What is an Acceptable or Safe Level of Mycotoxins in your Home?

Did You Know... Aflatoxins,producedbymoldfoundinmany

homes,arethemostpotentnaturalcancercausingagentknowntoman.IngestionisKNOWNtocauselivercancerinhumans.

TrichothecenesproducedbyStachybotrys (“BlackMold”),foundinwaterdamagedhomes,aresolethaltheyhavebeenusedaschemicalwarfareagents.

Ochratoxins,againproducedbyindoorfungi,arelistedintheNationalToxicologyProgram13thReportonCarcinogensas“ReasonablyAnticipatedtobeHumanCarcinogens”

Animalstudieswithmycotoxinshaveshownthatinhalationisthemosttoxicrouteofexposure.Whencertainlaboratoryanimalsareexposedtomycotoxinsbyinhalation…theydie!

Itisnotusuallythemolditselfthatcausesthemostseverehealtheffects…itisthemycotoxinstheyproduce.

What is an Acceptable Level of Exposure for Your Family?

Mold and Mold Toxins are Out There…

Fortunately, We are Here.RealTimeLabsisuniqueinitsabilitytoadequatelyassessthethreattoyourhealthfromexposuretotoxicindoormoldANDthemycotoxinstheyproduce.

q RealTimeLabscandetectthepresenceoftoxigenicandpotentiallyinfectiousmoldinindoorenvironments- WeperformERMI

(EnvironmentalRelativeMoldinessIndex)testingofenvironmentalsamplessuchasdustorACfilters.

q RealTimeLabscandetectthepresenceofmycotoxins,producedbytoxigenicmoldsintheindoorenvironments- Weperformenvironmentalmycotoxintestingon

samplesfromhomesorbuildingsq RealTimeLabscantesttheoccupantsfor

thepresenceofmycotoxinsusingitsclinicalmycotoxintest.- Weperformclinicalmycotoxintestingon

exposedoccupants.Thisisparticularlyrecommendedifthehomeorbuildingtestspositiveformycotoxins.Thesetestscanbeorderedbyaphysicianorbytheowner/occupantiftheyliveinoneofthe26statesallowingDirectAccessTesting(DAT).

It’s Not Usually the Mold Itself that Causes the Greatest Health Risk.

Analysisofahomeorbuildingforthepresenceofpotentiallyharmfulmoldcansometimesseem likeapuzzle.Spore counts cangive youapieceof thepicture, particularly forsensitizedpeoplewithallergies.But this isnotusuallyaproblemformostoccupants.Sporeidentification,byinspection,canfailtodifferentiatebetweenapotentialpathogenandaharmlessspecies.DNAtestingofsporesusingtheERMItest tellsyou ifyourhomeismoldierthan1083randomlyselectedhomesinastudydonein2006.Andallmoldtestingmissesthegreatesthealththreattotheinhabitants…theproductionofpoisonousmycotoxinsbyasmallnumberofhighlytoxigenicindoormoldspecies.

“Basically, doing the mycotoxin test with the ERMI test has been incredibly helpful. Since both only show part of the picture (not all molds are tested for on the ERMI and not all mycotoxins are tested for in the mycotoxin panel) I get a better assessment of the building with both and reduce the false negatives.” ~ Ann Shippy, MD.

Potential Health Effects from Mycotoxin

ExposureMycotoxins are well documented fortheir toxic effects on the human cell,causing a number of problems innormal cell function and associationwithawidevarietyofclinicalsymptomsanddiseasesshowntotheright:

Mycotoxin TestingThereareestimatedtobeover50,000differentspeciesofmold, but only about 200 present serious health risks tohumansoranimals.TheseharmfulspeciesarereferredtoastoxicmoldandarepotentiallyhazardousbecausetheycanproducetoxinsknownasMycotoxins.Andtheirimpactcanbelifethreatening.Commontoxigenicmoldsthatgrowinindoor,dampbuildingsandhomesinclude:

SPECIES MYCOTOXINAspergillus flavus AflatoxinA. ochraceus OchratoxinAA. niger OchratoxinAPenicillium verrucosum OchratoxinAStachybotrys chartarum MacrocyclicTrichothecenesA. versicolor SterigmatocytosinA. fumigatus GliotoxinChaetomium globosum ChaetoglobosinA,C

HEALTH EFFECTSKidneyToxicityImmuneSuppressionAutismNeurotoxicityDepressionChronicFatigueSyndromeCancerAcutePulmonaryHemorrhageAplasticAnemiaBirthDefects

15 MYCOTOXINS WE TEST FORTrichothocenes

SatratoxinG RoridinHSatratoxinH RoridinL-2IsosatratoxinF VerrucarinARoridinA VerrucarinJRoridinE

AflatoxinsAflatoxinB1 AflatoxinG1AflatoxinB2 AflatoxinG2

OchratoxinsOchratoxinA

Gliotoxin

RTL’s 15 Mycotoxin Testing PanelThe RealTime Labs Mycotoxin test detects 15different mycotoxins, including 9 highly toxicmacrocyclic trichothocenes. Testing is done usingcompetitiveELISA,averysensitivedetectionmethodusingantibodiespreparedagainstMycotoxins.

A Potentially Dangerous Miss. Why Mold Testing Alone May Miss Serious Health Hazards.

TEST 2Environmental Mycotoxin Testing on Same Dust. Results: Positive for Macrocyclic Trichothecenes. Only Produced in Indoor Environments by Stachybotrys.

TEST 3Clinical Mycotoxin Testing of Resident from Home. Results: Positive for Presence of Macrocyclic Trichothecenes in Urine.

TYPE:RealTime-PolymeraseChainReaction(RT-PCR)

RESULTS: Reported in spores/mg dust Note:mostprominentorganismsreportedhereResultsofERMIarenotedonaccompanyingresultsheet.Theimportantisolatesarenotedbelow.AllresultsarereportedpermlofPhosphateBufferedSaline(PBS)Aspergillus fumigatus 826,760spores/mgdustAspergillus niger 4,361spores/mgdustAureobasidium pullulans 633spores/mgdustAlternaria alternaria 3,370spores/mgdustChaetomium globosum 193spores/mgdustPenicillium chrysogenum 1,258spores/mgdust

No Stachybotrys detected

Procedure:TYPE: OchratoxinA(ProcedurebyELISA).TYPE: AflatoxinGroup(B1,B2,G1,G2)(ProcedurebyELISA).TYPE: TrichothecenesGroup(Macrocyclic)(ProcedurebyELISA).

Test Results: Positiveif Negative Equivocal greaterCode Test Specimen Value Result iflessthan ifbetween orequal

D8501 Ochratoxin Env-Dust 0ppbNegative 1.8ppb 1.8-2.0ppb 2.0ppbD8502 AflatoxinGroup Env-Dust 0ppbNegative 0.8ppb 0.8-1.0ppb 1.0ppbD8503 TricotheceneGroup Env-Dust 0.305ppb Positive 0.18ppb 0.18-0.2ppb 0.2ppb

TEST 1ERMI Test From Dust in Home. Results: NO STACHYBOTRYS DETECTED.

Warnings from the Experts. Readwhattheexpertshavetosayaboutenvironmentalexposuretomoldandmycotoxins.

Why Mold Testing Alone Missed the DangerERMItestsforthepresenceofmoldbydetectingspecificDNAofthemoldsporesthathavebeenreleasedintotheenvironmentbythecontaminatingmold.Itdoesnot,however,confirmthepresenceintheenvironmentofpoisonousmycotoxins,producedbythemold.Thisisthebiggerhealthconcern.Asanexample,inourexperience,wedetectStachybotrys spores (“black mold”) only 37% of the time we detect the presence of highly toxic trichothecenemycotoxins,producedbyStachybotrys.IfonlyanERMImoldtestwasconducted,thishealthriskwouldbemissed63%or2outof3times.Stachybotryssporesarelargeandheavyandgenerallywet,sotheirdisseminationthroughoutthehomeislimited.Thetrichothecenemolecules,however,areverysmallandeasilyspreadthroughoutthehomeorbuilding,wheretheycanbeinhaledoringestedbytheinhabitants.

In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated:“Microbialgrowthmayresult ingreaternumbersofspores,cellfragments,allergens,mycotoxins,endotoxins,β-glucansandvolatileorganiccompoundsinindoorair.Thecausativeagents of adverse health effects have not been identifiedconclusively,butanexcess levelofanyof theseagents intheindoorenvironmentisapotentialhealthhazard”.**World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: 2009. Dampness and Mould.

In 2004, The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences stated:

In-vitroandin-vivostudieshavedemonstratedadverseeffects- including immunotoxic, neurologic, respiratory, and dermalresponses-afterexposuretospecifictoxins,bacteria,molds,ortheirproducts.Suchstudieshaveestablishedthatexposureto microbial toxins can occur via inhalation and dermalexposureandthroughingestionofcontaminatedfood.**Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: 2004.Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states:Fungal diseases pose an important threat to public healthfor several reasons. Opportunistic infections such ascryptococcosisandaspergillosisarebecoming increasinglyproblematicasthenumberofpeoplewithweakenedimmunesystemsrises.Thisgroupincludescancerpatients,transplantrecipients,otherpeopletakingmedicationsthatweakentheimmunesystem,andpeoplewithHIV/AIDS.**CDC Web Site. Fungal DiseasesUsing the ERMI Test, RTL frequently detects Aspergillus fumigatus in water damaged homes and buildings. Invasive Aspergillosis has a mortality rate of 40%-90%. The presence of Gliotoxin, a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus is also detected by the RTL mycotoxin test.

The National Cancer Institute States: “Whichcancersareassociatedwithexposuretoaflatoxins?Exposuretoaflatoxinsisassociatedwithanincreasedriskoflivercancer*.* http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins

Importance of Testing for Macrocyclic Trichothecenes

ThemostfrequentlydetectedmycotoxinsinRealTimeLabs Test Panel are the highly toxic, macrocyclicTrichothecenes,producedbyStachybotrys chartarum (“BlackMold”).ThisisreallyattheheartofthedifferencebetweenRealTimeLabsTestandlabswhotestforT-2Trichothecenes. It isalsocritical toaccurateclinicalassessment.T-2isacontaminantoffeedandfood,andproducedbyFusariumsp.,notusuallyassociatedwithindoormoldcontamination.Sothetestingof environmental samples for T-2 hasno relevance either in assessing thecontamination of a home or building,orclinicalsignificanceas it relates tothehealthoftheoccupants.

RealTime Labs is the Only CAP and CLIA Accredited Laboratory That Can Offer You and Your Customers the Security of Knowing Their Home

is Safe From Mold AND Mycotoxins.

The Right People for the Right AnswersRealTimeLaboratoriesInc.isaCAPandaCLIA-accreditedlaboratory,specializingintestingenvironmentalandclinicalsamplesformoldandtoxicMycotoxinsproducedbymold.RealTimeLabsperformsthousandsofMycotoxintestseachyear.Dr.DennisHooper,theMedicalDirector,isaworld-renownedexpertonMycotoxins,moldexposureandmoldidentification.

Why RealTime Labs?üOnlyCAPandCLIAlabintheUSaccreditedtoperformMycotoxintestingonhumanclinicalsamples.

üTestvalidationreportshavebeenpublishedinpeer-reviewedjournals.

ü LargesttestpanelofMycotoxinswith15ofthemostcommonMycotoxinsdetected.

üOver10yearsofexperience,performingover100,000Mycotoxintests.

üScientificcommitteeincludesworld-renownedexpertsinmoldandMycotoxins.

üNumerousscientificpublicationsandconferencepresentationsonmoldandMycotoxinsfrommedicalteamandscientificcommittee.

üAcceptsMedicareandTricare.

4100 Fairway Ct. Suite 600 Carrollton, Texas 75010Patients:1.855.692.6767•Doctors:972.492.0419•Fax:972.243.7759

Dennis Hooper MD, PhD Vincent Bolton, MD Shalini Muralidhar, PhD Joseph Brewer, MD Medical Director Chairman of the Board Assoc. Medical Director Infectious Diseases ScientificCommittee ScientificCommittee ScientificCommittee ScientificCommittee