control and Building Issues
5. Trichothecenes & Stachybotrys
7. General Medical Information
1. General Information:
Medical Article on Hazards of Mold Contamination - This is a good place to start reading the health effects of mold exposure.
Position
Paper
-
The
Indoor Fungi Resources - DEHS-UMN - A glossary of mold terms and resources on indoor fungi from the - University of Minnesota including sampling, insurance coverage, mold pictures and water intrusion.
Managing_Mold - An interesting articles presented by the Environmental Hazards Management Institute.
Indoor Air - Mold Resources - This link takes you to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Guide to Mold. This is an extensive resource and covers health effects and remediation.
MoldUpdate.com - This site is presented by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and is a good place to see what the insurance companies think about mold claims.
Mold In Schools - This opens a PDF file providing EPA guidance of indoor air quality (IAQ) and IAQ management for schools.
Indoor Air Quality Resources - Resources from Ohio toxic mold.
Toxic Mold Resource Center - This site has a step by step guide for affected homeowners.
Haney Communication Services - Doug Haney, author of Toxic Mold, Toxic Enemy, sponsors this site containing information on mold-related seminars.
The Mold Source - A comprehensive source of information regarding toxic mold, including an introduction to mold litigation and information on litigation funding.
Mold-Help.org - This site is filled with content and helpful resources.
Toxic Mold Network - A great informational site and sponsor of Mold Across America.
Doctor Fungus - This site is said to be one of the best mold sites on the web!
Editorial - Insurance issues presented by Policy Holders Of America.
CAL-IAQ - Resources from the California indoor air quality program.
CAL-IAQ Mold Links - A powerful list of mold related links.
Mycologia - An online technical periodical.
AIHA Facts About Mold - Presented by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
HarrisMartin Online - A searchable data base of articles and other resources on mold and other toxic agents such as Baycol and Asbestos (fee based article retrieval).
National Toxic Mold Coalition and Foundation - Mary Carroll-Brower, founder of this organization, unites toxic mold victims.
MoldKills.org - An Ohio-based website - If you are a mold victim and would like to contribute your story and participate in a documentary you should visit this site.
HR 5040: Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act - Proposed Federal Legislation.
Mold : Black , Toxic - Remediation, and the Insurance Industry - A useful website for insurance agents and research on bad faith issues.
Legionnaires' Disease, Legionella, HC Information Resources Inc. - Legionnaires disease is a bacterial infection caused by bacteria carried by tiny water droplets and can infect buildings.
Toxic Mold Abstracts from IAQ 2002
Naples Daily News quoting Toxic Tort Lawyer - Phares Heindl
Renters' Rights On-Line HandBook - An online handbook presented by Florida PRIG may provide help for tenants with toxic mold issues.
The Condominium Owners' Guide to Mold
Microbiology and Immunology - Texas Tech Health Sciences Center - Straus Lab - A great research site with a reference guide for fungi. This reference guide for fungi is slightly different than some of the other very good fungal glossaries on the web. The index includes detailed references and corresponding abstracts that relate to allergenicity, toxicity and fungal infection for all fungi listed.
Abbey Newsletter - This site has mold information for librarians and is of special interest to people concerned about mold and books.
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2. Mold Test Labs, Test Kits & Serology:
SKC Inc. Air Sampling Equipment - This site has a lot of information on air sampling and is an excellent source for sampling equipment for toxic mold.
Environmental Microbiology (EMLAP) Accredited Laboratories
The American Industrial Hygiene Association
Moldlab - A mold test lab located in Addison, Texas.
Mold Testing Lab in Florida St. Petersburg, Florida.
Aerotech Laboratories - A Phoenix-based lab with a great website. (EMLAP)
EMSL - EMSL Analytical, Inc is a full service analytical testing laboratory and has been providing Indoor Air Quality, Environmental, Chemical, Forensic, Materials and Industrial Hygiene analysis services. They have a lab in Orlando, Florida. (EMLAP)
Aerias - Presents information regarding toxic mold, test kits, IAQ pictorials of homes and schools - based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pro Lab Test Kit - Simple and low cost test kits for mold screening.
AQS - An Atlanta based company that does building testing, provides lab services and test kits.
Pure Air Control - This site features a variety of test kits for mold, formaldehyde, dust, and temp-humidity. The company provides services for testing, remediation and IAQ training and are located in the Tampa, Florida area.
Sporometrics, Inc. - A private lab in Toronto, Canada for testing "mould". (Mould is the English spelling for mold.)
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center - Straus Lab- The lab provides analysis for mold spores from spore traps, air-o-cell slides, bulk samples and swabs.
Human Exposure Assessment - You will not find test kits or consultants here. However, if you follow the index, you will be able to find very comprehensive and detailed articles on fungal testing and exposure assessment .
Section 9.4 provides information regarding exposure assessment of fungi. This reference, Environmental Health Criteria 214, from World Health Organization, provides an interesting analysis of exposure to fungi. See Section 9 of the linked reference.
Airborne Microorganisms - Scroll to the bottom of the linked page to see photos and descriptions of three common air sampling devices:
The Rotorod sampler
The Burkard sampler
The Anderson sampler
Indoor Fungal Concentrations - This resource is presented by Caoimhín P. Connell. Mr. Connell is a frequent contributor to message boards on mold and IAQ issues. He presents data that supports the lack of significance of finding higher outdoor mold concentrations than indoor mold concentrations.
Immuno-Sci-Lab - A lab in Beverly Hills, CA to test for antibodies to mold toxins.
IBT Reference Lab - A lab in Lenexa, KS to test for antibodies to mold toxins.
Hitachi Chemical Diagnostics - A lab in Mountain View, CA to test for antibodies to mold toxins.
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3. Find a consultant to test your home or building:
Note - First, always take photographs of any visible mold. Mold assessment involves taking samples using methods such as bulk sampling, swab sampling, air-o-cell cassettes, vacuum and spore traps. Anyone can collect visible mold and send samples to a lab for identification. Some of the laboratories in the preceding section also sell kits for mold testing and references below explain how testing can be done.
"Do it yourself" testing using methods and kits can be used as a screening technique or as a method to preserve evidence of mold exposure in the event it is only available method; however, "do it yourself" methods should not be the only samples taken for medical or legal purposes.
Sampling can be done by qualified technicians. However, the determination of health risks associated with the indoor mold condition requires the expertise of an industrial hygienist, safety engineer, occupational physician, mycologist, toxicologist or other person able to be qualified in by education training or experience. The ability of the expert to access health risks may be limited by the quality of sampling and lab analysis of collected samples. In addition, for some mold species, serology testing for antibodies may be used to determine whether an individual has been exposed to mold. Laboratories that test for specie specific mold antibodies have been listed in the preceding section.
In 2003, a bill was introduced into the Florida Senate requiring registration of mold professionals to be qualified under eligibility requirements set by:
1. American Industrial Hygiene Association,
2. Indoor Air Quality Association,
3. American Society of Safety Engineers, or
4. An equivalent educational program determined by the Board.
This Bill died without being passed in the 2003 Legislative Session.
Senate Bill - This link opens a PDF file of the Bill.
Although "mold professionals" are not regulated by Florida Law, pursuant to Florida Statute §501.937: any person representing himself or herself as a "safety professional" or "industrial hygienist" must accurately disclose his or her credentials. Moreover, A person may not represent himself or herself as a "certified safety professional," "associate safety professional," "certified occupational health and safety technologist," "industrial hygienist in training," or "certified industrial hygienist" unless he or she holds a current valid certificate in the field of safety or industrial hygiene from either the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, or unless the Department of Business and Professional Regulation has, upon request, examined another certification program and has formally concluded that the certification standards of that certification program are substantially equivalent to the standards for certificates issued by those organizations.
Misrepresenting these credentials is an unfair and deceptive trade practice according to Florida Statute §501.937.
Texas has passed a licensing law regarding mold remediation and assessments. To read the law click here. → Texas Mold License
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Cheap Initial Testing - Do it yourself mold testing info from Policy Holders of America.
Home Energy Magazine - Sampling Stains in Homes - If you are thinking about doing a screening test you may want to read this article for tips and assistance.
Aerotech Laboratories - This site provides a nationwide listing of consultants.
Florida Consultants - EMSL list of consultants in Florida.
IAQA Membership Directory - Click on the state to find a consultant in your area.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association - Includes member list.
Air Quality Consultants - An Orlando, Florida consultant.
ESHPartnering - An environmental consulting company in Hobe Sound, Florida.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc. member list.
Dr. Richard Lipsey - Jacksonville, Florida.
Consultants - from myhouseiskillingme.com
EnHealth Environmental & Industrial Hygiene Services -
A Fort
Lauderdale, Florida based company providing evaluation of mold, IAQ
assessments and remediation.
Envirohome Home Inspection: Enviromental Home Inspections - A test company located in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Enviroteam Professional Services - Certified Indoor Environmentalist Training - Located in Pompano, Beach Florida.
Building Science Corporation: A Boston, Massachusetts based company whose principal Joseph Lstiburek provides investigation and testimony regarding building defects that lead to toxic mold.
J. May Home Inspections, Inc.- Cambridge Mass.
BEM Systems, Inc. - A nationwide consulting and testing firm. Offices in Orlando, Florida.
Human Exposure Assessment - You won't find test kits or consultants here; however if you follow the index you will be able to find very comprehensive and detailed articles on fungal testing and exposure assessment.
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4. Remediation, Moisture Control and Building Issues:
New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene - guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments - This is a good place to start evaluating programs for toxic mold remediation.
Building Science Corporation - BSC Information Resources - This link takes you to a number of articles about building sciences about mold, including technical information on moisture control, remediation guidelines, humidity control, and a basic article "What You Need to Know About Mold".
Education and Safety Association of Ontario - This site has a great section of links for remediation standards.
EPA Indoor Air - "Mold Remediation in Schools and Commerical Buildings" - Remediation issues from the EPA.
Moulds - A magazine article that includes a chart on acceptable levels of remediation.
Indoor Air Quality Association - Certified Mold Remediation Information
Fungal Abatement SOP - DEHS, UMN - Standards and procedures for safe remediation.
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification!
NADCA - National Air Duct Cleaners Association
Basics on Molds and remodeling
Chemical free Mold PREVENTION/Treatment
The Family Handyman - A easy to read guide to mold prevention in the home.
National Association of The Remodeling Industry
Moisture Control In Bathrooms - A comprehensive article from Home Energy Magazine Online.
Association of Specialist in Cleaning and Restoration
Could Your House Be Killing You? Healthy house web site.
The Condominium Owners' Guide to Mold
EEBA - Official Site of the Energy & Environmental Building Association
The Hazards of Mold - Fungi Glossary - From a commercial site from a Georgia company, MoistureVision that provides moisture detection services, contains a reference to problems with stucco.
Home Energy Magazine Homepage - A great source of articles regarding home heating and HVAC problems.
HomeOwners for Better Building - Go to this site to register complaints about specific homebuilders and find specific information regarding residential builders.
ToxicHomes.org - This site provides little additional information, it is listed here as an excellent example of how a homeowner has used the www to attempt to deal with a builder, David Weekly Homes, and the toxic mold problem.
Mold cleanup or sealing on wood framing lumber exposed indoors - This article offers advice on handling mold found on exposed portions of un-finished wood building materials (framing lumber, plywood) when such materials are present and exposed indoors in the living-space.
IAQ Publications - Ozone Generator Fact Sheet - this page explains the hazards associated with using ozone for remediation or control and suggest other means for IAQ control.
NATMR - National Association Of Toxic Mold Remediators - NATMR is an organization in the United States for mold remediators.
Manufactured Housing Specialist - Located in the Florida Panhandle.
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5.Trichothecenes & Stacybotrys:
APSnet Feature: Stachybotrys Chartarum, The Toxic Indoor Mold - This site features an article on Stachybotrys.
Bruce B. Jarvis - Chemistry and Biochemistry - Dr. Jarvis has performed research and written articles on Stachybotrys.
Misinterpretation of Stachybotrys Serology - An article on serology testing and exposure to Stachybotrys Chartum.
IEMB - Children's Health Initiative: Toxic Mold
Pulmonary Hemorrhage and Hemosiderosis In Infants - The Cleveland study fond a relationship between Stachbotrys and bleeding in the lungs of infants. Upon review the CDC retreated from its original report and determined that the results are inconclusive. This link presented by original author of the CDC study, Dorr G. Dearborn, Ph.D., M.D. provides a response to the reviewers of the original study and supports the connection between pulmonary hemorrhage and hemosiderosis (bleeding lungs) in infants.
Gulf War Illnesses, Vol. 5: Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents - This links to a rand publication for toxic agents and trichothecenes.
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6. Aflatoxins:
It was reported on March 3, 2003 by the Associated Press that:
Workers have unearthed buried bombs they say are loaded with anthrax, aflatoxin and botulin toxin, and
inspectors are analyzing the contents. Iraq is readying a letter to the United
Nations that proposes verifying it has gotten rid of anthrax and deadly VX nerve
agent.
Aflatoxins-Home Page - from Cornell university.
Aspergillus ear rot and storage mold - this mold produces cancer causing Aflatoxins.
Tobacco & Aflatoxn - a website dedicated to the occurrence of mold in tobacco and relationship to cancer.
Corn, Aspergillus and aflatoxins
Aspergillus site - an excellent site - the mold, aspergillus is pathogenic as well as allergenic, that is it can cause a serious infections called aspergillosis!
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7. General Medical Information:
National Institutes of Health - this site has search capability and lots of
medical information!
My Health Rights! ~ Suggested Preliminary Medical Testing for High Level Fungal Exposure This open letter to physicians treating mold related conditions is presented by environmental writer and researcher Doug Haney.
California Environmental Health Investigations Branch - A study involving the health effects of mold and a other environmental health articles.
Fungal sinusitis - Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is commonly caused by Aspergillus, as well as Fusarium, Curvularia, and others species of mold. This links to an article on located at www.sinuses.com explaining the mold related disease, fungal sinusitis.
Mayo study on fungal sinusitis - This link opens an informative PDF file.
Environmental Health Perspective - A National institute of health site-a prime source for environmental health information and medical research.
Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology - this site has an abundance of information regarding the connection of mold and allergies, exzema, atopic dermatitis and practice parameters for diagnosis and treatment.
Focusonallergies.com - A place to read about classical theory of allergic sensitization in simple language
Medical Article - an article regarding health risks associated with toxic mold written by a JD-MD for the Texas Insurance law Symposium; although defense oriented, the article provides a good explanation of antibody tests and contains an excellent explanation of the diagnostic criteria and treatment options for fungal sinusitis and pulmonary aspergillosis.
Toxic mold related abstracts from IAQ 2002 - this takes you a page that has mold related abstracts from the recent IAQ 2002.
CDC Testimony before House of Representatives - this link opens a pdf document recording testimony of Steven C. Redd M.D. before the committee on Financial services U.S. house of representatives. Given on July 18, 2002 this easy to read and understand statement outlines the present position of CDC on mold related illness and injuries and describes ongoing studies on health issues related to mold.
Medical article re mold and allergy - an epidemiological study-Sensitisation to moulds is a known risk factor for life threatening exacerbations of asthma. The prevalence of sensitisation to moulds (Alternaria alternata or Cladosporium herbarum, or both) increased with increasing severity of asthma.
Article by Dr. Ronald Gots this article published in an insurance claims organization presents the insurance industries view of mold claims and presents a strategy for defending mold claims.
"Sound Science" This site seems to claim to be the place to go to find sound science regarding the health effects of mold and other potential toxins. You will find articles and information on individuals typically appearing on behalf of the defense including Mold Medicine & Mold Science Conference containing many articles by Dr. Ronald Gots.
Toxic Mold Research - From toxicmoldsurvivors.com - a listing of medical articles related to toxic mold.
Position paper of
The
Immuno-sci-lab - A lab in Beverly Hills, Ca. to test for antibodies to mold toxins with articles and information.
Bruce Jarvis - A biochemist studying the toxic effects of trichothecenes.
ChronicNeurotoxins, Inc. - "Deficits on the vision test, visual contrast sensitivity, have been associated with chronic illness caused by biotoxin exposure. If the data suggest biotoxin-induced illness, users can obtain a treatment protocol that has been used to successfully treat many people. This paradigm for diagnosing and treating chronic, biotoxin-mediated illness is based on research by Ritchie C. Shoemaker, MD, and H. Kenneth Hudnell, PhD, and on the clinical experiences of Dr. Shoemaker." (text taken from the website).
DNA
Interactive - If you are feeling overwhelmed or challenged by the
scientific and medical issues or want to try to stay current regarding
advancing medical and scientific principles such as genomics, these websites
may help.
BioInteractive
- Find lots of educational opportunities here to learn biology,
biochemistry, and genomics.
The Virtual Immunology Lab - This site walks you thru lab tests
that may be used in mold related conditions including the enzyme linked
antibody test.
Chapter 23: The Respiratory System A great text and with illustrations on the respiratory system.
Basic Microbes - pdF access of text chapter
AAAAI - American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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8. Looking for a Doctor?
Look before you leap: there are
a number of listserv groups where you can discuss issues related to mold
exposure and obtain references. Yahoo Groups several mold related listserves including including,
Sickbuildings, ToxicMoldSurvirors
and Gotmold2. For those interested in technical discussions regarding
indoor air quality you may want to join IAQ. You can join the yahoo
mold related groups or search for other groups of interest at
http://groups.yahoo.com/.
Gunnar Heuser M.D. - A physician in California treating toxic injuries.
Nachman Brautbar, M.D. - A California Physician.
Dorr G. Dearborn M.D. - A pediatric physician treating children with lung problems associated with toxic mold, Pulmonary hemosiderosis.
Eckardt Johanning, M.D.- A New York physician treating adults exposed to mold and stachybotrys.
Michael Gray, M.D - An Arizona physician treating toxic mold injuries.
Albert F. Robbins D.O. A Boca Raton, Florida physician treating chronic illness caused by allergy, asthma, toxicity, chemical sensitivity (MCS), chemical poisoning, food sensitivity, immune dysfunction, indoor air pollution, sick building, perfumes, pesticides, consumer products, etc.
Ritchie C. Shoemaker, M.D. - A physician in Maryland.
Gary Ordog, M.D. - A physician in California.
Mold-Survivor.com -Physicians listed By Location
Mold-Help.com - This site has a list of physicians in many areas.
American Academy of Environmental Medicine - This could be a good site to locate a physician to treat mold related illness.
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Association of Occupational and Environmental clinics
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
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9. Litigation resources.
Delaware Supreme Court Case - This opens a "PDF" file of a appellate decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Delaware upholding a million dollar verdict against an apartment complex for mold injuries.
Nebraska Supreme Court Case - A "PDf" file of an appellate decision of the Nebraska Supreme Court reversing directed verdict on the issue of causation based on the exclusion of expert testimony about regarding the health effects of mold concentration in a residence.
Ballard Appellate Decision Texas - A recent appellate decision in the extensively publicized case of Ballard v.Farmers Insurance Company rendered by the Third District Court of Appeals of Texas. In this case the court upheld the verdict but reduced the verdict from thirty two million dollars to about four million dollars.
Centex-Rooney Const. vs. Martin County - A Florida Appellate Case permitting evidence of toxic mold over a Frye Objection.
A paper on architects and indoor air quality - "PDF" - a paper presented to the Maryland AIA and includes information about health effects of mold as well as a discussion on the liability of architects for mold.
Thompson Hine LLP: The Growing Impact of Toxic-Mold Litigation - A defense oriented law firm presents strategies used to defend claims for mold injury and issues associated with insurance coverage.
Mold Verdicts & Settlements - "PDF" file, Reported Mold Verdicts and Settlements in California and other mold information: Poole & Shaffery, LLP.
Claims Magazine: Covering the Business of Loss - This online issue has three articles on mold - insurance coverage, remediation, recognizing claims from defense doctor Ronald Gots. The article from Dr. Gots lays out typical defense strategies.
Mold Seminar Sponsored by the Insurance Industry - This link opens a "PDF" file.
Mold and Mold Articles - This takes you to the mold resource page of a California law firm. Among other things this site contains articles that discuss legal theories available for toxic mold claims.
California Claims Consultant - Website of Lee Herndon, a California claims consultant containing interesting articles dealing with insurance coverage, duty of claims adjuster to warn, and a mold timeline.
Article on Synthethic stucco lawsuits
WOOD TRUSS COUNCIL OF AMERICA - A builders guide to handling mold claims and litigation.
"Sound Science" This site claims to be the place to go to find sound science regarding the health effects of mold and other potential toxins. You will find articles and information on individuals typically appearing for the defense including Mold Medicine & Mold Science Conference with many articles by Dr. Ronald Gots.
Toxic Tort References - This page from the Heindl Law Firm website has many litigation and research resources including an outstanding section scientific evidence, Daubert - Frye issues in Florida.
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Before you exit see Toxic Torts , Insurance Disputes , FAQ
The Heindl Law Firm
222 S. Westmonte Dr. #208
Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714
(Orlando Area)
Phone: 407-865-5700
Fax: 407-865-5758
