Conceptual Reference Database for Building Envelope Research Prev
Next

Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools

Meklin, T., Husman, T., Veps?l?inen, A., Vahteristo, M., Koivisto, J., Halla-aho, J., Hyv?rinen, A., Moschandreas, D. and Nevalainen, A.
2002
Indoor Air, 12(3): 175

Meklin, T., Husman, T., Veps?l?inen, A., Vahteristo, M., Koivisto, J., Halla-aho, J., Hyv?rinen, A., Moschandreas, D. and Nevalainen, A., (2002), "Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools", Indoor Air, 12(3): 175.
Abstract:
Microbial indoor air quality and respiratory symptoms of children were studied in 24 schools with visible moisture and mold problems, and in eight non-damaged schools. School buildings of concrete/brick and wooden construction were included. The indoor environment investigations included technical building inspections for visible moisture signs and microbial sampling using six-stage impactor for viable airborne microbes. Children's health information was collected by questionnaires. The effect of moisture damage on concentrations of fungi was clearly seen in buildings of concrete/brick construction, but not in wooden school buildings. Occurrence of Cladosporium, Aspergillus versicolor, Stachybotrys, and actinobacteria showed some indicator value for moisture damage. Presence of moisture damage in school buildings was a significant risk factor for respiratory symptoms in schoolchildren. Association between moisture damage and respiratory symptoms of children was significant for buildings of concrete/brick construction but not for wooden school buildings. The highest symptom prevalence was found during spring seasons, after a long exposure period in damaged schools. The results emphasize the importance of the building frame as a determinant of exposure and symptoms.

Practical Implications

Moisture damage in schools increased the respiratory symptoms of primary and secondary schoolchildren, but the effect was more clear in the school buildings with concrete/brick frame than in wooden schools. The symptoms accumulated towards the spring term, after prolonged exposure time, which may be an optimal time for doing symptom questionnaire studies. In concrete/brick buildings, the effect of moisture damage was seen as elevated concentrations of airborne fungi. Wooden buildings had higher baseline concentrations but no differences between moisture damaged and reference buildings. In practical case investigations and epidemiological studies, possible reference buildings should be matched for the frame material.
Related Resources:

Related Concepts

Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Meklin, T.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  3. Fungi and actinobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials - concentrations and diversity
  4. Microbial exposure and health in schools - effects of moisture damage and renovation
  5. Moisture damage in schools - symptoms and indoor air microbes
  6. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  7. Rain penetration control - applying current knowledge (rpc-00)
  8. Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types
  9. Skin-prick test findings in students from moisture- and mould-damaged schools: A 3-year follow-up study
  10. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air
  11. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants  
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. Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants
  4. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  5. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  6. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  7. Health effects of indoor-air microorganisms
  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  
Veps?l?inen, A.
     
Vahteristo, M.
  1. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  2. Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants
  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. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  6. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air  
Koivisto, J.
  1. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  2. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes  
Halla-aho, J.
     
Hyv?rinen, A.
  1. Characterizing moisture damaged buildings - environmental and biological monitoring
  2. Fungi in moisture-damaged building materials
  3. Isolation and identification of Aspergillus fumigatus mycotoxins on growth medium and some building materials
  4. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes  
Moschandreas, D.
  1. Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants
  2. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  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  
Nevalainen, A.
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland, and Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
  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 concentrations and size distributions of fungal spores in buildings with and without mould problems
  4. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  5. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  6. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  7. Effect of growth medium on potential of Streptomyces anulatus spores to induce inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 macrophages
  8. Effect of indoor sources on fungal spore concentrations and size distributions
  9. Effect of liner and core materials of plasterboard on microbial growth, spore-induced inflammatory responses, and cytotoxicity in macrophages
  10. Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air
  11. Fungal spores as such do not cause nasal inflammation in mold exposure
  12. Fungi and actinobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials - concentrations and diversity
  13. Induction of Cytotoxicity and Production of Inflammatory Mediators in RAW264.7 Macrophages by Spores Grown on Six Different Plasterboards
  14. Inlet sampling efficiency of bioaerosol samplers
  15. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  16. Microbes and moisture content of materials from damaged building
  17. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  18. Performance of bioaerosol samplers: collection characteristics and sampler design considerations
  19. Personal exposures and microenvironmental concentrations of particles and bioaerosols
  20. Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types
  21. Skin-prick test findings in students from moisture- and mould-damaged schools: A 3-year follow-up study
  22. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air
  23. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants
  24. Validity of detection of microbial growth in buildings by trained dogs  


CRDBER, at CBS, BCEE, ENCS, Concordia,