![]() ![]() ![]() Inadequate ventilation: In the 1970s the oil embargo led building designers to make buildings more airtight, with less outdoor air ventilation, in order to improve energy efficiency. ![]() One indoor air bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Pontiac Fever and Legionnaire’s Disease. Biological contaminants can cause fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, muscle aches, and allergic reactions. Sometimes insects or bird droppings can be a source of biological contaminants. These contaminants can breed in stagnant water that gets accumulated in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or any place like ceiling tiles, insulation, or carpet. Biological contaminants: Bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants.Combustion products such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, as well as respirable particles, can come from unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, wood stoves, fireplaces and gas stoves. Environmental tobacco smoke and combustion products from stoves, fireplaces, and unvented space heaters all can put chemical contaminants into the air. Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions. Research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens. For example, adhesives, upholstery, carpeting, copy machines, manufactured wood products, cleaning agents and pesticides may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde. Chemical contaminants from indoor sources: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building.Pollutants from motor vehicle exhausts, plumbing vents, and building exhausts (bathrooms and kitchens) can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows, and other openings. Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources: Outdoor air that enters a building can be a source of indoor pollution.The health and economic implications of these attitudes are clear.īuilding-related illness dampness dampness and mould hypersensitivity syndrome indoor air quality mould sick building syndrome.Following elements may act separately or in combination to lead to Sick Building Syndrome: According to these findings, it is no longer justifiable to ignore or trivialize the mould contamination induced by moisture damage and its effects on pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. There is evidence for the causality of moisture-induced indoor moulds and severe health threats in these buildings. Environmental medical syndromes, e.g., dampness and mould hypersensitivity syndrome (DMHS), sick building syndrome (SBS), building-related symptoms (BRS), and building-related illness (BRI), and fungal pathogens, e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, pose a major threat to public health. This was made possible by new test methods for determining the toxicity of fungal components in indoor air. Since 2017, studies, especially in Scandinavia, have proved causality between moisture and mould exposure not only for pulmonary diseases but also for extrapulmonary diseases and symptoms. The health risk of fungal components is apparent as documented in the fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) of the WHO. Until 2017, a causal connection between moisture damage and mould exposure could usually only be established for pulmonary diseases. The guidelines of professional societies published in 2017 are decisive for the assessment of the impact of mould pollution caused by moisture damage on human health and for official regulations in Germany. PubMed search on the following keywords: dampness, mould, indoor air quality, public health, dampness, and mould hypersensitivity syndrome, sick building syndrome, and building-related illness as well as information from the health authorities of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, the Center of Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organisation (WHO), and guidelines of professional societies. The objective is to present evidence for the causality of health threats and indoor mould exposure. Indoor air toxicity is of major public health concern due to the increase in humidity-induced indoor mould exposure and associated health changes. ![]()
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