Abstract: We live on a very moldy planet. Microscopic fungi blossom on every scrap of plant debris and are part of every crumb of soil. Molds can also grow in great profusion in our homes and workplaces, colonizing damp walls and filling the air with their spores. Recently, these indoor molds have acquired a very bad reputation. In a textbook illustration of a media frenzy, black and toxic molds have been spotlighted as an insidious threat to the modern way of life. Stories of homes overrun by fungi have heightened the public’s awareness of indoor molds and the mere sight of a discolored shower curtain can be enough to provoke panic. Among the thousands of mold species, one fungus, Stachybotrys chartarum, has been singled out as a particular menace. This puzzling microbe was first identified on damp wallpaper in Prague in the 19th century, but is now known throughout North America. Stachybotrys produces an alarming range of toxins, but claims that its spores can cause lung damage, disrupt the immune system, and even impair memory have limited support from scientific studies. This book explores the case against Stachybotrys and other indoor molds, offering an objective assessment of the public and scientific perception of these intriguing microbes, their effects upon human health, and their significance in the courtroom.

Keywords: black mold, Stachybotrys chartarum, toxins, immune system, microbes, courtroom