Monthly Archives: February 2024

“Rust” in your sinks and toilets?  Iron in your water can mean iron bacteria in the water

Wait–is that rust in my toilet?  Why is the toilet looking rusty?  You might initially think that the pipes supplying the water might be rusting, and that could be a problem (however, it’s rare).  But if you know that there are no iron pipes supplying your water (if you live in the country with your own well), then you know that pipe rust is not the source of the problem.  Most likely it has to do with high iron content in the water itself, and a certain bacteria that consumes iron. At least 18 types of bacteria are classified as iron bacteria, long thread-like bacteria that “feed” on iron and secrete slime. Unlike most bacteria, which feed on organic matter, iron bacteria fulfill their energy requirements by oxidizing ferrous iron into ferric iron. (Iron Bacteria in Surface Water). 

Iron bacteria are small living organisms that naturally occur in soil, shallow groundwater, and surface waters. These bacteria combine iron (or manganese) in the soil, and oxygen to form deposits of "rust," bacterial cells, and a slimy material that sticks the bacteria to well pipes, pumps, and plumbing fixtures.  These iron bacteria don’t cause disease, but they can create an environment where other disease-causing microbes can grow (like coliform bacteria).  Iron bacteria can get into the well when the water in the well comes into contact with the soil surrounding it, or lakewater, or any rivers and streams.  (Iron Bacteria in Well Water)

If you haven’t had any work on your water system done, and you’re still suspecting the bacteria are feeding on iron pipes, here are the most common types of pipes (from 7 Types of Plumbing Pipes Used in Homes):

1. Rigid copper pipe (water supply)

2. PEX pipe (water supply)

3. PVC pipe (water supply and drains)

4. ABS pipe (drains and vent lines)

5. Flexi Pipe (water supply)

6. Galvanized steel and cast iron (outdated for water supply and drains)

7. Black pipe (only used on natural gas lines)

So, you can see that out of the 5 water supply line types, only 1 has iron in it (#6) and those are considered outdated.  The cast iron and steel pipes that were used in the 1950s have gradually been replaced by one of the other plastics mentioned above.  (A Brief History of Pipe Materials)  Therefore, if your home was built after the 1960’s, it would be very common for you to have iron in the water supply lines. 

Other than causing brown stains, iron bacteria can also cause the following (Iron Bacteria in Well Water):

• Smells: Swampy, oily or petroleum, cucumber, sewage, rotten vegetation, or musty smells, which may be more noticeable after the water has not been used for a while.

• Colors: Yellow, orange, red, or brown stains and colored water, or a rainbow colored, oil-like sheen.

• Deposits: Sticky rusty, yellow, brown, or grey slime, or “feathery" or filamentous growths (especially in standing water).

These are not the kinds of things you want to see in your sink or toilet!  It can also have detrimental effects on any water softening system, making the water running through it to have an off taste.  To confirm that the problem is iron bacteria, you can get the water tested by a lab.

If you do have iron bacteria, and states like Minnesota have a lot of it, it can be hard to get rid of.  Here are some steps you may consider: 

• If you have a heavy concentration of iron bacteria, the best first step is to have the contractor remove and clean the pumping equipment, and scrub the well casing with brushes.  Make sure that they do not lay any of the equipment on the bare ground, as this could re-contaminate it!  

• Next is chemical treatment, which is also for minor contaminations.  Treatment involves 3 steps: disinfection (or oxidation), retention time, and filtration. (How to Remove Iron Bacteria in Your Water)  Chlorine (bleach), hydrogen peroxide and ozone are frequently used.  Although many companies call all three of these “disinfectants”, the fact is that only chlorine is a disinfectant; hydrogen peroxide and ozone are oxidizers.  Disinfection is the act of killing bacteria, while oxidation causes a molecule, atom or ion to lose an electron (which also kills bacteria as a consequence).

• Chlorine (bleach): Although bleach is cheap and will disinfect, its reactions to organic matter that may be in the water are not good–like haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs), which are classified as possible human carcinogens.  For more information on these byproducts, check out our article here.  

• Of the two remaining, ozone is a stronger oxidizer than hydrogen peroxide, but hydrogen peroxide systems are less expensive and more readily available from water treatment companies.  According to USWater, extreme amounts of iron and hydrogen sulfide can be removed from the water supply effectively and consistently, it does not need a “contact tank” for retention time, and it does not cause maintenance issues with injection pumps as chlorine does.  (Chlorine or Hydrogen Peroxide – Which is Better for Treating Water?) does not have these byproducts and in addition, has several benefits: it can also rid water of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) smells (rotten eggs), and activated carbon filters used after disinfection last much longer than when used with hydrogen peroxide than with chlorine. (Eliminate Well Water Odors: Four Reasons Why Hydrogen Peroxide Water Treatment Is Best)  According the to Minnesota Rural Water Association, potassium permanganate is also a strong oxidizer that is in common use in Minnesota to remove iron and manganese. (Iron and Manganese)

• Retention time is needed for chlorine to work, therefore the chlorine must sit in the well for a certain period, or if you are using chlorine as a continuous disinfectant, a holding tank is usually set up, with the size being dependent on your household’s normal flow rate (water usage rate).

• Filtration is necessary to remove by-products (in the case of chlorine) and iron products (in all cases).   When chlorine contacts iron in the water, it changes the iron from a ferrous state to a ferric state, making it an insoluble particulate.  This is the state that can be easily filtered.  There are various types of filters available, the most common being activated carbon.  Reverse osmosis and some other types of filtration can remove iron from water without oxidation, and treating your water from the point it enters your home is important for all your appliances, but the iron bacteria may still thrive in your well and cause clogs up to the water treatment point. Iron can clog wells, pumps, sprinklers, dishwashers, and other devices over time. (Iron in Well Water)

If you notice these signs of brown or different colored stains, bad smell or slime deposits in your sinks or toilets, it’s a good idea to get your water tested for iron.  If iron bacteria are present, it’s likely a common problem in your area, and there are local companies who can provide the equipment needed to remove it.  However, it’s best to do your own research on these solutions to make sure that a company doesn’t try to sell you unnecessary equipment (such as a retention tank for a hydrogen peroxide system), and also it’s a good idea to get references and reviews from actual customers.

If you are skeptical about the effects of mold in homes, please stop and read this.

Mold is a fungus that has thousands of species and grows outdoors and indoors, year-round; every building has some level of mold in it. (Molds in the Environment, Johns Hopkins Medicine)  It spreads by microscopic spores which are carried in the air, on clothing, shoes and pets to lodge and potentially multiply indoors. (Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness, CDC) Since the spores are too small to see, many people doubt that mold in the home or workplace can actually cause illness.  Is all mold really bad, or are only some molds bad?  Why do some people become ill while staying a short time in a space while others seem to be unaffected?  What levels of mold should cause concern and what tests are best?   These are very common questions and we would like to highlight some scientific research about mold to understand the answers to these questions.  

Because edible mushrooms and molds growing on basement walls are all classified as fungus, with more adverse reactions arising from handling some than others, there are obviously harmless and harmful species in the family.  It’s overgrowth of the harmful types that can lead to problems in buildings. In the right environment they quickly grow from microscopic spores to visible mycelium (colonies), to sending out more spores into the air and starting other colonies.. 

In general, molds need the following to grow (What You Need to Know About Mold):

• Moisture: even moisture from the air, when it is above 80% humidity, can be enough to sustain mold.
• Warmer temperatures: most molds cannot grow below 40 deg F, which is why refrigerators are kept at 39 deg F and below. 40 -100 deg F sustains mold.
• Organic (carbon-based) materials to digest.  Mold can even grow on glass, metal and other inhospitable environments, if it has dirt or synthetic material to feed on.
• Protection (shade) from UV rays: ultraviolet light kills most mold, so you won’t see it growing in direct sunlight!
• Oxygen: mold needs very little oxygen to survive, so it’s difficult to control mold by depriving it of oxygen.

Therefore, warm, moist areas with natural materials like wood, paper or fabric are great at growing mold, and mold can take root in these areas in as little as 48 hours.  Eliminating the most important material (water) quickly will stop mold in its tracks and not allow it to proliferate.

Molds can emit several types of toxins: mycotoxins and microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Mycotoxins are solid or liquid.  Of the several hundred mycotoxins identified so far, about a dozen have gained the most attention due to their severe effects on human health and their occurrences in food. (Mycotoxins, WHO). Mycotoxins have also been frequently detected in house-dust over the past decades, and they can be carried through the air on dust, spores or other fragments of mold.  (Detection of Mycotoxins in Highly Matrix-Loaded House-Dust Samples)  By contrast, MVOCs are gaseous, so they are already airborne.  Both mycotoxins and mVOCs can be emitted when the mold colony is disturbed or threatened, by humans, animals or by other microbes.

Ancient plagues and epidemics among animals and humans were likely the result of mycotoxins in foods. Here are some examples: 

• In 1960, about 100,000 young turkeys died in the UK, and scientists discovered that aflatoxins produced by the common molds Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in their feed led to the deaths.  (Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota)  
• Aflatoxin can also cause liver cancer in humans.  
• Ingestion of ergot, which is a fungal disease of rye and other grains in which black elongated fruiting bodies grow in the ears of the head of grain, can result in ergotism, a painful and often deadly disease.  Ergotism has even been implicated in premeditated poisonings and witch trials, due to its psychoactive effects and disturbances. (Ergot: from witchcraft to biotechnology)
• Sadly, since the isolation of T-2 mycotoxin (a member of the trichothecene mycotoxins, which is emitted from several types of mold including Stachybotrys chartarum), T-2 mycotoxin has been allegedly used as a bioweapon during the military conflicts in Laos (1975-81), Kampuchea (1979-81), and Afghanistan (1979-81) to produce lethal and nonlethal casualties. (CBRNE - T-2 Mycotoxins)  

Illness by ingestion of mycotoxins from a food source occurs more frequently than by inhalation of mycotoxins (for example in dust from mold growing on or behind walls); so with the exception of bioweapons, inhalation of mycotoxins is of a lower concentration so that respiratory irritation is the usual effect.  

MVOCs, being gaseous, are highly inhalable, and their effects can range from annoyance (of the musty smell) to coughing, wheezing, fatigue, headaches, dyspnea, allergies, eczema, as well as serious respiratory issues (Sick Building Syndrome, Mølhave, L. "Encyclopedia of Environmental Health." 663-669.)

So why does mold affect some individuals more than others?  For a long time, individuals who became ill upon entering or spending time in a building were deemed to have more psychological issues than actual physical issues, because testing of the building often revealed no measurable toxins.  There are several reasons for this: 

• First, methods of testing for toxins were not sensitive or specific enough to find the cause.  Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, a well-known researcher and doctor in the area of mold, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and Water-Damaged Buildings (WDB), addressed this problem when discussing testing methods in his 2021 paper.  Air sampling methods are not adequate to pick up smaller spores, they may also miss spores outside the air flow boundary and duration of the test, and some spores (like Stachybotrys, commonly called Black Mold even though many other molds are black in appearance) are heavy and don’t become airborne in large numbers, especially if the mold colony is hidden inside a wall. 
• Some bacteria and molds in WDB produce mVOCs, which are toxins not detected by spore air tests.  Only tests that capture mVOCs would be able to detect these. 
• Some people are more sensitive to mold spores, mycotoxins, mVOCs and endotoxins than the general population.  They may be missing genes that allow their bodies to process the toxins, or their immune system may have been chronically overstimulated in a previous chemical or toxin exposure.  These predispositions make them much more sensitive to low levels of toxins from mold and bacteria.

Therefore, mold toxins are sometimes difficult to detect, and they don’t produce similar responses per concentration in everyone due to individual sensitivities. This phenomenon is addressed in a guidance paper to clinicians (doctors and other health practitioners) by the University of Connecticut Health Center.  The paper discusses 5 case studies of patients who were observed to have sick building syndrome due to mold issues in WDB. 

There are several reactions to exposure to mold discussed in the paper:

1. Fungal infections: Infection usually requires direct contact with fungus, and only immuno- compromised or highly sensitive people are at-risk for fungal infections.
2. Allergic and Hypersensitivity reactions: It is well established that fungi can cause allergic reactions in humans, and molds are typically included in the skin test panels used clinically by immunologists to screen for environmental triggers in atopic patients (those who are predisposed to immune responses). Many atopic patients experience allergic symptoms related to molds commonly encountered outdoors. The presence of mold spores in the indoor environment is not in itself a problem when the source is the normal interchange of outside air and the amount and types of spores inside are the same or less than outside. However, mold actively growing on an indoor substrate may affect the quality of the environment by degrading the surrounding materials (weakening the structure) and, more important, by potentially adding unhealthy chemicals and bioaerosols to the indoor air. Higher levels of mold spores inside than outside or the presence of different species inside than outside reflect this “amplification” of mold.  Antigens are toxins that produce antibodies, and in the case of mold, antigens could be spores or spore fragments, mycotoxins, or mVOCs.  “Individuals’ immune responses to these antigenic molecules are determined by their genetic makeup and environmental factors. Important among these factors are the frequency of exposure to the antigens and the intensity of the exposures…Development of sensitization to antigens generally requires repeat exposures, often to high ambient concentrations of the sensitizing material. Once sensitization to an antigen has developed, it requires a much lower concentration upon re-exposure to elicit the reactive phase that we recognize as the clinical manifestation of disease.  In general, the higher the exposure and the degree to which one has been sensitized, the more severe the allergic or immune-mediated response.”  

This is the pathway by which mold “allergies” progress to severe illness, and even death. All five of the cases discussed in the aforementioned paper necessitated the patients to be removed from the buildings (school, office, and home) to recover from their symptoms.  Unfortunately the death of a two-year-old boy in the UK in 2020 was the result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mold (the family had reported mold in the apartment repeatedly up to three years prior, however, the housing authority did nothing to repair or mitigate it).  This highlights the need for parents to be knowledgeable about the effects of mold as advocates for their children. 

When should a house be tested for mold? We concur with this experienced mold inspector’s methodology:

1. If you have no visible mold but high humidity, it’s probable that mold is starting to grow in the area.  Humidity is easy to feel even without sensors but to be sure, you can get 2 humidity sensors here for only $10.
2. If you find visible mold growth, but don’t know the extent of the damage
3. If you or someone in your family suffers from health symptoms related to mold exposure, then testing of the home would be appropriate.
4. If you smell a musty odor, this is an indication that you have actively growing mold.  These odors are mVOCs.
5. If you’ve already had remediation and need proof that it was performed effectively in order to move back in safely, hopefully a “before” or baseline test was performed for comparison.

What kind of tests are appropriate? 

DIY mold tests are abundant, however, in most cases you get what you pay for.  Petri dishes, while economical, do not provide the quantitative information (how much mold is in the air) and except in the case of sending the dishes in for lab analysis, do not give qualitative information about the types of species. 

If you have only a moderate budget and don’t know where the mold may be coming from, we believe non-viable air sampling can give a lot of information about the spaces in your home.  GotMold? Is an easy way to take these samples in different rooms and get them analyzed by an accredited laboratory. They include an outside sample cassette so that your inside rooms can be referenced against it.  The lowest level of indoor spores should be comparable to an outdoor sample, because mold is in the air everywhere.

If you do have an idea of where the mold is originating, adding a tape-lift, swab or bulk (air filter) sample to your tests can help confirm if a moldy-looking area is indeed mold.  

If, however, an area of your home recently flooded, or you’re experiencing new or worsening health problems, we would recommend requesting a visit from a professional, experienced mold inspector who will not only take samples: they should first of all look at the moisture problems in the home which could generate the mold.  They will also be able to distinguish which type of test is appropriate, and if mold is discovered, whether it’s active mold growth that could be causing illness or inactive mold that’s been dried out and contained behind walls for years.   There is a big difference in renovation scope and cost for active mold and inactive mold!   We understand the health impacts of critically-contaminated spaces on one end of the spectrum, but since many leaks and humidity problems can be corrected in a local, economical way, it’s often not necessary to “gut” a home to remediate it well.  

Beware if the inspector only wants to do ERMI testing.  ERMI stands for Environmental Relative Moldiness Index and was developed by the EPA for research purposes only.  Despite its popularity among many mold inspectors and a number of mail-order labs such as EnviroBiomics and Mycometrics, ERMI has a number of drawbacks that can cause it to miss major mold problems, or overstate minor ones.  

In the end, just as a leak in your outdoor shed can make a stinky, decaying mess, mold can do the same indoors–and it may or may not affect your family’s health, depending on their genetic makeup and previous experiences with mold, chemicals and toxins.   However, we do hope that you will take any water intrusion or humidity problem seriously, because it has the potential to do serious harm.  

Help!  My basement has flooded!

While some are suffering in the US from droughts, others are walking ankle-deep through water in their basement.  Unfortunately water in the basement is different from other areas of the home because 1) it doesn’t easily drain away because you can’t just “cut a hole in the floor”, 2) being below ground level means you may be already fighting ground water problems that are just looking for ways to intrude, 3) ventilation is typically sub-par, meaning that drying it out takes a lot of power equipment, not just opening windows!  It can be very daunting for a homeowner with limited renovation funds, but don’t turn a blind eye on a flooded basement, because the mold that ensues can quickly affect the rest of your home.

Call for help–immediately!

If your area was hit by a storm, chances are that a lot of other people have the same problem you do–they need restoration professionals too!  However, you can’t afford to wait 3 days after the water hits the floor, because mold can start to take root in your walls and furnishings only 48 hours after they get wet.  Here are some ideas for resources:

• Family (of course!)

• Neighbors (they probably need help too)

• If your state officials have declared a state of emergency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be able to help.

• The American Red Cross has disaster assistance services.

• Local churches often set up assistance centers for homeowners.

• Workers for hire often gather at local home improvement stores, but be wary of giving anyone without a contractor’s license a job in your home for safety and insurance reasons.

What needs to be done?  If you don’t hire a professional restoration service, you can use the following as a guide.

1. First of all, don’t walk through any standing water if there’s a chance that electrical appliances sitting in it may be energized.  This presents a big problem if the circuit breakers for the basement are IN the basement, but do your best to disconnect power before walking through the water.

2. If your basement sustained a sewage backup as part of the flood event, be very cautious about contacting/working in the dirty water, as open wounds can become infected by microbes from the sewage.  In any case you’ll want waterproof boots, goggles and gloves at the minimum!

3. Open windows to the outside if it is low humidity outside–this will help with the drying process.

4. Standing water has to go.  Small amounts of water can be picked up by a wet-dry vac (make sure you have the right type of filter installed for wet suction), but if you have a lot more water, you’re going to want to find a dewatering pump that doesn’t need to be emptied; it pumps the water outside via a hose (away from the house!).  

5. Silt or mud may have accumulated on hard floors from floodwaters, making it slippery.   If you have any snow shovels or flat shovels and buckets, these are the tools you need to remove it. 

6. Wet carpeting and padding has to go; it is very difficult to dry and successfully salvage large areas of carpeting, except for area rugs, which must be professionally cleaned as soon as possible (consider cleaning cost versus value).  From this point on, all wet materials removed from the basement should be piled near the road where waste management can pick them up, or if you will have to haul them yourself, on a trailer outside.

7. Wet upholstered furniture and bedding (mattresses and boxsprings) have to go, because like carpet, it is too difficult to get the center of the upholstery completely dry. 

8. If you have any solid wood furniture without upholstery, you can move it outside for drying and wiping down if the weather is good.  Use rags and a cleaner like TotalClean to remove dirt and let them dry in the sun.

9. Walls: Remove all drywall and insulation below the floodline, as well as 2-4 feet up the wall.  This is because the drywall wicks up water, and the insulation behind it will be wet also.  The goal is to get the studs and all of the wall cavity dry.  If you have built-in cabinetry that has gotten wet (even an inch or two), we’re very sorry to inform you that it has to be ripped out, because there’s no way to completely dry the back of the cabinet.  🙁

10. Once the wet materials have been removed,, and throw all your tools at the remaining moisture: we’re talking fans, heaters and dehumidifiers, as each will do a different role in drying.  Fans improve air circulation.  If the temperature is cool, add a heater so that relative humidity will go down and speed up drying more.  Dehumidifiers also lower the relative humidity.  According to Cleaning and Maintenance Management, a property restoration company, here is how we can understand the drying process: “Low relative humidity (RH) is necessary for drying, as moisture in materials and air seek equilibrium. The lower the RH of the air, the quicker the wet materials will give up their moisture to become equal with the moisture in the air. …Air movement is the workhorse of drying by displacing high RH at the surface of wet materials with lower RH. Circulation airflow moves wet air to our dehumidification systems (either mechanical or ventilation), allowing us to manage RH and water vapor in the air.” 

11. If you find that musty odors have started to form, you can clear particulates from the air using a large HEPA filter with activated carbon such as our Cleanroom WindPRO 650, or if you don’t have the budget, make a Box Fan Air Cleaner, to which you can also add activated carbon to remove odors. 

12. Plugging in  Germ Defenders and Upgraded Air Angel Mobile units will assist in deterring mold growth around the basement.

13. Once everything is dry, it’s good to invite an experienced waterproofing/foundation company to inspect your basement to see if there’s anything that can be repaired or upgraded so that you (hopefully) will not have to go through such an ordeal again.  We have several articles you can use to educate yourself on waterproofing techniques: Getting the Basement Dried Out and a cautionary article: Waterproof Wall Coatings: Should You Use Them in Your Basement?  so that you will have background for a conversation with professionals on their suggested course of action.

Scent Control for Hunters

If you are a hunter, you’ll likely know that many animals have a much more sophisticated sense of smell than humans, giving them information about how to stay alive and out of our paths.  Eliminating human scent, then, gives an edge to the hunter, allowing his prey to come closer or linger a few more seconds.  There are many products marketed to hunters, but if you’re in the know, they don’t have to be expensive or hard to find!  In fact, some are already in your pantry or backyard…

First of all, hunting is not like watching sports.  Although traditionally it is “unlucky” to wash a certain item of clothing if your team wins (tradition says you should never wash it), doing this in hunting is a sure way to tip off your prey, because human scents like sweat, gunpowder and gasoline are big warning signs and build up with wear!  So, into the wash go the hunting clothes…but not just with any laundry detergent.  Artificial scents and whiteners are pungent “stay-away” clues to them.  Particularly, three studies in 1992, 2013 and 2014 on deer eyes confirmed several theories about their visual abilities: (When deer eyes can see laundry detergent residue, hunters must work hard to stay hidden)

• With just two types of color photoreceptors, deer eyes distinguish fewer colors than human eyes, which have three types of color detectors.
• With a deeper perception of blues into the ultraviolet range, deer see not only blue jeans but residue from UV brighteners in laundry detergent that is invisible to humans.
• Deer pupils gather more light, and a greater concentration of light-dark photoreceptors gives them better night vision. Eyes positioned on the sides of the head give deer a broader field of view.
• Deer have incredible motion detection. They can see a hunter blink from a distance, but if there’s no additional movement they don’t know what it is.

Similarly, a deer’s sense of smell is hyperactive compared to ours.   Biologist Dr. Bronson Strickland of Mississippi State University’s Deer Lab describes “scent” as a generic term for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are given off by a subject. Due to their high vapor pressure, these lead to large numbers of molecules evaporating into the surrounding air.  (The Science Behind a Deer's Sense of Smell & Scent Control)

VOCs can come from numerous sources, like manmade products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, paints, oil, tar and perfumes. Our bodies give off thousands of VOCs: our organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin all take toxins from normal metabolism and render them into removable chemicals, through excretory pathways found in feces, urine, breath, sweat and saliva.

Here’s where a deer has the upper “hand”: any of these “human” scent molecules are inhaled through its broad nasal openings and then captured by little hair-like cilia in the mucous membrane. Once captured by the cilia, VOC molecules dissolve into the mucous and are transferred to the olfactory epithelium.  The whitetail epithelium is reported to have 297 million olfactory receptors. (The human epithelium has only 5 million.) These receptors translate the scent signal as electrical impulses up through nerves that extend through the roof of the mouth and into the part of the brain known as the olfactory bulb.  In another study, it was demonstrated that a whitetail’s olfactory bulb is about four times larger than that of a human. This means deer have a greater capacity to both detect and transmit scent signals to their brains. The olfactory bulb then shoots electrical impulses up the olfactory nerve into the limbic system of the brain for analysis.  The longer a deer has lived in the wild, the more the deer has learned from experience that certain VOC signatures signal danger.   (The Science Behind a Deer's Sense of Smell & Scent Control)

Since hunters strive to be invisible to their prey, then, the main goal is to avoid emitting as many of these VOCs as possible.  We’ll go them here one by one; one of the cheapest natural deodorizers is baking soda, and you can use it in your laundry, on your teeth and sprinkled in your gear:

What you eat will vary your VOC signature.  The company Lumen figured that out and uses it to help customers burn fat and avoid diabetes, among other goals, by breathing into a device to analyze the VOCs in their breath.   Hunters, similarly, can recognize that eating certain foods like onion and garlic before hunting will of course show up in their scent signature and possibly frighten away prey.  

Body odor is very important.  Avid hunters have recognized that even sweat generated by walking from their vehicle to the hunting site (usually carrying a lot of equipment) defeats their purpose, so they take a number of measures, extreme to some, to avoid generating offensive VOCs:

• Showering with non-scented products
• Brushing teeth (mint is better than bad human breath and baking soda is even better)
• Using unscented anti-perspirant and sprinkling baking soda in shoes to absorb sweat
• Avoiding pungent foods like garlic, fish and alcohol before the hunt

As we mentioned before, what you wear is huge.  Some of the “hacks” include:

• Washing with unscented or “de-scenting” laundry detergent with no optical brighteners
• Drying clothing outdoors when possible, or without dryer scents when not possible
• Storing hunting clothing in plastic totes away from other stinky areas like garages or kitchens.  Some hunters use garbage bags, but these are typically loaded with VOCs of their own!
• Placing natural materials like fresh pine needles or acorns in sachets in the tote with the clothes to scent them naturally
• Carrying hunting clothing and boots to the site and changing into them, or storing them at the site, to avoid unnatural scents like asphalt and gasoline
• Buying ScentLok clothing (activated carbon lined) to adsorb their scent
• Using de-scenting or “cover” sprays on their clothing periodically.
• Using ozone generators to treat their clothing and equipment to remove VOCs

What we suggest (hunters, let us know what you think!)

• Using TotalClean to de-scent clothing periodically, or on outer wear like coats that aren’t washed after every use.  After all, TotalClean does industrial tasks like de-scenting garbage and waste, in a non-toxic way, using the natural elements of iodine and copper.  You can also use TotalClean to wipe down non-washable equipment like binoculars and guns.  TotalClean can be used in every area of your vehicle to descent it as well, before and after the hunt (dressed meat and dogs for hunting such as squirrels and rabbits can leave quite their own “scent” on a vehicle!)
• Using activated carbon to adsorb VOCs of clothing and equipment while it’s in storage, especially when it's new.  Just cut large pieces from the media and place them below, between and above your clothing in the tote.

Many hunters and scientists advise that you cannot eliminate or block 100% of your VOCs, but using as many precautions as possible can give you precious seconds or yards to make the difference between a fruitful and unfruitful hunt!

Actinobacteria: Another danger lurking in Water Damaged Buildings

Avoiding mold and mycotoxins has taken a major share of the spotlight in healthy home discussions, and for good reason, because they can elicit major allergic responses in many people and disabling immune responses in very sensitive people.  However, there is another organism that grows right along with mold in moist environments, and it’s often overlooked even though it can produce the same types of reactions.  Some types of bacteria are unique enough to be in a class of their own, called actinobacteria.  

Here’s a short refresher from an article about bacteria, endotoxins and exotoxins:  bacteria can be classed into two different groups: “Gram-negative” or “Gram-positive”.  These classes are based on a test developed by scientist Christian Gram in 1884, which differentiates the bacteria using a purple stain.   According to webmd.com, bacteria either have a hard, outer shell, or a thick, mesh-like membrane called peptidoglycan.  The hard outer shell will resist the purple stain, and show up as a red color.  These are called “gram negative” because the purple stain did not show.  Bacteria with the peptidoglycan absorb the purple stain much more easily and are called “gram positive”.  The stain also tells many more characteristics about the bacteria and the way it interacts with treatment. 

Going back to actinobacteria (also called actinomycetes), they are a diverse group of gram-positive bacteria, meaning they have that mesh-like membrane called peptidoglycan. However, they resemble molds (fungi) because they are adapted to life on solid surfaces and they can produce mycelium (branching structures) and dry spores like most fungi. Actinomycete spores are known to be important air contaminants in occupational environments, such as agriculture and waste composting facilities, and have recently gained special attention as indicators of mold problems in buildings. They do not belong to the normal microbial flora in indoor air but have been found in buildings suffering from moisture and mold problems. (Characteristics of Airborne Actinomycete Spores)  One class of actinobacteria, called mycobacteria, include the types of bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and leprosy.   These actinobacteria require iron for growth, and in the human body, will destroy red blood cells in order to acquire the iron it needs.

Actinobacteria, which occur in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, are among the most common groups of gram-positive microorganisms in nature.  Living in soil, actinobacteria decompose organic matter and display antagonism against other bacteria and fungi, with which they compete for nutrients. Actinobacteria have incredible abilities to survive under extreme conditions in their natural environment and have been found in strongly saline soils, soils with a high content of exchangeable sodium and/or magnesium ions, and heavy clay soil which is submerged by water.  (Discovery of Actinomycetes from Extreme Environments with Potential to Produce Novel Antibiotics).  If they can live in these extreme environments, it’s not too much of a stretch to find them indoors in water-damaged buildings (WDB) and indeed, they thrive there too.  In a 2017 study of an office building in the northeast US which had a history of water incursions via roofs, walls, and pipes, actinobacteria were detected in 74% of dust samples, and thermophilic actinomycetes (unique high-temperature aerobic bacteria) were most predominant (81%) among the three types.   In analysis of building occupants who participated (105 participants out of 136 occupants), the increasing thermophilic actinomycetes levels in floor dust were significantly associated with decreased pulmonary function and increased odds of having symptoms reflecting possible granulomatous disease, particularly shortness of breath on exertion, flu-like achiness, and fever and chills.  Prevalences of the three granulomatous disease-like symptoms among the occupants were similar to those reported in another study of a large office building with eight hypersensitivity pneumonitis and six sarcoidosis cases, a long history of moisture incursions, and high fungal and bacterial contamination.   

Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, an expert on mold illness and CIRS, published the paper Exposure to Actinobacteria resident in water-damaged buildings and resultant immune injury in Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome in 2021.  In it, he details some of the interesting facts about actinobacteria that many people do not know:

• Geosmin is a VOC that accounts for the characteristic musty smell found in many WDB, and many actinobacteria also produce this VOC, creating the logical fallacy that the smell found in WDB buildings is only due to mold growth.  
• Certain species of actinobacteria live on humans: on our skin and in mucous membranes and genitourinary tracts.  He denoted these HH actinobacteria (for human habitat), as opposed to SH actinobacteria (for soil habitat).   The interior of WDB are usually colonized by HH actinobacteria much more than SH actinobacteria; this is not the same for fungi, because WDB are easily colonized by outdoor (SH) fungi.  (Airborne Bacterial Communities in Residences: Similarities and Differences with Fungi)  
• Dr. Shoemaker developed indices for exposure to actinobacteria showing differences in subsequent immunoreactivity in Chronic Immune Response Syndrome (CIRS) patients for actinobacteria from human skin carriage, HH, as opposed to SH actinobacteria.  
• He theorized that the “toxin” that causes the immunoreactivity is not exotoxins, like normal gram-positive bacteria, but extracellular vesicles of 20-150 nanometer size that carry potentially inflammatory molecular signaling compounds from inside the cell wall to the outside. Vesicles are known to contain a variety of charges including nucleic acids, lipoproteins, enzymes, and toxins.  

“Better Health Guy” Scott Forsgren, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner interviewed Dr. Larry Schwartz, an indoor air expert with a specialty area is assessing, testing, and creating solutions to make homes and workplaces environmentally safe for patients with inflammatory illnesses, about actinobacteria.  According to Dr. Schwartz, one can get treated for symptoms of CIRS (of which there are 37), but not necessarily get to the root cause.  However, if their blood is tested by GENIE (Genomic expression: Inflammation Explained), root causes for CIRS can be discovered.  “We found over 2,000 patients that have taken the GENIE test. About 42% of them are being triggered by Actinomycetes. The next largest percentage was endotoxins. The least percentage was the mycotoxin.”   (podcast: Episode #171: Actinomycetes with Larry Schwartz, BSME, MBA, CIEC)  Some background on GENIE:  this test was developed by Dr. Shoemaker and Dr. James Ryan, a molecular biologist, who have collaborated on genetic testing since 2011. GENIE is a gene expression assay composed of 188 genes that is performed on a single blood specimen. It reveals gene expression abnormalities found most often in patients facing CIRS illnesses. Typically it's done repeatedly, once before treatment for CIRS, after the first eleven steps of the treatment protocol, during or after VIP treatment. (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide). VIP is a naturally occurring human neuropeptide which affects multiple pathways in the brain and throughout the body, and it’s given as a low-dose nasal spray to benefit patients with severe CIRS.  GENIE results will show if the patient's metabolism is improving as their treatment progresses.

Dr. Schwartz’ research exposed that the major “factory” of actinobacteria (he calls them “actinos” for short) is the bedroom, because of the time we spend under covers (warm temperature) and the amount of skin cells that are deposited in the bed.  He also characterizes showers, crawlspaces and basements and drains as places where actinobacteria tend to multiply because of constant moisture.  He has a bedding protocol for cleaning bedsheets, and drain “protocol” on how to clean drains on a regular basis so that actinobacteria will not continue to proliferate in them.  (check out minute 59:17 of the podcast for these protocols).  Dr. Schwartz also advocates for use of HEPA filters, PCO devices (like the Air Angel Mobile) and bipolar devices (like the Mold Guard).  We would also add that the use of bathroom exhaust fans and humidity control are paramount for lowering relative humidity.  

Dr. Schwartz acknowledged that similar to the way pathogenic mold makes mycotoxins,  many pathogenic species of actinos often create a chemical called mycolic acid, which may be the allergy trigger for CIRS patients.  Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker also found that mycolic acids played a role in inducing T-cell responses (Exposure to Actinobacteria resident in water-damaged buildings and resultant immune injury in Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome)  According to the physicians with which Dr. Schwartz consults, although actinos can trigger inflammation and CIRS, they are not necessarily triggering histamines, and mast cell activation, because mast cell activation is primarily a histamine-driven effect. 

As for testing, EnviroBiomics is the only lab known by Dr. Schwartz that does next generation sequencing (NGS) to determine levels of actinos in home samples. Using special lab equipment called NGS processors, they give the in-depth degree of data on the speciation of actinos and their concentrations.  Dr. Schwartz can analyze the results of these test reports, in conjunction with at-home or virtual visits, to determine what may be exacerbating CIRS symptoms.  In one case, a client who lived in a farmhouse on 3 acres had CIRS, but the cause was not in his home.  It turned out that a neighboring property had a dilapidated barn with rotting hay in it (“farmer’s lung” disease comes from the actinobacteria in rotting hay), and correction of the ventilation in his home significantly improved his symptoms.  

Now for the good: despite its ability to cause illness, scientists and researchers have discovered how to harness actinomycetes for healing purposes.  Antibiotics are a class of molecules used for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections.  These bioactive compounds are produced naturally from different species of fungi and bacteria, but the most attractive class of microorganisms that are able to produce these secondary metabolites are actinobacteria, in particular, actinomycetes. The importance of this order is due to their abilities to produce different classes of antibiotics in terms of chemical structure and mechanisms of action. Moreover, different genera and species of actinomycetes are able to produce the same class of antibiotics and, in few cases, the same chemical compound.  Thanks to antibiotics and the research developed in this field, many infections are now treatable, and life-quality/life expectancy are better than in the past.  (Actinomycetes: A Never-Ending Source of Bioactive Compounds—An Overview on Antibiotics Production)  

In short, actinobacteria can be confused with mold because of many similarities: how they grow, the environmental conditions they prefer, what they smell like, and what symptoms they cause in humans.  The good thing is that regular cleaning of areas like the bedroom, bathroom and drains to remove dust and allergens also removes food for actinobacteria.  In addition, a whole-home approach also examines the ways that toxins from actinobacteria inside walls and even outside can enter the home via leaks and negative air pressure.  When cleaning protocols are introduced and these air pathways are addressed, actinobacteria numbers start to dwindle and the homeowner’s health increases.  Sometimes it takes a trained eye to discover where they are flourishing, but by knowing their preferred habitat and via testing, they are not completely “in the dark” anymore!