The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was remarkably destructive, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria significantly impacting parts of Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. More than a decade earlier, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked similar havoc on the city of New Orleans, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 46 percent of homes within city limits suffered some mold contamination. With the 2018 season in full swing, this is a timely moment to ponder new ways of improving the lasting effectiveness of remediation efforts for residences and business that have been contaminated by mold and other substances following such storms.
Although the remediation protocols currently used to eliminate mold are likely to remain vital in the wake of hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, it is still worth asking: “What happens next?” The reason for this is simple: Even when an indoor environment has been cleared of mold, there is an ever-present risk of its return. A novel application of a well-known class of microbes — known as probiotics — has a great deal of potential value in helping ensure that a property can remain protected from mold following remediation. How and why can probiotics play a helpful role in this regard?