Category
5 min read

Mycotoxins

Published on
May 18, 2023

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What are they and does the Pure Maintenance treatment address them?

We are often asked, “Will our Pure Maintenance treatment kill Mycotoxins?” Well, based on thousands of case studies of happy, healthy customers, the answer is a definitive yes. Mycotoxins are incredibly small, so testing for them is very difficult. Explaining how we disrupt them is complicated. Firstly, mycotoxins are not alive, so they cannot be killed. Disruption is probably a better term. Having said that, we can and do oxidize mycotoxins. InstaPURE has a rapid action against all microorganisms, and will inactivate gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and yeasts in just a few minutes of dwell time. Furthermore, InstaPURE oxidizes sulfhydral and sulfur bonds in proteins, enzymes, and other metabolites. Simply put, InstaPURE’s oxidation of sulfhydral and sulfur bonds in mycotoxins is the best explanation. 

There is another practical aspect to this (and frankly, my favorite). Mycotoxins are a secondary metabolite (byproduct) of mold releasing enzymes to break down their food, consuming said food, and then releasing a “burp”. The burp is the mycotoxin. By eliminating (denaturing) the mold through our process, we also remove the mechanism that releases mycotoxins. As parents excuse the teenager from the dinner table, the burps go, right? Then, it's simply a matter of introducing fresh air to the home or building. Remember the maxim: 'The solution to pollution is dilution.' Nowhere is this more true than within a home once it has received the Pure Maintenance VaPure treatment.

Relative to the health aspects of mycotoxins, there are numerous mycotoxins produced by mold. Aspergillus produces Aflavus, Aflatoxin, and Ochratoxin; Stachy produces tricothecenes; and Chaetomium produces two different mycotoxins called chaetoglobosins A and chaetoglobosins C. All of the aforementioned are very common in water-damaged buildings. Tricothecene or T-2 is exactly what Nerve Gas is made from. It is suspected to have been used in Laos and Cambodia in the late 70s and early 80s, and in Afghanistan in more recent years. It has been described and aptly named 'Yellow Rain.' It causes all kinds of health issues from nausea, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, bleeding disorders, and even death. It is also linked to various neurological problems. Obviously, in the case of 'Yellow Rain,' the concentration is lethal.

The study of mycotoxins within the indoor air industry is in its infancy. It has long been studied relative to livestock, agricultural commodities, and food supplies; particularly the food or grain "It is well documented that cattle are fed peanuts, which have mycotoxins along with the mold. However, it has only recently risen to the attention of indoor air hygienists and the medical world, associating indoor mold and mold toxicity. A number of companies are working on “real time” mycotoxin testing with varying degrees of success. Rest assured that Pure Maintenance is still the best defense for homeowners who are being negatively affected by indoor mold, spores, bacteria, mycotoxins, and endotoxins -- Mike Adams."