EPA's guidelines for "Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings" were published in April 2001. This article focuses mainly on EPA's recommendations for respiratory protection - of specific importance if you perform construction, maintenance (HVAC systems), investigative or remediation work. Consult the EPA guidelines in their entirety for a more complete discussion of mold remediation.
Molds are known to cause a variety of health effects via ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. These can include allergenic effects, asthma, runny nose, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, organic dust toxic syndrome, irritation of the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs, as well as infection of immune-compromised or immune-suppressed individuals. Health effects only occur when persons are directly exposed to the molds - no person to person transmission has been documented.