U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Mold Web Course
www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse
Introduction to Mold and Mold Remediation for Environmental and Public Health Professionals
This course contains information on mold prevention and remediation. It is designed primarily for environmental and public health professionals. If you would like to take a short quiz on your current mold knowledge, begin with the following Mold Pre‐Test. This Mold Course has nine chapters; these chapters are further divided into smaller lessons. At the end of each chapter is a voluntary knowledge, offered to test your understanding of the material covered. For general information on mold, flooding, EPA mold brochures, and other mold and moisture control related resources, please visit the EPA mold Website
http://www.epa.gov/mold/index.html
Note: Slight changes have been made to this version to reflect changes in the location of referral pages on the web and how the Knowledge Test works, both here and on the web (http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/index.html).
The Image Gallery is no longer a part of this document. Find the Image Gallery online at http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/imagegallery1.html
Mold Remediation Pre‐Test
Question 1:
The most important factor influencing mold growth is:
A.Temperature
B.Light
C.Moisture or Water
D.Organic Matter
Question 2:
Molds have the potential to cause health effects such as allergic reaction.
●True
●False
Question 3:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is worn in order to limit mold exposure. Minimum PPE for mold includes:
A.A helmet and gloves
B.Safety glasses and protective shoes
C.An N-95 respirator, gloves and goggles
Question 4:
Water-damaged furnishings and building components should be dried within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
●True
●False
Question 5:
Mold cannot be eliminated from indoor environments. Some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in dust; however, mold will not grow if moisture is not present.
●True
●False
Answer Key: #1—C; #2—True; #3—C; #4—True; #5—True
How to Use This Course
Overview
This course provides an overview of mold prevention and mold remediation. It is based on EPA's voluntary guidance document Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Public health and environmental health professionals who are involved with mold issues may be interested in this course. Building managers, custodians, remediators, contractors, and other professionals who respond to mold problems may also want to refer to this course.
Please note that the course and the document on which it is based provide guidelines; other cleaning and remediation methods may be preferred by some professionals. This course does not cover all situations and all potentially useful methods or techniques. The absence of a method or technique from this course does not indicate or imply that it is not effective. Please consult the Resource List at the end of this document for additional information and online at http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html . Also available is a Mold Image Library (available on‐line at http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/imagegallery1.html) and a Glossary of Terms.
These guidelines are for damage caused by clean water (not flood water); see the EPA Fact Sheet “Flood Cleanup ‐ Avoiding Indoor Air Quality Problems” for flood information (see http://www.epa.gov/iaq/flood/index.html).
Research on mold and on its health effects continues. This course does not describe all of the potential health effects related to mold exposure; it provides only an overview. For more detailed information, consult a health professional or your state or local health department.
EPA does not regulate mold or mold spores in the air.
Disclaimer: This course provides information on mold prevention and remediation. This course is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary guidance document Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings (http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html) . Please note: This course is free and available to all. EPA will not provide a certificate, certification, or any other credential for viewing the course — it is for informational purposes only. Some organizations may choose to offer continuing education credits (CEUs) for completion of the course (see http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/siteinstruction.html#CEUs for information). The knowledge test is for the information of the person taking the course only. EPA does not track test results or provide the information to any other party. All participation in the course is completely anonymous.
Best Settings to View this Training Online
The on‐line version of the course (http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/index.html) works best if you use a recent‐version browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer ver. 5.5 or higher, have a screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher, and have JavaScript enabled on your browser (to take the Knowledge Tests). If you don't know how to check this, please look at the Help feature of your browser or ask your local computer help person. This site uses occasional pop‐up windows to provide in‐depth information and high‐resolution images. Disable your pop‐up blocker if you use one. Please contact us if you have problems with accessibility on these pages.
To download the browser, see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
- Navigation
- You can navigate among the main chapters of this training course using the vertical menu bar on the left. Click on an entry to move between chapters or to the access the image library, knowledge tests, resource list, or glossary.
- Within the chapters, you can move from lesson to lesson or to the chapter knowledge test using the navigation at the bottom of each chapter.
Mold Test and Knowledge Tests
Take the Mold Test on page iii prior to taking the course to see if you know five basic facts about mold.
At the end of each chapter, you will be prompted to take the knowledge test. The Knowledge Test reviews important information from each chapter. For the online version, select an answer and the screen will tell you whether your answer is correct. For the printed version, there is an answer key at the end of the knowledge test. You will also be directed back to the lesson where you can review the information. The on‐line version has a counter which keeps track of the number of questions you have answered and your score. The scores are for your information only. EPA does not track your test results or provide the information to any other party.
Image Library
The image library, accessed on the home page, contains mold‐related images in seven categories: mold in the environment; magnified mold; moisture and moisture damage; prevention; mold in buildings; finding mold and moisture; and cleaning and remediation. Each photo has an identifying caption and a high‐resolution version. To download a photo, open and right click on the high‐resolution photo. Choose whether you want to copy or save the photo. If saving, a dialogue box will appear so you can specify where to paste the photo. These photos may be used for presentations and educational purposes without contacting EPA — please see the EPA Privacy and Security Notice for more information at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/usenotice.htm.
Resource List
The Resource List provides links to documents and websites that provide additional information on mold, mold prevention, and mold remediation. The list includes EPA documents and websites, as well as information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. EPA does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, inclusion of such resources is not intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered by the author of the reference or the organization operating the service on which the reference is maintained.
Table of Contents
Course Chapters
Chapter 1 ‐ Introduction to Mold
- Lesson 1 - What Molds Are
- Lesson 2 - What Mold Needs to Grow
- Lesson 3 - Health Effects That May Be Caused by Inhaling Mold or Mold Spores
- Lesson 4 - Mycotoxins and Health Effects
- Lesson 5 - The Color of Mold
- Lesson 6 - Moldy Smell
- Lesson 7 - Biocides
Chapter 2 ‐ Where and Why Mold Grows
- Lesson 1 ‐ Introduction to Mold Growth
- Lesson 2 ‐ Moisture Problems
- Lesson 3 – Humidity
- Lesson 4 ‐ Ventilation Humidity Problems
- Lesson 5 ‐ Structural Integrity and Mold Growth
- Lesson 6 ‐ Crawl Spaces
- Lesson 7 – Floods
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 3 ‐ Finding Mold and Moisture
- Lesson 1 ‐ Where to Look for Mold Contamination ‐ Building Investigation
- Lesson 2 ‐ Equipment for Identifying Mold
- Lesson 3 ‐ Mold Sampling Considered
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 4 ‐ General Remediation Issues
Chapter 5 ‐ Large Areas and Other Special Concerns
- Lesson 1 ‐ Remediating Large Areas of Mold Contamination
- Lesson 2 ‐ Mold Remediation in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems
- Lesson 3 ‐ Confined Spaces
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 6 ‐ Containment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Lesson 1 ‐ Overview of Containment
- Lesson 2 ‐ Limited Containment
- Lesson 3 ‐ Full Containment
- Lesson 4 ‐ Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 7 ‐ Evaluating the Remediation
- Lesson 1 ‐ Completing Mold Remediation ‐ Fix the water problem and clean up the mold
- Lesson 2 ‐ Considering Bioaerosol Sampling
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 8 ‐ Communicating with the Building Occupants
- Lesson 1 ‐ Communicate When You Remediate
- Knowledge Test
Chapter 9 ‐ Prevention
- Lesson 1 ‐ Mold Prevention
- Knowledge Test
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).
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