Tips to protect yourself during a mold inspection

ABC news produced an excellent mold inspection report on different contractors inspecting the same home without a mold problem.

A real mold problem with a sink cabinet. - N. Carlson

A mold inspection will involve an thorough visual inspection of obvious mold locations.  It may involve progressively more intrusive inspection if moisture sources are found.

Bottom line:   It is important to check references.  They should answer questions and show you how the equipment works.  A mold inspector certification may not be a good way of determining if the person is qualified. 

MN Tree blossoming dates

May 3, 2015 - N. Carlson

N.Carlson - April 15, 2012

Over the past 10 years or so I have been taking a photo of the first blossoming of the crab tree in our front yard.  The blossoming appears to be more temperature related than to the amount of available sunlight.  So far no pattern yet.  2012 was a very warm spring 2013 and 2014 were very cold springs.

2020                 May 9, 2020

2019                 May 13, 2019
2018                 May 12, 2018
2017                 May 5, 2017
2016                 April 29, 2016
2015                 May 3, 2015
2014                 May 23, 2014
2013                 May 20, 2013
2012                 April 15, 2012
2011                 May 18, 2011
2010                 April 28, 2010
2009                 no data
2008                 May 16, 2008
2007                 May 3, 2007
2006                 May 2, 2006
2005                 no data
2004                 no data
2003                 May 8, 2003
2002                 May 21, 2002

May 16, 2008 - N. Carlson

April 29, 2016 - N. Carlson

May 5, 2017 - N. Carlson

May 12, 2018 - N. Carlson

May 13, 2019

May 9, 2020

Solar power next to wind turbines

7,040 Panel Solar PV set up near Slayton, MN - on grid in 2013

The 2 Megawatt solar powered system is now connected to Xcel Energy's grid.  Ecos Energy is attempting to pair the solar system with a nearby wind turbine in the hopes of balancing out the electrical load.  Wind tends to blow more strongly at night than the day. 

A full article on the Solar PV is available at the Star Tribune.

The solar panels are manufactured by Slayton, Minnesota Solar Panels Website: SolarPanels-Energy.

A Minnesota 2020 article The Northern Sunshine State points out that solar panels as currently designed operate more efficiently at colder temperatures making Minnesota's solar energy resources comparable to those in southern states.

The Rural Minnesota Energy Board provides a pdf on Utility Scale Solar Energy in Minnesota comparing solar and wind energy production.

http://www.dglobe.com/event/image/id/32031/headline/Solar%20farm/

 

 Click on the link above for an article in the Worthington Daily Globe.

Is there a link between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and mycotoxin exposure?

Brewer, J.H.; Thrasher, J.D.; Straus, D.C.; Madison, R.A.; Hooper, D. Detection of Mycotoxins in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Toxins2013 no. 4: 605-617.

The abstract and full article are available through the Toxins website.

Past exposure to a water damaged building was correlated to elevated urine concentrations of mycotoxins in the urine of 93% of chronic fatigue syndrome patients (N=104 of 112).  Mycotoxin levels were below detection limits for ochratoxin, aflatoxin, or macrocylic trichothecenes in a control population (n=55) with no history of exposure to a water damaged buildings or moldy environments.

Aspergillus ochraceous - produces ochratoxins

Aspergillus flavus produces Aflatoxins

Stachybotrys spp. can produce macrocylic trichothecenes

In the past, researchers have had difficulty establishing cause and effect with respect to airborne mycotoxin exposure and human health.  This paper shows an association that suggests the need for further study.

Rhizomucor spp.

The zygomycete Rhizomucor spp. is an evolutionary mashup of Rhizopus spp. and Mucor spp.  The root structure is much less well developed than with Rhizopus spp.  Several sporangiophores will often converge and not have a rhizoid structure at the base. 

The organism grows well on MEA at both room temperature 25 degrees C. and body temperature 37 degrees C.

Identification by spore trap sampling would be very difficult. 

Rhizomucor spp. - photo N. Carlson

Fungal mounting fluid stain recipes

Two rather simple stains make it easier to see the cell walls when preparing a slide to view under a microscope

Lacto-Fuchsin

Add 0.1 grams of acid fuchsin stain to 100 milliliters of 85% lactic acid.  On occasion I find this stain may be a bit strong and diluted it 1/10 with 85% lactic acid. 

Reference: Charmichael, J.W. 1955. Lacto-fuchsin a new medium for mounting fungi. Mycologia 4:611.

85% Lactic Acid

Straight 85% lactic acid is useful for getting a true color image of the fungal spore and structures without staining.  This is helpful for some of the darker colored organisms.

Stacybotrys spp. and Ulocladium spp. lacto fuchsin stain

Stacybotrys spp.  85% lactic acid

 

 

 

Neosartorya spp.

While teaching a class on fungal identification March 19 - 20th, I came across a mislabeled culture.  The organism was classified as Aspergillus fumigatus.  The colony color and growth were all wrong although the microscopic growth was very similar to Aspergillus fumigatus.  The organism is Neosartorya spp. I will attempt to let the colony grow and produce ascospores. 

The conidia would be classified as Asp/Pen like on an Air-o-cell cassette sample.

 

DG-18 Agar and MEA agar growth of Neosartorya spp. 25 degrees C.

 

 

DG-18 agar and MEA growth of Aspergillus fumigatus 25 degrees C.

 

Neosartorya spp. 85% lactic acid each small tick (2.5 microns)

 

 

Neosartorya spp. 85% lactic acid each small tick (2.5 microns)

 

 

Aspergillus clavatus

This unassuming Aspergillus spp. colony produces a very recognizable club shaped vesicle.  The spores are unremarkable and would be categorized as Asp/Pen like for an Air-O-Cell cassette samples.  The conidia are produced on a uniseriate head.  The vesicles become more club shaped as the colony grows older.

Aspergills clavatus on DG-18 agar

Aspergillus clavatus at 100x Acid Fuchsin stain N. Carlson

Aspergillus clavatus 400x (scale: 25 microns between 1 and 2) Acid Fuchsin stain N. Carlson

Aspergillus clavatus - 85% lactic acid stain 400x - N. Carlson

Aspergillus clavatus - lactophenol cotton blue stain 400x - N. Carlson

Syncephalastrum spp.

The zygomycete organism Syncephalastrum spp. can often be initially confused for an Aspergillus spp. under the microscope for people starting out in fungal identification.  Aspergillus spp. are differentiated from this organism because they have phialides and sometimes metulae supporting conidia.  The sporangiophores of Syncephalastrum spp. have vesicles producing long tubed merosporangium containing typically five to ten merospores that break apart as they mature and the merosporangium dissolves.

If the merospore clusters were intact with five or spores linked it may be possible to identify this organism with an Air-o-cell sample.  Otherwise the spore shape would be difficult to differentiate from others.   The organism grows well on MEA at 25 degrees Celsius. The light colored colony and moderate growth makes it difficult to identify by only viewing the colony.

Syncephalastrum spp. growth on MEA at approx. 7 days.

Mature Syncephalastrum spp. merospores - N. Carlson



Syncephalastrum spp.[ heads at various stages of maturity ] merosporangium on vesicles - N. Carlson 400x

Sustainable Federal Budget

I've been interested in approaches that bring the Federal Government on a more sustainable path.  France's approach to tax millionaires at 75% appears to be a non starter.  We may need to come up with some new sources of revenue that don't cause people to spend more time avoiding the increase in taxes.

Will Smith - God Bless America 2 - min. 

          
I'd be open to a tax that rate that doesn't care about the source of revenue.  For instance if the maximum tax rate is 25%.  Tax income, corporate, and investment income at the same rate.  This leaves the decision about taxes out of the equation and people are free to focus on the best rate of return for their time and money.

Senator Tom Colburn, MD has produced a very large 600 plus page detailed document Back in Black noting ways the Federal Government can trim the budget without inflicting undue pain on the populace. 

Fix the debt is another group attempting to creatively tackle the problem of an unsustainable government where revenue is not covering expenses. 

I am optimistic that people can work the problem and turn this around.