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Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants

Haverinen, U., Husman, T., Pekkanen, J., Vahteristo, M., Moschandreas, D., Nevelainen, A.
2001
Indoor and Built Environment, 10 (2): 83-94
dampness, exposure modelling, moisture problems, mould, occupant health, residential buildings

Haverinen, U., Husman, T., Pekkanen, J., Vahteristo, M., Moschandreas, D., Nevelainen, A., (2001), "Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants", Indoor and Built Environment, 10 (2): 83-94.
Abstract:

This study was motivated by a need to establish criteria for evaluating observations of moisture damage with respect to exposure and adverse health effects. The database used included information on moisture damage from 164 dwellings and questionnaire data collected from the occupants. Moisture damage observations were classified according to eleven variables characterising damage by, for example, size, duration and type of damaged material. Five health symptom scores were devised based on the questionnaire data. Visible mould associated with respiratory infections, irritative and skin symptoms. Damage <1 m(2) in size was associated with general and skin symptoms, and >4 m(2) in size associated with respiratory infections and skin symptoms. Damage of <3 years duration was associated with respiratory infections and damage that had existed for 3-10 years was associated with general, irritative and skin symptoms. Symptom scores were associated more frequently with damage to organic rather than inorganic materials. Criteria used to evaluate the association between the classification of moisture damage and symptom scores were excess risk compared to a two-category classification, dose responsiveness, and biological plausibility of the findings. Despite the complexity of interpretation, the results show that more accurate models of moisture damage with respect to exposure and adverse health effects can be established.
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Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Haverinen, U.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  3. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  4. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  5. Modeling moisture damage and its association with occupant health symptoms  
Husman, T.
National Public Health Institute, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Kuopio, Finland.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  3. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  4. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  5. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  6. Health effects of indoor-air microorganisms
  7. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  8. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  9. Moisture damage in schools - symptoms and indoor air microbes
  10. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  11. Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types
  12. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants  
Pekkanen, J.
  1. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  2. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms  
Vahteristo, M.
  1. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  2. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  3. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  4. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  5. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  6. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air  
Moschandreas, D.
  1. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  2. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  3. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  4. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air  
Nevelainen, A.
     


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