Measured moisture in buildings and adverse health effects: A review
| Autor: | Mark J. Mendell, Kazukiyo Kumagai, Janet M. Macher |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Environmental Engineering
Respiratory Tract Diseases Air Microbiology 0211 other engineering and technologies 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences Adverse health effect Environmental health 021105 building & construction medicine Humans Water content 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Asthma Asthma exacerbations Moisture Construction Materials Fungi Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Humidity Building and Construction Atopic dermatitis Odds ratio medicine.disease Air Pollution Indoor Disease Progression Environmental science Bedroom |
| Zdroj: | Indoor Air. 28:488-499 |
| ISSN: | 0905-6947 |
| Popis: | It has not yet been possible to quantify dose-related health risks attributable to indoor dampness or mold (D/M), to support setting specific health-related limits for D/M. An overlooked target for assessing D/M is moisture in building materials, the critical factor allowing microbial growth. A search for studies of quantified building moisture and occupant health effects identified 3 eligible studies. Two studies assessed associations between measured wall moisture content and respiratory health in the UK. Both reported dose-related increases in asthma exacerbation with higher measured moisture, with 1 study reporting an adjusted odds ratio of 7.0 for night-time asthma symptoms with higher bedroom moisture. The third study assessed relationships between infrared camera-determined wall moisture and atopic dermatitis in South Korea, reporting an adjusted odds ratio of 14.5 for water-damaged homes and moderate or severe atopic dermatitis. Measuring building moisture has, despite extremely limited available findings, potential promise for detecting unhealthy D/M in homes and merits more research attention. Further research to validate these findings should include measured "water activity," which directly assesses moisture availability for microbial growth. Ultimately, evidence-based, health-related thresholds for building moisture, across specific materials and measurement devices, could better guide assessment and remediation of D/M in buildings. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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