Observational scores of dampness and mold associated with measurements of microbial agents and moisture in three public schools

Abstract

We examined associations between observational dampness scores and measurements of microbial agents and moisture in three public schools. A dampness score was created for each room from 4-point-scale scores (0–3) of water damage, water stains, visible mold, moldy odor, and wetness for each of 8 room components (ceiling, walls, windows, floor, ventilation, furniture, floor trench, and pipes), when present. We created mixed microbial exposure indices (MMEIs) for each of 121 rooms by summing decile ranks of 8 analytes (total culturable fungi; total, Gram-negative, and Gram-positive culturable bacteria; ergosterol; (1→3)-β-D-glucan; muramic acid; and endotoxin) in floor dust. We found significant (P ≤ 0.01) linear associations between the dampness score and culturable bacteria (total, Gram-positive, and Gram-negative) and the MMEIs. Rooms with dampness scores greater than 0.25 (median) had significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of most microbial agents, MMEIs, and relative moisture content than those with lower scores (≤0.25). Rooms with reported recent water leaks had significantly (P < 0.05) higher dampness scores than those with historical or no reported water leaks. This study suggests that observational assessment of dampness and mold using a standardized form may be valuable for identifying and documenting water damage and associated microbial contamination.

Allergy and respiratory health effects of dampness and dampness-related agents in schools and homes: a cross-sectional study in Danish pupils

“…The concentration and proliferation of indoor microbes might be highly attributable to indoor dampness in homes (WHO, ) and schools (Cho et al., ; Meklin et al., ; Peitzsch et al., ). The latter is in line with our finding of a significant positive association between classroom dampness and air‐sampled loads of microbial components, although microbial components differed less than a factor of two between classrooms with the highest and lowest dampness level, except for air‐sampled cultivable fungi differing by a factor of 6.4.…”

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study

“…13 Buildings may also have leaky parts enabling mold and bacterial growth. 14 Building facilities such as basements have higher risk of dampness and mold presence, [15][16][17] while school buildings located near sources of pollution such as mines, factories, and incinerators are exposed to perennial air pollution. 18 Building construction as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are important factors influencing thermal conditions and indoor air quality.…”

Mold and dampness exposure and allergic outcomes from birth to adolescence: data from the BAMSE cohort

“…Efforts to improve household energy efficiency and reduce heat loss can increase the risk of dampness and fungal contamination . Excessive indoor dampness fosters microbial proliferation and results in exposure to various microbial agents, like spores and cell fragments containing toxins, inflammatory substances, and allergens . These substances have been shown to cause irritation and immunostimulation, and induce inflammatory processes .…”