In a desert setting famous for its "dry heat," it doesn't seem like Tucson would be likely to produce much mold, which requires a damp environment to live and flourish.

However, Mike Williams, a local home inspector and past president of the state chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors, said it is not uncommon to find mold growing in the moist spaces made by chronic leaks.

"Much of it is hidden," he said. "But you will find mold in air conditioning condensers, coolers, and plumbing. Inside houses, the usual place to find mold would be bathroom walls, condensate drain lines, and under sinks."

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There are hundreds of different kinds of molds, and spores are in the air everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold requires both a food source and water to survive. Molds can feed on almost anything, but it is the presence of water that vital to the survival of mold. Molds are known to cause health problems such as headaches, respiratory difficulties, skin irritations, allergic reactions and aggravation of asthma problems.

Dr. Mark Sneller, a medical mycologist and director of Tucson-based Aero-Allergen Research says that because of the publicity mold and mold lawsuits have received recently, the public's perception of its danger is inflated. "Yes, there are molds that do produce toxins," said Sneller, "but the amount of toxic mold spores a person would have to ingest over a 24-hour period to become ill would be so high that a person would likely choke on the spores first." However, he added that there are people who have allergies to mold and if contamination is sufficient, allergic reactions could occur.

Sneller, who has spent the last 40 years studying molds and allergens, said Tucson has some of the lowest levels of mold in the country.

"However, we do have our seasonal moments in August and September when we have three to five times the amount of mold spores in the air than we normally have," he said.

One common household method people use to remove mold is to clean the area with bleach and water. "This is not an acceptable way to clean mold because once the chlorine in the bleach evaporates, all that is left is the water that is added to the mold," Sneller said. "You have to remove the affected area, but most importantly, you need to figure out why that area is wet and moldy and correct that."

The traditional commercial method for removing mold has been a process called mold remediation which may require removal and replacement of damaged materials such as drywall, wood, carpets and furnishings.

Stephen Pass, a certified microbial remediation supervisor and an owner of local remediation company Blue Water Restoration, has some advice: "If you discover superficial mold on a non-porous surface, you can probably clean it yourself, but if it's on a porous surface, it might be a good idea to have a professional take a look at it."

In addition to standard remediation, other prevention and treatment methods are available. A few years ago while doing some consulting with general contractors, Jeanette Kurtz observed standard mold remediation work and wondered if there was another, less invasive way to treat and prevent mold.

"The remediation projects I saw involved abatement contractors who had to continually increase the scope of their work," Kurtz said.

She did some research and discovered a system she thought would work. Kurtz and two other partners started Global Prevention Services two years ago.

"Our system uses two products: a cleaner, which is patented, and a microbial shield," said Kurtz. "Our product is not a biocide that kills the living mold organisms. To get to the mold, we apply a barrier that bonds to the wall as a shield, cutting off access to nutrients that the mold needs to survive. Think of it as a two-step process. It's like washing your car and then protecting it by waxing."

In new construction, Global treats the structure in three phases. The first treatment is during the initial framing stage; the second is during the drywall stage, and the final treatment is applied when the cabinetry is installed.

In existing structures, Global will evaluate the moldy surface. If it is not spongy, they will remove the baseboards and make small holes in the drywall. Using an airless sprayer, they can clean and treat the interior of the walls without tearing out large portions of drywall.

Kurtz says that although the Global headquarters are in Phoenix, Tucson has a local representative.

Sneller points to the construction methods in the southwest as a contributing factor to mold growth. "The construction in the southwest is leaky and the type of drywall used is hydrophilic n mold grows on it very readily. The way we set windows in construction may be an easier method, but they are leakier, too."

"Every structure has potential for mold, but it's how you deal with it that is important," said Sneller.

Martha Lundin may be contacted at mlundin@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4259.