Thanks to a grant from the Department of Homeland Security Robert Miller is just one of the scientists on the verge of making sure future the mold doesn't take over the inside of a home.
Robert Miller, SRNL Biologist: "Mold requires a dark area, a warm area and a place with moisture. So if you have a leak in your attic that would be a perfect place."
Through the research biologists were able to flood this makeshift house. They let the water stay inside for three weeks. The water damage caused mold to start growing inside this house.
Robert Miller: "What we are doing at this time is trying to identify the different types of mold and once we do that, hopefully we can take that data and use it to make better building material."
Building material that Miller says would be resistant to mold.
Robert Miller: "There is scientific research that makes the case for mold causing health problems."
Iris and Thomas Brooks know all to well the affects that water damage in a home can have on your health. They tell us they were exposed mold back it in 2003 and didn't know it was killing them until it was too late.
Iris Brooks, Affected By Mold: "We actually had a leak in our roof and it produced a micro toxin called Trichothecene and that's invisible you can't see it. We never saw physical mold all we saw was water damage."
The Brooks tell me it's been an uphill battle trying to get medical experts and their insurance company to admit that their exposure to mold is would caused their health to decay.
Iris Brooks: "We found out through PCR testing that we Stachydotrys had two types of Aspergillus had grown in our lungs and also diffused into our white blood cells."
After their experience with mold the Brooks were able to get the attention of Governor Sonny Perdue and he issued a proclamation in 2008 addressing the problem of indoor mold. Miller says the natural affect of mold is to help clean up the environment but it’s when it gets inside your home or living quarters that gives these organisms a whole new meaning.
Miller says they hope this leg of the research will be complete in December and they'll be able to move into another phase of research next year.
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