Naysayer papers

Naysayer papers

Global Indoor Health Network - Naysayers and Deniers

Naysayer/denier articles and reports spend valuable print space suggesting that disease from mold can only occur after ingestion, or can only occur in the presence of large amounts of aerosolized toxin, or can only occur in an acute exposure.  All of those writings are part of their misinformation ("Big Lie") strategy.


In light of the overwhelming peer-reviewed and journal-published evidence to the contrary, it is unimaginable that such papers are still being inked, are still being used in courts as “evidence” and are still considered relevant in any way.


Many of the naysayer/denier papers, articles and presentations are listed in the following table. If you are looking for copies of these items, please Contact Us .


To learn more about the naysayers and deniers and their decades-long campaign of misinformation, read our paper titled "Discussion of Naysayers and Deniers." Click here .

The following table is best viewed on a computer monitor (not a cell phone or tablet) using the Mozilla Firefox browser.  It does not line up correctly using the Google Chrome browser.  To download a pdf version of this table, click here.

AAAAI 2006 (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)











ACMT (American College of Medical Toxicology)















ACMT (American College of Medical Toxicology) and AACT (American Academy of Clinical Toxicology)






ACMT (American College of Medical Toxicology) and AACT (American Academy of Clinical Toxicology)






ACOEM 2002 (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine)










ACOEM 2011 (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine)





















AIHA (American Institute of Industrial Hygienists)





AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics)




Assouline-Dayan, Yehudith

Leong, Albin

Shoenfeld, Yehuda

Gershwin, M. Eric


ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)





Bardana, Emil J. Jr.

Montanaro, Anthony

O'Hoilaren, Mark T.


Bardana, Emil J. Jr.

Chapman, Jean A. 

Charlesworth, Ernest N. 

Jacobs, Robert L. 

Terr, Abba I.


Bardana, Emil J.




Bardana, Emil J.











Bardana, Emil J.




Barrett, Stephen J.

Gots, Ronald E.


Barrett, Stephen J.




Borchers, Andrea T.

Chang, Christopher

Gershwin, M. Eric


Burge, Harriet A. (and 11 others were on the IOM Committee that the time this paper was published)



Burge, Harriet A.









Burge, Harriet A.




Burge, Harriet A.




Burge, Harriet A. (and 2 others edited this paper)




Bush, Robert K.

Portnoy, Jay M. 

Saxon, Andrew 

Terr, Abba I. 

Wood, Robert A.


CDC (U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)













Chang, Christopher M.

Gershwin, M. Eric



Chang, Christopher M.

Gershwin, M. Eric


Chang, Christopher

Gershwin, M. Eric


Chapman, Jean A.

Terr, Abba I.

Jacobs, Robert L.

Charlesworth, Ernest N.

Bardana, Emil J.


Cheung, Hung K.
















Cohen, Alan H.


FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association)





FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association)












Fisher, Daniel




Frazer, Jennifer Tucker





Golden, David




Gots, Ronald E.










Gots, Ronald E.



Gots, Ronald E




Gots, Ronald E.

Clark, Geneva L.

Franklin, Donald E.


Gots, Ronald E.

Pirages, Suellen W.

Gots, Barbara A.

Nealley, Mark


Gots, Ronald E.




Gots, Ronald E.



Gots, Ronald E.





Gots, Ronald E.

Layton N.J.

Pirages, Suellen W.


Gots, Ronald E.



Gots, Ronald E.





Gots, Ronald E.




Gots, Ronald E.




Gots, Ronald E.

Pirages, Suellen W.


Gots, Ronald E.

Pirages, Suellen W.


Gots, Ronald E.



Gots, Ronald E.




Gots, Ronald E.










Gots, Ronald E.


Gots, Ronald E.

Pirages, SuellenW.



Gots, Ronald E.

Pirages, Suellen W.









Gots, Ronald E.

Gots, Barbara A. 

Spencer, J.


Guidotti, Tee L.




Guidotti, Tee L.









Guidotti, Tee L.





Guidotti, Tee L.




Guidotti, Tee L.




Guidotti, Tee L.




Guidotti, Tee L.





Guidotti, Tee L.

(with Derek R. Smith)




Harbison, Raymond D.

(with V. Sava, O. Reunova, A. Velasquez and J. Sanchez-Ramos)





Harbison, Raymond D.


Harbison, Raymond D.

Stedeford, Todd

Banasik, Marek

Muro-Cacho, Carlos A.


Harbison, Raymond D.

(with V. Sava, D. Mosquera, S. Song, T. Stedeford, K. Calero, F. Cardozo-Pelaez and J. Sanchesz-Ramos)




Harbison, Raymond D.

Stedeford, Todd

Banasik, Marek

Muro-Cacho, Carlos A.


Hardin, Bryan D.

Saxon, Andrew

Robbins, Coreen

Kelman, Bruce J.





Hardin, Bryan D. 

Kelman, Bruce J. 

Saxon, Andrew 





















Hardin, Bryan D.

Kelman, Bruce J.

Saxon, Andrew





















Hardin, Bryan D.






Hardin, Bryan D.

Robbins, Coreen A.

Fallah, Payam

Kelman, Bruce J.


Hays, Steve M.










Hutchinson, Cliff

Powell, Robert










Institute of Medicine (IOM)

--published by the National Academies












































Kelman, Bruce J.

Robbins, Coreen A

Swenson, Lonie J. 


Kelman, Bruce J.

Robbins, Coreen A.

Swenson, Lonie J.

Hardin, Bryan D.


Khalili, Barzin

Montanaro, MT

Bardana, Emil J. 


Khan, Farah



King, Blair





King, Norman

Auger, Pierre


Kirkland, Kimberly H.



Kuhn, D.M.

Ghannoum, M.A.




Kung’u, Jackson



LaBar, Gregg




Lee, Dwight R.




Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Lees-Haley, Paul R.

Brown R.S.



Lees-Haley, Paul R.





Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Lees-Haley, Paul R.










Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Lees-Haley, Paul R.

Williams, C.W.

English, L.T.


Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Light, Ed N.










Light, Ed N.










Mahmoudi, M.

Gershwin, M.E.


Metropolitan Corporate Counsel publication (about Ronald E. Gots)



Millar, J. Donald










Miller, J. David

Rand, Thomas G.

Jarvis, Bruce B.


National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine























National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)






NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)












NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)










O’Reilly, James T.

Hagan, Philip

Gots, Ronald

Hedge, Alan


OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)























Page, Elena H.

Trout, Douglas B.









Page, Elena H.

Trout, Douglas B.



Payne, James D.



Pettigrew, H. David

Selmi, Carlo F.

Teuber, Suzanne S.

Gershwin, M. Eric


Richardson, Kelly G.






Richardson, Kelly G.













Richardson, Kelly G.






Richardson, Kelly G.






Richardson, Kelly G.















Robbins, Coreen A.

Swenson, Lonie J.

Nealley, Mark L.

Gots, Ronald E.

Kelman, Bruce J.


Rudert, Amanda

Portnoy, Jay



Saxon, Andrew




Saxon, Andrew




Saxon, Andrew




Saxon, Andrew



Saxon, Andrew




Schoenburg, Patrick S.






Sepkowitz, Kent








Sudakin, Daniel L.

Kurt, Thomas











Sudakin, Daniel L.




Sudakin, Daniel L.




Terr, Abba I.




Terr, Abba I.




Tsai Y.J.

Gershwin M.E.


Truex, Bruce A.




U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Institute for Legal Reform and the Center for Legal Policy at The Manhattan Institute






























Verhoeff, Arnoud P.

Burge, Harriet A.



Wedner, H. James



Wedner, H. James



Weiner, Howard M.

Gots, Ronald E.

Hein, Robert P.


Williams, C.W.

Lees-Haley, Paul R.




Wood, Robert A.






Zalma, Barry



Zalma, Barry



Zalma, Barry




Zalma, Barry

 

The Medical Effects of Mold Exposure. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) position statement on mold (2006).

 

Naysayer papers on this topic usually cite only a few research papers to support their inaccurate position, and they ignore thousands of additional scientific research papers on this topic. This AAAAI paper cites only 44 research papers. Read the paper.

 

This item is also listed under Bush, Robert K.


 American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) 2006 Mold Position Statement. In June 2006, the ACMT published their “review” of the IOM 2004 paper. At the bottom of their “position statement,” the ACMT cites only 18 papers, and most of those papers are written by known naysayers/deniers.

 

The authors of this “review” are well-known naysayers Daniel Sudakin and Thomas Kurt (see their list of papers below). As expected, they agree with IOM 2004 paper, and they ignore thousands of research papers on this topic. Read the ACMT position statement.

 

This item is also listed under Sudakin, Daniel L

 

Ten Things Physicians and Patients Should Question. List of 10 items for ChoosingWisely.org campaign; Items 1-5 were published on September 26, 2013, and items 6-10 were published on March 26, 2015. Read the list of items.

 

https://www.choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ACMT-AACT-Choosing-Wisely-List.pdf


Ten Things Physicians and Patients Should Question. List of 10 items for ChoosingWisely.org campaign; Items 1-5 were published on September 26, 2013, and items 6-10 were published on March 26, 2015. Read the list of items.

 

https://www.choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ACMT-AACT-Choosing-Wisely-List.pdf


Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment. Known as the ACOEM 2002 position statement on mold. Read the paper.

 

Written by Hardin, Kelman and Saxon “under the auspices of the ACOEM Council on Scientific Affairs. It was peer-reviewed by the Council and its committees, and was approved by the ACOEM Board of Directors on October 27, 2002.”

 

This item is also listed under Hardin, Bryan D.


Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment (ACOEM 2011 position statement). Read the paper.

 

The ACOEM naysayer report from 2011 does not reference any paper after 2002. In the world of medicine, this paper was seriously outdated on the day it was published, and it makes the paper’s stand on mold-related illness completely irrelevant. (The ACOEM quietly removed this paper from their website in early 2015.)

 

The ACOEM 2011 position statement was "prepared under the auspices of the Council of Scientific Advisors and approved by the ACOEM Board of Directors on February 14, 2011. This revised statement updates the previous (2002) position statement which was prepared by Bryan D. Hardin, PhD; Bruce J. Kelman, PhD, DABT; and Andrew Saxon, MD; under the auspices of the ACOEM Council on Scientific Affairs."

 

This item is also listed under Hardin, Bryan D.

 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): Criteria for New Construction – White Paper.  Sponsored by the AIHA Construction and Toxicology Committees, and Green Building Working Group (acknowledgments given to several naysayers including Coreen A. Robbins) Read the paper.


The AOEC sponsored a workshop on December 11-12, 2003, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to discuss “Management of Mold-Exposed Individuals.” Read the paper.

 

Studies of Sick Building Syndrome. IV. Mycotoxicosis (Journal of Asthma, 2002, 39(3), 191-201). Read the paper.

 

 

 

ATSDR Case Studies in Environmental Triggers of Asthma (Original date: November 28, 2014). Read the paper.

 

The ATSDR is an agency within HHS--the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Building-Related Illne ss: A Review of Available Scientific Data (Clinical Reviews of Allergy, Vol. 6, 1988, Issue 1, pp. 61-89). Read the paper. 


Crossing Over to the Dark Side of the Mold Issue: A Dissenting View (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2003 Aug; 91(2):212-3; author reply 213-5).


 

 

Indoor Air Quality and Health. Does Fungal Contamination Play a Significant Role? (Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2003 May; 23(2):291-309). Read the paper.

 

Indoor Allergens and Irritants: With Emphasis on Molds in the Assessment of Indoor Quality Complaints (presentation). Read the presentation. 

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold S cience: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Sick Building Syndrome: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, Vol. 79, Number 3, September 1997). Read the paper.

 

Chemical Sensitivity: The Truth about Environmental Illness (April 1, 1998)--book. Read the information about the book.

 

Some Notes on the Overdiagnosis of “Toxic Mold” Disease (article posted on Quackwatch.org on September 23, 2006). Read the article.

 

Mold and Human Health: A Reality Check (Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, June 2017, Volume 52, Issue 3, 305–322). Read the paper.


Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures (457 pages). Published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) through the National Academies Press in 2000. The Committee included Harriet A. Burge and 11 others.


The Fungi: How They Grow and Their Effects on Human Health (1997). Read the paper.

 

A primer on how fungi are formed, how they spread in buildings, and how individuals react through allergy symptoms, irritation, and toxicoses due to exposure (HPAC Interactive Engineering; Indoor Air Quality-IAQ-and Noise, July 1997).


Fungi: Toxic Killers or Unavoidable Nuisances? (Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 87, 52-56). 2001. Read the paper.

 

Health Effects of Biological Contaminants (Indoor Air and Human Health, Chapter 10, CRC Press, 1996; 171-178)--book. Available on Google books.


Indoor Allergens: Assessing and Controlling Adverse Health Effects (321 page). Published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) through the National Academies Press in 1993. Edited by Harriet Burge, Andrew M. Pope and Roy Patterson. Read the paper.


The Medical Effects of Mold Exposure. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) position statement on mold (2006). Read the paper.




State of the Science on Molds and Human Health (CDC paper presented by Stephen C. Redd to the U.S. Congress on July 18, 2002). Read the paper.

 

The IOM 2004 report was commissioned by the CDC. 

 

NIOSH, a division of the CDC, issued a paper in 2012 that says mold only causes respiratory problems (see NIOSH below).

 

AOEC and PEHSU are funded by NIOSH and ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry—an agency for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). 

 

Indoor Air Quality and Human Health: Truth vs Mass Hysteria (Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, 2004 Dec; 27(3): 219-239). Read the paper.

 

Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax (Clinical & Developmental Immunology, June 2005, 12(2): 151-158). Read the paper.

 

The Myth of Mycotoxins and Mold Injury  (Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol, 2019 Dec; 57(3):449-455.  Read the abstract.


Toxic Mold: Phantom Risk vs Science (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2003 Sep; 91(3):222-32). Read the paper.

 

 


  

Court rulings involving Hung Cheung:

 

  • Jamie Meredith vs. Marriott Renaissance, CRB No. 16-157 (Workers Comp Case, Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Employment Services, Decision and order, March 13, 2017). Read the court ruling.
  • Karen Burnett vs Damon Corp and Thor Motor Coach (U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, Memorandum Decision and Order, December 2, 2013). Read the court ruling.
  • Kristensen vs Spotnitz and Schain (U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia, Memorandum Opinion, No. 3:09-cv-00084, September 21, 2011). Read the court ruling.

 

Brave New World: Fact or Fiction? Read the presentation.


Mold & Mildew: Cleaning Up Your Flood-Damaged Home (2007). Read the report.


FEMA is an agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).


FEMA had some good information in this report in 2007, but they now have only limited information on their website under the following heading:

 

Dealing with Mold and Mildew in Your Flood-Damaged Home (last updated May 19, 2016). It is just 2 sentences and a list of six potential causes of water damage. Then, they refer the public to the EPA and CDC websites for more information on cleanup, remediation and health hazards.


FEMA is an agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

 

Dr. Mold: The  science may be sketchy, but medical experts keep litigation alive and kicking (article for Forbes, April 11, 2005). Read the article.

 

How a Bizarre Life Form Penetrated Popular Consciousness and Launched a Creeping Hysteria (Thesis for Master of Science in Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, September 2004). Read the paper.


Three Years Later, Industry Puts Toxic Mold into Perspective (Insurance Journal article, February 9, 2004). Read the article.

 

Correcting Mold Misinformation (notes from his 2002 presentation). Read the notes.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Differential Diagnosis versus Causation (dritoday blog, January 21, 2010)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Differential Diagnosis versus Causation Assessment: Why they are separate methodologies and how they relate to Daubert (2004, users.physics.harvard.edu). Read the paper.

 

Differential Diagnosis vs Causal Assessment: Relevance to Daubert. Read the paper.


 

Essential Steps in Managing School Indoor Air Crises (2002) article by Gots, et al. Read the article.

 

 


From Symptoms to Liability: The Distinct Roles of Differential Diagnosis and Causation Assessment (article in For the Defense, July 2005, pages 24-30). Read the paper.

 

Give Your Building an Air Check (Primacentral.org, August 2001)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Indoor Air and Health: Clear Cut, Equivocal and Unlikely (Chapter 4 of Keeping Buildings Healthy, How to Monitor and Prevent Indoor Environmental Problems, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2002). Read chapter 4.

 

Indoor Health: Background Levels of Fungi (AIHA Journal, 2003 July-Aug; 64(4):427-38). Read the paper.

 


Indoor Health Problems: A Sound Process for Resolution (December 3, 2001)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Investigating Health Complaints (Chapter 3 of 

Keeping Buildings Healthy: How to Monitor and Prevent Indoor Environmental Problems, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2002). Read chapters 3 and 4.

 

Mold and Health Tips: How Medical Statements by Mold Testers Can Get You in Trouble (2002)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Mold and Mold Toxins: The Newest Toxic Tort (Journal of Controversial Medical Claims, Vol. 8, No. 1, February 2001)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Mold as Toxins (Columns, Mold 1:6-7, 5859. 2002). 

 

Mold as Toxin (Perspectives, Mold. March 2002). Read the article. 

 


Mold Claims (tips for attorneys in mold cases)—document written by Gots. Read the document.

 

Mold Claims: Recognizing What is Real and Dealing with the Current Excessive Fears and Claims (October 1, 2002)—article by Gots. Read the article.

 

Mold Medicine versus Mold Hype (presentation). Read the presentation.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University

 

Mold Misinformation (2002). Read the paper.

 

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities: Psychogenic or Toxicodynamic Origins (Int J Toxicol 18:393-400, 1999)--abstract. Read the abstract.

 

OSHA Proposed Rule for Indoor Air Quality (comments against the proposed rule). Read the document.


Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Proving Causes of Illness in Environmental Toxicology: ‘Sick Buildings’ as an Example. (Fresenius Envir Bull 1 (1992): 135-42).

 

Environmental and Occupational Health: A Critical Science (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 60:2, 59-20, 2005). Read the paper.

 

Press release titled “Ambush Above the Fold: ACOEM Response to Recent Mold Issue.” In response to the January 9, 2007, Wall Street Journal article titled “Amid Suits Over Mold, Experts Wear Two Hats,” Guidotti issued a press release defending the ACOEM 2002 mold paper. 

 

See the listing for the ACOEM 2002 paper under Hardin, Bryan D.

 

The Literature of Environmental and Occupational Health I: Appreciating Diversity in the Literature of EOH (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 61:2, 51-52, 2006). Read the paper.


The Literature of Environmental and Occupational Health II: The Scientific Research Paper (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 61:3, 99-100, 2006). Read the paper.


The Literature of Environmental and Occupational Health III: The Review Paper (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 61:4, 147-148, 2006). Read the paper.


The Literature of Environmental and Occupational Health IV: The Case Study (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 62:1, 3-4, 2007). Read the paper.


The Literature of Environmental and Occupational Health V: Multiple Publication: High Crime or Just Making Knowledge Accessible? (Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 64:4, 283-284, 2009). Read the paper.


The Peer Review Process and It's Relationship with Environmental and Occupational Health (Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, 63:1, 3-7, 2008). Read the paper.


Acute Neurotoxic Effects of the Fungal Metabolite Ochratoxin-A (NeuroToxicology, 27 (2006) 82-92. (This paper was written by 5 authors including Raymond Harbison. They injected Ochratoxin-A into mice and found it caused DNA damage and oxidative stress across all brain regions.) Read the paper.


Curriculum Vitae, 2003. Read Harbison's Curriculum Vitae.


Evaluation of Mold-Induced Adverse Health Effects (article for Harris Martin’s Columns, January 2004; Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 6-7, 59-61). Read the paper.



Rubatoxin-B Elicits Anti-Oxidative and DNA Repair Responses in Mouse Brain (Gene Expression, 2004, 11:211-219). This paper was written by 6 authors including Raymond Harbison. They injected Rubatoxin-A into mice and found that specific brain regions responded by altering SOD and OGGI activities.) Read the paper.


Toxicology and Risk Assessment of Mycotoxins (Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, Spring 2004, Mycotoxins: Mechanisms, Vol. 19:2, pp. 451-458). Read the paper. 

 


A Scientific View of the Health Effects of Mold (July 17, 2003). Read the paper.

 

This paper was commissioned by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform and the Center for Legal Policy at The Manhattan Institute (see below under U.S. Chamber of Commerce).

 

Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment. (ACOEM 2002 position statement) Read the paper. 

 

Written by Hardin, Kelman and Saxon “under the auspices of the ACOEM Council on Scientific Affairs. It was peer-reviewed by the Council and its committees, and was approved by the ACOEM Board of Directors on October 27, 2002.”


Bryan D. Hardin was an author of the ACOEM 2002 and ACOEM 2011 mold papers. Bruce J. Kelman and Andrew Saxon were also authors on the 2002 and 2011 ACOEM papers.

 

In 2007, Hardin gave a presentation during the AIHA conference where he provided a list of Opinions of “Authoritative Bodies.” His list includes only four papers—2002 ACOEM, 2004 IOM, 2006 AAAAI and 2006 ACMT—and mentions no other research papers.

 

As mentioned in the next box below, the 2011 ACOEM mold paper cited no research papers after 2002.

 

Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment (ACOEM 2011 position statement). Read the paper.

 

The ACOEM 2011 paper showed very little change from the 2002 version, and the 2011 version did not reference any research paper after 2002. In the world of medicine, this paper was seriously outdated on the day it was published, and it makes the paper’s stand on mold-related illness completely irrelevant.

 

It is important to mention that the ACOEM quietly removed the ACOEM 2011 paper from their website in early 2015.

 

The ACOEM 2011 position statement was "prepared under the auspices of the Council of Scientific Advisors and approved by the ACOEM Board of Directors on February 14, 2011. This revised statement updates the previous (2002) position statement which was prepared by Bryan D. Hardin, PhD; Bruce J. Kelman, PhD, DABT; and Andrew Saxon, MD; under the auspices of the ACOEM Council on Scientific Affairs."

 

Recently Published Evaluations of the Association of Mycotoxins and Health Effects in Indoor Environments (presentation),  American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Conference & Exposition, June 2-7, 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Read the presentation.

 

The Concentration of No Toxicologic Concern (CoNTC) and Airborne Mycotoxins (Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 72: 585-598, 2009). Read the paper. 


The Science and Art of Environmental Mold Investigations (2002 presentation). Read the presentation.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

A New Plague – Mold Litigation: How Junk Science and Hysteria Built an Industry (2003). Read the paper.

 

Written by attorneys Cliff Hutchinson and Robert Powell (July 17, 2003).

 

This paper was commissioned by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform and the Center for Legal Policy at The Manhattan Institute (see below under U.S. Chamber of Commerce).

 

Damp Indoor Spaces and Health (Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health, The National Academies Press, 2004, 370 pages). Known as the IOM 2004 report. Read the paper.

 

The IOM 2004 report was commissioned by the CDC. The 2004 IOM report titled "Damp Indoor Spaces and Health" was fraudulent and misleading.


The 2004 IOM report was commissioned by the CDC. As expected, the 2004 IOM report was limited to agree with the CDC’s inaccurate and narrowly-focused perspective, and it ignored numerous important research papers on this topic. 


The 2004 IOM paper has been ridiculed and critiqued many times. In fact, "inclusion bias" has been raised multiple times by researchers, clinicians and litigators with regard to publications put forth by the IOM, ACOEM, AAAAI and other industry-linked and industry-funded naysayers/deniers.


By intentionally ignoring or excluding published research that does not support the IOM's and National Academies' biased opinion, the casual reader would likely be unaware that accurate, up-to-date research papers exist.


The 2004 IOM paper (and the 2009 WHO paper) omitted several key research papers from their list of references. To see a list of some of the papers that were omitted, read the letter that was sent to the WHO on October 7, 2009.

 

Prior to this 2004 report, the IOM published two papers on the topic of asthma and indoor air exposures. The original groundwork for the IOM 2004 paper started with these two additional IOM papers published in 1993 and 2000.

 

  • Indoor Allergens: Assessing and Controlling Adverse Health Effects (The National Academies Press, 1993, 321 pages, edited by Andrew M. Pope, Roy Patterson and Harriet Burge). Read the paper.

 

  • Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures (The National Academies Press, 2000, 457 pages, the committee included Richard B. Johnston, Jr., Harriet A. Burge and 10 others ). Read the paper.

 

Evaluation of Potential Health Effects from Inhalation Exposure to Mycotoxins in Indoor Office and Residential Environments (Toxicological Sciences, 2002, 66:267).

 

Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins in Indoor Office and Residential Environments (International Journal of Toxicology, 23(1):3-10, January 2004). Read the paper.

 

 

Inhalational Mold Toxicity: Fact or Fiction? A Clinical Review of 50 Cases (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Sep; 95(3):239-46). Read the paper.

 

Why Is the Internet So Obsessed with Toxic Mold? (article by Dr. Farah Khan). Read the article.

 

The Truth About ‘Toxic Molds’ (article for Huffington Post, posted 11/04/2015 and updated 11/04/2016). Read the article.  (You can also read the comments in response to the article.)

 

Indoor Air Quality, Fungi and Health. How Do We Stand? (Can Fam Physician, 2002; 48: 298-302). Read the paper.

 

Health Hazards from Exposure to Mycotoxic Fungi in Indoor Environments (The Synergist, April 2001). Read the paper.

 

Indoor Mold, Toxigenic Fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: Infectious Disease Perspective (Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Jan. 2003, Vol. 16. No. 1, p. 144-172). Read the paper.

 

Mold Exposure at Home and the Workplace (article by Dr. Jackson Kung’u, 2017). Read the article.

 

Putting Indoor Air Quality in its Place (Occupational Hazards, October 1992)— opinions of naysayers Ronald Gots and Edward Sowinski. Read the article.

 

The Next Environmental Battleground: Indoor Air (National Center for Policy Analysis, NCPA Policy Report No. 174, ISBN 0-943802-78-4, November 1992). Read the paper.

 

Attorneys Influence Expert Evidence in Forensic Psychological Cases (Sage Journals, Assessment, 4, 321-324, published December 1, 1997). Read the paper.

 

Biases in Perception and Reporting Following a Perceived Toxic Exposure (Percept Mot Skills 1992 Oct; 75(2): 531-44). Read the paper.

 

Commentary on Neuropsychological Performance of Patients Following Mold Exposure (includes a Thank You to Dr. Dan Sudakin, Dr. Ron Gots, Dr. Bruce Kelman and Dr. Don Millar). Read the document.

 

Malingering Emotional Distress on the SCL-90R: Toxic Exposure and Cancerphobia (Psychological Reports, 1989, 65, 1203-1208). Read the abstract.

 

Malingering Traumatic Mental Disorders on the Beck Depression Inventory: Cancerphobia and Toxic Exposure (Psychological Reports, 1989, 65, 623-626). Read the paper.

 

Mold Neurotoxicity: Validity, Reliability and Baloney (Posted on Quackwatch.com. Read the article.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Neuropsychological Complaint Base Rates of 170 Personal Injury Claimants (Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vol. 8, pp. 203-209, 1993). Read the paper.

 

Response Bias in Self-Reported History of Plaintiffs Compared with Nonlitigating Patients (Psychological Reports, 1996, 79, 811-818). Read the paper.

 

Toxic Mold and Mycotoxins in Neurotoxicity Cases (Journal of Controversial Medical Claims, Vol. 11, No. 2, May 2004). Read the paper.

 

Mold Remediation: How Complex Should it Be? Read the paper.


Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Mold Remediation: How Complex Should it Be? --presentation. Read the presentation.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University.

 

Sick Building Syndrome. III. Stachybotrys Chartarum (37 J. Asthma, 191, 191-98 (2000). Read the abstract.


An Expert Who Has Been There—Dr. Ronald E. Gots (Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, April 1, 2005)--article about Ronald E. Gots. Read the article.

 

Mold and Human Illness: One Epidemiologist’s View (presentation). Read the presentation.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University

 

Stachybotrys chartarum: Cause of Human Disease or Media Darling? (Medical Mycology, 2003; 41: 271-291). Read the paper.

 

The National Academies published the Instititute of Medicine 2004 (IOM 2004) report titled "Damp Indoor Spaces and Health." As discussed above, under "Institute of Medicine," the IOM 2004 report was inadequate and has been ridiculed and critiqued many times.


In fact, "inclusion bias" has been raised multiple times by researchers, clinicians and litigators with regard to publications put forth by the IOM, ACOEM, AAAAI and other industry-linked and industry-funded naysayers/deniers.


In 2022, 18 years later, the National Academies published another inadequate and flawed report. This new report, titled "Why Indoor Chemistry Matters," is 192 pages. They included the words mold and mycotoxins only a couple times and never mention the health effects. So, this paper is actually weaker than the one they published in 2004.


The National Academies' so-called experts are clearly not up to date with the scientific literature and are out of touch with the scientific community's view of these issues.

Read the 2022 paper.


Scientific Literature Review of Mold: A Report on the Health Effects of Indoor Mold (September 2003). Read the paper.

 

Review panel members: Scott D. Phillips, Wendell Rahorst, William F. Schoenwetter and Wayne R. Thomann.

 

NIEHS is a division of the NIH (National Institutes of Health), which is a part of the U.S. Health and Human Services agency.

 

On the NIEHS website , they say that “inhalation is considered the primary way that people are exposed to mold,” but “molds are generally not harmful to healthy humans.” 

 

So, they admit that inhalation is the primary route of these exposures, but then they say that molds are generally not harmful.

 

NIOSH Alert, Preventing Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures Caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustrial Buildings (November 2012, Publication No. 2013-102). Read the report.

 

In this report from NIOSH, they address only the respiratory effects of mold (and ignore the other serious health effects).

 

NIOSH is a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

Keeping Buildings Healthy: How to Monitor and Prevent Indoor Environmental Problems (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2002, this book has two chapters written by Ronald Gots, see above under his name). Read the two chapters.

 

A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace (updated on November 8, 2013). Read the report.


They admit that mold causes allergic reactions, skin infections, asthma attacks and systemic infections in persons with impaired immunity. However, they refuse to go any further and merely state that “scientific research on the relationship between mold exposures and health effects is ongoing,” and “potential health effects from mycotoxins are the subject of ongoing scientific research and are beyond the scope of this document.”

 

NOTE: In 1994, OSHA issued a report proposing standards on how to address indoor air quality in indoor work environments (Federal Register 59:15968-16039). The report estimated that 30% of buildings had indoor air quality problems. Their proposed rules were never made official. On December 17, 2001 (7 years later), OSHA withdrew their proposal (Federal Register 66:64946). It is interesting to note that they withdrew this paper at the same time that the mold issue was heating up in the news and lawsuits and insurance companies were removing coverage for mold from their homeowners’ insurance policies.

 

The Role of Mycotoxins in Building-Related Illness (2002 presentation). Read the presentation.

 

Conference on Mold Medicine & Mold Science: Its Practical Applications for Patient Care, Remediation & Claims, May 13-14, 2002, Georgetown University Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sponsored by International Center for Toxicology and Medicine (ICTM) and the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University

 

The Role of Stachybotrys Mycotoxins in Building-Related Illness (AIHAJ 62:644-648, September/October 2001). Read the paper.

 

Texas Mold: The Litigation Gusher that Didn’t Hit, Yet (2003 article). Read the article.

 

Mold and Human Health: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff (Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol, 2010, 38:148-155). Read the paper.

 

  

Debunking Some Toxic Mold Myths (2016 article). Read the article.

 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mold-729193-health-many.html


Kelly G. Richardson, an attorney in California, started writing articles in 2016 that perpetuate the myth that mold is not harmful. He refers to the 2004 IOM paper which omitted several key research papers, and he does not mention any of the scientific, published research papers on mold that were published before or after 2004.

 

The Truth About Toxic Mold (Part 1) 2016 article. Read the article.

 

https://rhopc.com/234-hoa-homefront-the-truth-about-toxic-mold-part-1/

 

The Truth Behind 13 Pervasive Myths on Mold (September 26, 2016, article). Read the article.

 

http://www.pe.com/2016/09/26/the-truth-behind-13-pervasive-myths-on-mold/

 

What They Aren’t Telling You About Mold (Part 2) 2016 article. Read the article.

 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mold-398732-ocprint-emergency-consultants.html


Kelly G. Richardson wrote two more naysayer/denier articles in 2020, as follows:


  • HOA Homefront: The myths about mold that just won’t die. June 25, 2020, article. Read the article.

 

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/06/25/hoa-homefront-the-myths-about-mold-just-wont-die/


  • HOA Homefront: More myths about mold (Part 2). July 2, 2020, article. Read the article.

 

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/02/hoa-homefront-more-myths-about-mold-part-2/

 

Health Effects of Mycotoxins in Indoor Air: A Critical Review (Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2000, 15, 773-784). Read the paper. 

 



Mold Allergy: Is It Real and What Do We Do About It? (Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2017 Aug;13(8):823-835. Epub 2017 May 17). Read the paper.


Deposition of Andrew Saxon and Ronald Gots in the case of Hake vs Coleman Homes (November 28, 2016). Read the deposition.


Gorman case settlement of $22.6 million (November 2, 2005, article). Saxon was a defense expert in this case. Read the article.


Jury Award of $2.3 million to Harold family (May 5, 2006, article). Saxon was a defense expert in this case. Read the article and Special Verdict form.


Saxon's IME (Independent Medical Examination) report on the case of Anthony Pitaro ( June 30, 2000). Read the report.     

Saxon's IME (Independent Medical Examination) report on the case of Shamiram Chandon (December 18, 2001). Read the report.


Analyzing Mold Claims from Medical and Scientific Perspectives: What Owners, Managers, Builders, and Their Attorneys Need to Know (Real Property Law, Reporter, January 2006, Volume 29, Number 1, pages 209-211. Read the paper.

 

Hurricane Sandy Won’t Bring a Mold Epidemic – The paranoia about mold being left behind by the floods is unwarranted (article on thedailybeast.com, November 4, 2012). Read the article.

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/hurricane-sandy-wont-bring-a-mold-epidemic

 

American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT)

2006 Mold Position Statement. Read the paper.

 

The ACMT concurs with the 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) paper titled “Damp Indoor Spaces and Health.” As a reminder, the 2004 IOM paper omitted numerous important research papers.

 

Primary authors were Daniel Sudakin and Tom Kurt (well-known naysayers/deniers regarding the health effects of mold).

 

Stachybotrys chartarum: Current Knowledge of its Role in Disease (Medscape General Medicine, 2000, February 29, 1-7). Read the paper.

 

Toxigenic Fungi in a Water-Damaged Building: An Intervention Study (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1998, 34, 183-190). Read the paper.


Are Indoor Molds Causing a New Disease? (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Volume 113, Issue 2, February 2004, Pages 221–226). Read the paper.

 

Stachybotrys: Relevance to Human Disease (Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 2001, 87, 57-63). Read the paper.

 

The Sick Building Syndrome: What Is It, When It Is? (28 Compr. Ther. 140, 140-44 (2002). Read the abstract.


Mold Caused Neuropsychological Injuries: Fact or Fiction? (article by Bruce Truex with Secrest Wardle law firm, 2004, Vol. IV, No. 1). Read the paper.

 

The Growing Hazard of Mold Litigation (July 17, 2003). Read the report.

 

"The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform was founded in 1998 as a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt, separately incorporated affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce."

 

Note: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is not a government agency. It is merely a lobbying group for business.

 

"The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, partnering with the Center for Legal Policy of the Manhattan Institute, commissioned two papers that take a close look at mold litigation and the science of mold. The first, by Cliff Hutchinson and Robert Powell, two experienced litigators with Hughes and Luce in Dallas and Austin, provides a legal perspective on mold claims. The second, written by a team of scientists led by Dr. Bryan Hardin, former Deputy Director of NIOSH and former Assistant Surgeon General in the Public Health Service, addresses the scientific evidence."

 

These two papers are listed individually above (under Hutchinson and Hardin) and their titles are:

 

  • A New Plague – Mold Litigation: How Junk Science and Hysteria Built an Industry (by attorneys Cliff Hutchinson and Robert Powell). Read the paper.


  • A Scientific View of the Health Effects of Mold (written by Bryan D. Hardin, Andrew Saxon, Coreen Robbins and Bruce J. Kelman). Read the paper.

 

Health Risk Assessment of Fungi in Home Environments (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1997; 78:544-54) Supported by a grant from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. Read the paper.

 

Curriculum Vitae, 2006, from Washington University St. Louis website. Read Wedner’s Curriculum Vitae.


The Hidden Allergy Problem. Article in Parent’s Magazine, April 2009. Read the article.


Medical Causation and Expert Testimony: Allergists at this Intersection of Medicine and Law (Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012; 12:590–598). Read the paper.

 

Perceived Toxic Exposure: A Review of Four Cognitive Influences on Perception of Illness (Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 1993, 8, 489-506). Read the abstract.

 

Mold Growing in Flooded Basements or Other Damp Spots Can Cause Allergic Reactions (article in the Washington Post, January 14, 2013, that includes comments and quotes from Robert Wood at Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital). Read the article.

 

Curriculum Vitae dated June 6, 2016. Read Zalma's Curriculum Vitae .


Insidious Mold Fraud (The White Paper, Vol. 17, No. 5, September/October 2003). Read the paper.

 

Mold and the Ballard/Allison Case (Spring 2003, Property Insurance Law Committee Newsletter, ABA, Tort and Insurance Practice Section). 

 

Mold is Not Gold (VUpoint Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 4, Issue # 178, February 23, 2007 and Claims Magazine, Marc h 2007).


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