As humans, we sometimes forget that nature has done an amazing job at fighting itself. Different packs of wolves will sometimes work together while other may attack each other. Mold is no different. In the West African countries of Benin and Togo, 99% of children have shown to have aflatoxins in their blood. These mold toxins are a major cause of liver cancer in the African populations. The tasteless toxins are produced by the mold aspergillus flavus, a brown, paintbrush-shaped mold that is indigenous to hot and arid regions in the US, Asia, and Africa and is ubiquitous to Third World countries.
In Africa, aspergillus flavus grows on cotton. Animals ingest the cotton seeds and humans eat the animals, thus affecting the human populations with the dangerous aflatoxins which drastically impair growth and other types of development.
But Dr. Peter J. Cotty is trying a remedy that just might be crazy enough to work – supplant the dangerous aspergillus flavus with a different kind of harmless mold.
The reason mold produce harmful mycotoxins in the first place is mostly to attack other molds that start to grow and horn in their territory. Mold constantly compete for survival against each other, so they are their own greatest enemies.
Cotty’s idea is simple; by introducing a competitive, but harmless mold into crop fields that are susceptible to aspergillus flavus growth, the new mold will outgrow the aspergillus and minimize its presence.
The non-toxic mold to fight aspergillus flavus is simply a different strain of aspergillus. It is introduced to crops simply by spreading grains of corn infected with the mold onto crops. It is also very cost effective. Five kilos of mold-infected grains of corn are enough to inoculate an area of one hectare. This makes it an ideal solution for developing countries.
The new strain of aspergillus mold is tasteless and entirely harmless to humans. Tests have shown that the infection of the cotton cobs dropped from an average of 1,000 parts per billion to below 20.
While fighting fire with fire may be an appropriate solution for field crops, for mold growing in your home you can use the same methods by working with an experienced mold remediator that uses enzymes to attack mold and digest it. We at Guardian Preservation Services are trusted for its experience, reliability, and knowledge in indoor air quality and mold removal through the use of enzymes. If you need mold removal and want to use a natural, organic, and safe method that doesn’t involve chemicals…give us a call.
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