Mold's increasing importance as a public health issue has led to significant updates in the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA) "Facts About Mold" brochure, which has been newly released.

Members from the Biosafety & Environmental Microbiology and Indoor Environmental Quality Committees, the Board Coordinator and AIHA staff recently completed the revision of the brochure, which was first published in 2003. The 2012 version represents a completely re-written short web publication on the management of mold in office buildings, schools, industrial workplaces and homes.

Key differences between the 2003 and 2012 versions include:
• The greater certainty of the importance of mold as a public health issue reflecting the appearance of recent advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada and the World Health Organization.
• Updated references for detailed information on sampling, inspecting, remediating and providing quality assurance of mold remediation.
• Important perspective on the extent of contamination, as well as practical advice on how to react to the different types of mold damage and when expert advice should be sought.
• More detailed information on sources of indoor moisture and how to prevent mold growth.

More information on “The Facts about Mold” updated brochure is available at: www.aiha.org/insideaiha/volunteergroups/IEQ/Pages/Topics.aspx.