Do Mold Spores Have a Smell

I was doing a mold clearance in Petaluma over the holiday weekend and the question came up... do mold spores have a smell? The question came up again during a mold inspection in Santa Rosa this morning so I thought it was worth a blog.  The smell associated with mold growth is usually associated with the microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOC's) which may or may not be associated with the actual spore.  When you smell that musty, moldy odor, it is usually a good indication that there is mold growth in the vicinity... but the lack of smell dosn't mean that there is no mold.  As an environmental consultant (mold inspector, industrial hygienist, etc.) I have many tools to help me determine the presence or absence of mold spores, but my best tools, and the ones I rely on the most, is my visual and olfactory senses (eyes and nose).