Have you ever wondered how the air we breathe can cause respiratory irritation? What is in that haze or smog that sometimes blankets urban cities? Sure, it probably contains chemicals and maybe even smoke - but there's a lot more to it than just a chemical soup. In today's Livestream we're going to deep dive into particulate matter, or PM and review what's known about the fungal contribution. Then we're going to look at the inflammatory potential of mould fragments in th...
Apr 23, 2020•38 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast The WHO in their seminal work from 2009 talk about 500 CFU - or colony forming units per cubic mere of air but what does that mean? Reading that document suggests that levels less than 500 mean the building is not water damaged - especially if you live in Finland! But what about indoor mould levels in the rest of the world? Today's livestream delves into this topic of 'colony forming units' - which are the numbers of discrete fungal colonies that appear (or grow) in petri plates w...
Apr 16, 2020•40 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Could pet cats be a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2? This video reviews the 2 main published studies showing that this is in fact happening. The data shows that pet cats in Wuhan, China can be infected by pet owners who themselves have contracted COVID-19. This raises new questions about quarantine and how pets will be managed. REFERENCES: SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing serum antibodies in cats: a serological investigation Qiang Zhang, Huajun Zhang, Kun Huang, Yong Yang, Xianfeng Hui, Jindong Gao, Xinglin He, ...
Apr 06, 2020•20 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast This week we're taking a mould holiday and instead focussing on a very serious contemporary health crisis. Today, I want to review what we know about SARS-CoV-2 and virus transmission in pets. There has been some disturbing new stories about this virus in 2 dogs and then 2 cats. Investigations in Hong Kong revealed that the virus could be detected in at least one dog. The CDC cautions that there is no immediate risk to people from their pets. Obviously, no one wants people to start fearing ...
Apr 02, 2020•27 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast How Long Can COVID-19 Survive On Surfaces? If I touch that surface or object could I get sick from COVID-19? That's the aim of this podcast to review what we know about airborne and surface transmission. COVID-19 is a virus, so it's technically not alive...but if the viral RNA ends up on a doorknob or on an extractor fan, then you could unknowingly come into contact with it. This is called fomite transmission. Today's episode reviews what we know about the survival of the virus on...
Mar 26, 2020•40 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast On this week's livestream I'm going to cover the topic of microbial contamination in carpet. In Australia, with over 17% of insurance claims being water-related, the probability of your carpet becoming water-damaged and mould-affected at some stage is high. Now, consider the context that asthma costs the community billions of dollars every year and that approx. 35% of asthma cases are caused by mould and dampness (tune in for these references!). You should be aware that there are 3 mai...
Mar 19, 2020•35 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Now that the WHO has informed us all that the virus is now a Pandemic. This week’s show will suspend our discussion on mould issues to bring you some important information on the COVID-19 virus. This week we’ll be covering microbiological literacy, fractal scaling behaviour in death rate and how this is linked to what we know about the trail off of infection rate, the role of humidity and general virus transmission and infectivity as well as debunking some myths surrounding some claims that the ...
Mar 12, 2020•39 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast This term "mitochondrial dysfunction" is increasingly being talked about in regard to detoxification. What is it? What does it mean? Where are the mitochondria and how are they linked to mould exposure? This week's episode is going to cover this fascinating topic. REFERENCES: Wang, L., Li, W., Cheng, D. et al. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of three oral formulations of curcumin in rats. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10928-020-09675-3 Stress a...
Mar 05, 2020•24 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Imagine you and your family have planned a trip of a lifetime. You finally get to your destination and discover that your supposedly luxurious hotel room is dirty and has mould. What do you do? Do you immediately write a bad review - potentially defaming the hotel and opening yourself up to being sued, or do you try and resolve the issues through the correct channels? In this week’s show, we look at what Google has to say about this problem. To properly address this, we’ve consulted with a lawye...
Feb 27, 2020•34 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Feb 20, 2020•46 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast Find out how sauna and exercise and nutritional supplements have been used to help people who suffer from an environmental illness termed Gulf War Illness. This builds on what we know about the potential benefits of sauna for both firefighters and people who are dealing with symptoms attributed to mould illness and having spent time in water damaged environments. Also, we'll cover how sauna might work? Does it operate my reducing inflammation or by affecting oxidative stress? We'll als...
Feb 13, 2020•36 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast In today's live stream we are going to be focusing on one of the most important aspects of mould exposure. This has to do with how you can potentially take control of your health. We’re taking a close look at one of the methods that has been written up reasonably extensively in the peer-reviewed literature that talks about practical methods that have shown strong effectiveness in people who have serious mould symptoms. In part 1 of this live stream I'm going to be reviewing some of the...
Feb 06, 2020•23 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast BREAKING NEWS - the corona virus, followed up with some new information linking fungi to grass pollens as a key contributor to thunderstorm asthma. Also, I have been receiving calls about the dubious practice of fogging for mould. Find out a legitimate method of aerosolized microbial control that's not suspect! The main topic today is School Buildings and the Home and the potential connection with adverse respiratory health. Watch the video for the KEY PAPERS you should cite in any dialogue...
Jan 30, 2020•33 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Trend detection and identification has important ramifications in public health. With regard to water damage and mould, often the occupants own version of events and 'lived experience' inside the home is lost in the quicksand of data from spore traps, tape lifts, moisture levels and ERMI readings. We ALL want to know if there is an underlying trend based on the observation of random variables over time? BUT, what are those random variables? This Livestream focuses on this problem by ex...
Jan 23, 2020•37 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast This episode focuses on the Air Quality Index as this relates to measuring bushfire smoke and what the health messages say about the levels. The 2019-2020 Australian bushfires have burnt out 18.6M hectares of vegetation, destroyed over 5900 buildings with 2,200 homes lost. Twenty nine people have been killed and 1Billion animals lives have been lost. What is the smoke doing to you? Even if you're not directly in the fire zone, the smoke could be affecting your health. Find out all you need ...
Jan 15, 2020•27 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Who do you trust when it comes to mould? What have other people done? Am I the only one with these problems? Surely other people have dealt with mould and water damage and been successful and put it all behind them? Who will you turn to for advice, acceptance and wisdom? Social networks and health communication may be an important component of a solution that fits your needs. Online social networks, social influence and information cascades happen because of two types of influence. The first is ...
Jan 12, 2020•23 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast VCS Testing is a common method used by clinicians and the public to get an insight into how your visual system might have been impacted on by environmental pollutants. The acronym stands for 'Visual Contrast Sensitivity' and it's the go-to method for people who may have been exposed to mould and want to know if their memory or visual response has been affected. Learn how this test could help you? Topics I’m covering include: 1. What is visual contrast sensitivity? 2. Areas where V...
Jan 06, 2020•25 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Today I'm going to cover some of the common questions sent in to me about mould and mould exposure. 1. Will the test results show all types of mould and bacteria that are present? 2. I can’t see any mould but could it be there anyway? 3. What sort of test can I take to my landlord so I can break my lease? 4. I want to test for mould on my child’s lunchbox, how do I do this? 5. What’s the difference between an air and a swab test? 6. Will a lab report provide advice on how to remediate? 7. I...
Dec 23, 2019•36 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Can a live Christmas Tree indoors aggravate your asthma or cause wheeze or contact dermatitis? Is this just a Scrooge conspiracy by a cold-hearted person who despises Christmas and wants us all to buy artificial trees or have no tree at all? Have you or a loved one perhaps started sneezing uncontrollably? Is that due to mould or just the fact that distant Family member/s you don’t see that often are on your doorstep? In this Live Stream, I’m reviewing the facts about what’s been termed Christmas...
Dec 19, 2019•25 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s podcast, I’m covering the facts everyone should know about oil of cloves. What’s it used for, how to use it (as a liquid or vapour), what to expect and where to get it. Joining me for an interview is Rachel Shaw from The Oil of Cloves Company. She’s going to be telling us all how to best use this essential oil to control mould in the home or office. Essential oils have shown remarkable antioxidant activities when used at low dose ranges from 0.01 to 10 mg/mL in animal and human ce...
Dec 19, 2019•48 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast With housing affordability getting worse and worse there are some 800,000 people who are accessing Public and Community Housing. Often these people who are renting from the Government or from service providers into this subsidised sector are on low incomes - many have personal crisis situations or have a disability or are indigenous. On this weeks’ show we’re interviewing a long term resident of Victorian Public Housing. She explains in her own words what’s happened to her health. We did a mould...
Dec 17, 2019•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you need to know if your indoor air quality is being affected by mould spores? Has your property been water damaged? Is there a smell? Are you concerned about biotoxins? Covering the what, how and why of spore trap testing. I'm also discussing some real world examples from under the microscope. Find out when they are useful and my Top 6 tips for success and some pitfalls of this widely used method. I’ll also be doing a Q&A and links to papers/resources will be provided after the live...
Dec 16, 2019•24 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Today I’m going to be talking about the subject of Bio-Tape - otherwise known as Tape Lifts or Cellotape Lifts. These are very commonly used in water damage investigations for mould and I’m going to tell you how they’re used, some of their advantages, and some of their disadvantages. Q: WHY ARE THEY USED? A: If you see visible mould, how can you measure it? •You could take a photograph, but that doesn’t tell you what fungi are present? •You could take a surface press plate impression - but that’...
Dec 16, 2019•22 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast When you go to the Doctor and follow their treatment advice you usually feel pretty confidant in their skills safe in the knowledge that they have successfully graduated their medical degree. You assume they follow procedures and know where to access expert advice and information to help them do their job properly. • But what about when your home or office or personal property has been damaged by unexpected water? • Do you have a valid claim for damages? Is mould a real or foreseeable risk? • Ho...
Dec 16, 2019•13 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Think that mould only grows on bread, or on rotting fruit or if it does get inside your home - doesn’t it just live inside your air conditioning ducts where condensation can form, or if there’s been a flood or unexpected water ingress then it might grow on damp wall linings like gyprock plasterboard or on soft furnishings like backpacks or curtains? This week, I’m wanting to talk about mould growth in extreme habitats like stone and mineral building elements. Think it can’t happen? I didn’t? I t...
Dec 13, 2019•14 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to The Mould Show. Here’s where I bring you weekly practical information, research highlights and interviews with experts on how you can maximise your indoor air quality and minimise your exposure to harmful mould. Today I’m going to introduce who I am, what we’re going to cover and discuss how mould fits into the triad of disease, illness, and sickness. This podcast is the audio version of live stream video that I do weekly at 11am on Thursdays. You can join me at: https://www.facebook....
Dec 13, 2019•14 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Sickness behaviour following mould exposure has finally been validated. It turns out that anxiety, memory deficits and pain thresholds are all switched on by BOTH toxic and non-toxic mould. The research shows that mould spores and mould cell wall fragments can adversely affect the brain and influence behaviour by challenging and activating the innate immune system. In this week's Livestream I'm going to be talking about these important findings and making them understandable for a lay ...
Nov 28, 2019•29 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re talking about disinfectants and more specifically bleach or sodium hypochlorite. “Does it work, no it doesn’t, look it just feeds the mould, no it doesn’t, yes it does, it makes the mycotoxins worse and simply changes mould from one colour to no colour” Fact or fiction? We all know, there's a lot of websites that say conflicting things. Who do you believe? You might even know the answer, maybe you’ve already made up your mind? But wait - what does the science say? To bring s...
Nov 14, 2019•33 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast 
