Bogus Experts Fuel Mould Epidemic

Mould Illness Is Becoming an Uncontrollable &Unregulated Hazard

LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, July 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jeff Charlton, the UK’s leading environmental hygienist and director of Building Forensics, has issued a stark warning to the public and policymakers: toxic mould is no longer just an inconvenience — it is a growing health crisis.

Mould-related illness has been increasingly linked to a wide range of chronic and life-altering conditions, including Alzheimer’s, cancer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, IBS, and brain fog, as well as autoimmune and neurological disorders in children and adults. Yet, Charlton warns, the critical scientific understanding needed to identify and prevent exposure is now being undermined by a flood of unqualified, self-proclaimed “experts.”

“Search Google for a ‘mould expert,’ and you’ll find hundreds of websites — but if you ask ChatGPT or check any independent database, you’ll find none of these people are properly qualified,” says Charlton.

Many so-called professionals and self-proclaimed experts complete only a two- or three-day online course costing just a few hundred pounds. These include misleading qualifications such as:

Mould expert "Accredited” training, by Dew Point where anyone can undertake a two-training module costing £400 and receive a City & Guilds certificated but false "Professional status , which upon investigation didn't even test the candidate but only the course delivery. Complaint to C&G resulted in their demanding their logo be removed, but only after thousands of homes have been assessed and treated with toxic chemicals and probably wrongly assessed or health hazards and treatment.
UKAME “accreditations” which in my opinion are not recognised by any professional environmental health body and are often self-certified.
- IICRC courses, such as AMRT, designed for technicians — not lead investigators or health-risk assessors — and which require supervision by a qualified Environmental Hygienist to write the scope and provide verified independent clearance. Yet most UK operators claiming IICRC affiliation do not even appear on the official US registry and rarely if ever follow the standard or recognise it's unsuitable for mould illness risk reduction.

Charlton emphasises the risk:
“These individuals advise people on whether to demolish, decontaminate, move out of their home, or seek medical help — yet they’ve received less training than a first-aid certificate. Worse, they may tell a vulnerable family there’s no health hazard when there is.”

This growing crisis isn’t simply about misinformation but public safety. Mould and bio-contamination are scientifically proven to cause serious, even fatal, health effects. Without regulation and proper oversight, families are being misled, homes are being mistreated, and health is being jeopardised — often with no legal recourse. A recent USA court case showed a $500,00 fine for falsely claiming registration of safe products, but similar products and the same name are used daily in thousands of UK homes.

Unfortunately, SEO and advertising budget appear to be the driving force, not expertise in mould. Even healthcare professionals are misled by the technical speak learnt by the charlatans in the two-day training courses, which can lead to these companies being suggested to their patients, usually resulting in worsening health issues.
Even Mould Forums appear to be infiltrated and manipulated by these bogus experts, who invariably buy hundreds or thousands of Google-type reviews or pay forum members to shout their praises regularly.

About Jeff Charlton & Building Forensics

Jeff Charlton is the UK’s leading mould and environmental hygiene expert, internationally certified, and awarded for his lifetime contribution to disaster recovery and environmental health. Building Forensics has led forensic mould investigations across homes, schools, government buildings, and legal cases. More information about certifications can be found on our website

Jeff Charlton
BuildingForensics
+44 20 3916 5505
About Jeff Charlton & Building Forensics Jeff Charlton is t