How do I know if I have toxic black mold in my home?

The term “toxic” can be very misleading. Anything, including water, can be toxic at the right dose. A better term might be “toxigenic” which would indicate that the mold has the POTENTIAL to produce mycotoxins, and those molds that are toxigenic do not always produce toxins. The production of mycotoxins is determined by the environmental conditions and is not well researched.When people talk about “toxic black mold”, most often they are referring to Stachybotrys.  The reality is that many species of mold are toxigenic and color is not a reliable way to identify mold. Stachybotrys is what we call a “tertiary colonizer” which means it’s not the first type of mold to show up after water intrusion. Stachybotrys has a relatively high moisture requirement, so it is usually found in areas where cellulose materials have been saturated for a long time. From a remediation perspective, Stachybotrys is a relatively large spore, and therefore more likely to settle out… which makes it an easier mold to clean.