Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children

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interesting stuff if you want to drive the schoolboard nuts

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Peace

Torsten, dad of Fiona 5wcf

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Indoor Air

Volume 12 Issue 3 Page 175 - September 2002

Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged

and reference schools

T. Meklin1,2, T. Husman1, A. Vepsäläinen1, M. Vahteristo1, J. Koivisto1,

J. Halla-Aho1, A. Hyvärinen1, D. Moschandreas3, A. Nevalainen4

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.