for non-water damaged homes in the area. further research found that homes with greater than three feet of indoor flooding demonstrated significantly higher levels of mold than those with little or no flooding. mitigation recommended strategies to prevent mold include avoiding mold-contamination; utilization of environmental controls; the use of personal protective equipment (ppe), including skin and eye protection and respiratory protection; and environmental controls such as ventilation and suppression of dust. when mold cannot be prevented, the cdc recommends clean-up protocol including first taking emergency action to stop water intrusion. second, they recommend determining the extent of water damage and mold contamination. and third, they recommend planning remediation activities such as establishing containment and protection for workers and occupants; eliminating water or moisture sources if possible; decontaminating or removing damaged materials and drying any wet materials; evaluating whether space has been successfully remediated; and reassembling the space to control sources of moisture. history in 1698, the physician sir john floyer published the first edition of a treatise of the asthma, the first english textbook on the malady. in it, he describes how dampness and mold could trigger an asthmatic attack, specifically, "damp houses and fenny countries". he also writes of an asthmatic "who fell into a violent fit by going into a wine-cellar", presumably due to the "fumes" in the air. in the 1930s, mold was identified as the cause behind the mysterious deaths of farm animals in russia and other countries. stachybotrys chartarum was found growing on the wet grain used for animal feed. illness and death also occurred in humans when starving peasants ate large quantities of rotten food grains and cereals heavily overgrown with the stachybotrys mold. in the 1970s, building construction techniques changed in response to changing economic realities, including the energy crisis. as a result, homes, and buildings became more airtight. also, cheaper materials such as drywall came into common use. the newer building materials reduced the drying potential of the structures, making moisture problems more prevalent. this combination of increased moisture and suitable substrates contributed to increased mold growth inside buildings. today, the us food and drug administration and the agriculture industry closely monitor mold and mycotoxin levels in grains and foodstuffs to keep the contamination of animal feed and human food supplies below specific levels. in 2005, diamond pet foods, a us pet food manufacturer, experienced a significant rise in the number of corn shipments containing elevated levels of aflatoxin. this mold toxin eventually made it into the pet food supply, and dozens of dogs and cats died before the company was forced to recall affected products. in november 2022, a uk coroner recorded that a two year old child, awaab ishak from rochdale, england, died in 2020 of "acute airway oedema with severe granulomatous tracheobronchitis due to environmental mould exposure" in his home. the finding led to a 2023 change in uk law, known as “awaab’s law”, which will require social housing providers to remedy reported damp and mould within certain time limits. litigation in 1999, an austin, texas, woman was awarded $32 million when she sued her insurer over mold damage in her 22-room mansion. in 2001, a jury awarded a couple and their eight-year-old son $2.7 million, plus attorney's fees and costs, in a toxic mold-related personal injury lawsuit against the owners and managers of their apartment in sacramento, california. in 2002, the u.s. international trade commission reported that, according to one estimate, us insurers paid over $3 billion in mold-related lawsuits, more than double the previous year's total. in 2003, there were over 10,000 mold-related lawsuits pending in us state courts according to the insurance information institute. most were filed in states with high humidity, but suits were on the rise in other states as well. notably that year, the tonight show co-host ed mcmahon received $7.2 million from insurers and others to settle his lawsuit alleging that toxic mold in his beverly hills home made him and his wife ill and killed their dog. also that year, environmental activist erin brockovich received settlements of $430,000 from two parties and an undisclosed amount from a third party to settle her lawsuit alleging toxic mold in her agoura hills, california, home. by 2004, many mold litigation settlements were for amounts well past $100,000. in 2005, the u.s. international trade commission reported that toxic mold showed signs of being the "new asbestos" in terms of claims paid. in 2006, a manhattan beach, california, family received a $22.6 million settlement in a toxic mold case. the family had asserted that moldy lumber had caused severe medical problems in their child. that same year, hilton hotels received $25 million in settlement of its lawsuit over mold growth in the hilton hawaiian village's kalia tower. in 2010, a jury awarded $1.2 million in damages in a lawsuit against a landlord for neglecting to repair a mold-infested house in laguna beach, california. the lawsuit asserted that a child in the home had severe respiratory problems for several years as a result of the mold. in 2011, in north pocono, pennsylvania, a jury awarded two homeowners $4.3 million in a toxic mold verdict. in 2012, a key appellate court in manhattan found a consensus in the scientific literature for a causal relationship between the presence of mold and resultant illness. policy while there is a national policy in the united states regarding mold, each state is responsible for independently creating and administering its policy. for example, following hurricane harvey, the governor of texas sought to expand the emergency response to allow mold-remediation companies to come from out of state. under section 17920.3 of the california health & safety code, visible mold growth and dampness of habitable rooms can be sufficient for a home to be declared as a "substandard building", offering legal recourse for those affected, such as tenants in moldy apartments. notably, california recognizes by law not only that dampness and mold exacerbate asthma but can cause its development.