CRDConcept: fungi: molds in buildings

Mold growth in buildings are extensive for a large portion of the housing stock: "The proportion of buildings with mold growth in Northern Europe and North America is perhaps as high as 20¨C40%. Data from the UK suggest that 30¨C45% of buildings are moldy (Hunter et al., 1988; Platt et al., 1989), while 20¨C25% of buildings may be affected in The Netherlands (Adan, 1994), 20¨C30% in Finland (Koskinen et al., 1999; Nevalainen et al., 1998), 40% in the USA (Brunekreef et al., 1989), and 30% in Canada (Dales et al., 1991). In Denmark, up to 50% of schools and daycare centers have mold growth (Gravesen et al., 1999). " -- in Nielsen, 2003, Mycotoxin production by indoor molds

The most common mold species found in damp buildings are: Pencillium, Cladosporium, Ulocladium, Geomyces pennorum and Sistronema brinkmannii ( Kuhn and Ghannoum, 2003 )) Miller et al., 1988, Fungi and fungal products in some Canadian houses had a larger list of a few dozen indoor molds.

Sivasubramani et al., 2004, Fungal spore source strength tester: laboratory evaluation of a new concept ::: "Fungi can grow on almost any building material if there is enough moisture available (Pasanen et al., 1994). Moreover, the high cellulose content in building materials such as ceiling tiles provides an ideal environment for fungal growth. Presently, it is common to construct walls, both interior and exterior, with wall systems that use gypsum wallboard, ceiling tiles, fiberglass insulation and vinyl wallpaper. These building materials contain nutrients, which are available for fungal colonization if adequate moisture is present. North American cross-sectional questionnaire studies have revealed that 27¨C36% of homes exhibit mold problems ( Dales et al., 1991 and Spengler et al., 1993). A Finnish study conducted by Nevalainen et al. (1998) showed that 80% of 450 randomly chosen houses of different age were affected by moisture problem.(Pasanen, A.L., Kalliokoski, P. and Jantunen, M., 1994. Recent studies on fungal growth on building materials. In: Samson, R.A., Flannigan, M.E., Verhoeff, A.P., Adan, O.C.G. and Hoekstra, E.S., Editors, 1994. Air quality monographsˇŞhealth implication of fungi in indoor environments 2, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 485¨C493. Dales, R.E., Burnett, R. and Zwanenburg, H., 1991. Adverse health effects among adults exposed to home dampness and molds. Am Rev Respir Dis 143, pp. 505¨C509. Spengler JD, Neas L, Nakai S, Dockery D, Speizer F, Ware J, Raizanne M. Respiratory symptoms and house characteristics. In: Kalliokoski P, Jantunen M, Sepp?nen O, editors. Health effects. Proceedings of Indoor Air 93 Conference, Gummerus Oy, Jyv?skyl?, Finland 1993;1:pp. 165¨C171; Nevalainen, A., Partanen, P., J??skel?inen, E., Hyv?rinen, A., Koskinen, O., Meklin, T., Vahteristo, M., Koivisto, J. and Husman, T., 1998. Prevalence of moisture problems in Finnish houses. Indoor air 4, pp. 45¨C49.)

Web Links (9):

Notes

Air Quality Sciences AQS: An IAQ company "To evaluate and maintain acceptable air quality in indoor spaces,...". With good background information.
Air Sampling Guides: Links to Guide to NIOSH, OSHA and ASTM Air Sampling Methods; Guide to EPA Air Sampling Standards; Guide to HSE Air Sampling Standards; Passive (Diffusive) Sampling Guide. Other aerosol sampler information
FAQ ¨C Mould - CWC: Answers to several questions on molds related particular to wood
fungal research group pub-abs: More than 60 references with abstract on mold, house, and health, also see the other half of the list
Fungal Resources and Glossary - Univ. of Minnesota, Environmental Health & Safety: Basics, images, in buildings, and A "Fungal Glossary" gives basic facts and references for five pages of genera & species.
IEA Annex 14: Condensation and Energy: "provided architects, building owners, practitioners as well as researchers, with a better knowledge and understanding of the physical background of these phenomena (critical) conditions for mould growth, material characteristics related to the problems, it has also provided them with better computation models taking air, heat and moisture transfer into account in order to predict properly the phenomena of surface condensation and possible solutions to avoid it."
Mold: The Whole Picture - Abbey Newsletter: A 4 series of articles on mold by Ellen McCrady: The Whole Picture Pt. 1; Pt. 2, Assessment of Mold Problems; Pt. 3, A Neglected Public Health Problem; Part 4: Effect of Mold on Schools, Homes, & Human Beings
Science and Technology of Mould in the Indoor Environment: "A three-stage consultation forum will bring together stakeholders and experts to identify gaps in knowledge and research. "
Systematic Botany and Mycology databases: Searchable of fungi

Related References (112)

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CRDBER, at CBS, BCEE, ENCS, Concordia, June 2014