Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 Dampness, Moisture, and Flooding
5 Dampness, Moisture, and Flooding
Pages 133-154
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From page 133... ...
, sometimes mildew. This report, following the convention of earlier IOM reports and much of the literature on indoor environments, uses the terms fungus and mold interchangeably to refer to the microorganisms.
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From page 134... ...
estimate that two-thirds of the 771 known fatalities of Hurricane Katrina were the direct result of flooding and that additional fatalities were associated with flood-related circumstances including lack of access to potable water or medical services and exposure to extreme heat as a result of power outages. Altered climatic conditions will not introduce new dampness problems into the indoor environment but may make existing problems more wide 2 This topic is addressed in Chapter 7.
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From page 135... ...
Research regarding the sources and causes of indoor dampness was addressed in detail in a previous IOM report (2004) , which described how and where buildings become wet; reviewed the signs of dampness, how dampness is measured, and what is known about its prevalence and characteristics, such as severity, location, and duration; discussed the risk factors for moisture problems; reviewed how dampness influences indoor microbial growth and chemical emissions; cataloged the various agents that may be present in damp environments; and addressed the influence of building materials on microbial growth and emissions.
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Asthma development Lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children Inadequate or Insufficient Evidence to Determine Whether an Association Exists Airflow obstruction (in otherwise healthy Skin symptoms persons) Gastrointestinal tract problems Mucous membrane irritation syndrome Fatigue Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Neuropsychiatric symptoms Inhalation fevers (nonoccupational Cancer exposures)
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tract Wheeze symptoms Asthma symptoms in sensitized persons Cough Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in susceptible persons Limited or Suggestive Evidence of an Association Lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children Inadequate or Insufficient Evidence to Determine Whether an Association Exists Dyspnea (shortness of breath) Skin symptoms Asthma development Gastrointestinal tract problems Airflow obstruction (in otherwise healthy Fatigue persons)
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From page 138... ...
Epidemiologic research also yielded limited or suggestive evidence of an association between dampness-related agents and the "common cold" and "allergy/atopy." The sections that follow provide some background on asthma, other respiratory ailments, and other conditions mediated by an immune response. They also highlight some of the recent literature on those health outcomes.
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. Efforts to estimate the burden of asthma that can be attributed to damp indoor spaces are limited by a lack of data on the prevalence of dampness indoors and by the absence of consistent occupational or environmental information on cases of asthma.
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It is biologically plausible that exposure to bacteria (notably the endotoxin that is a cell-wall component of some bacteria) and fungi that are often present in damp indoor environments could trigger immune responses that lead to inflammation.
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As the Damp Indoor Spaces and Health report (IOM, 2004) notes, mold spores are regularly found in indoor air and on surfaces and materials; no indoor space is free of them.
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The result was severe water damage, but the damage was different from that caused by the sustained floods in New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain. After the water receded in Mississippi, the homes were dried, and mold growth was easily initiated on building materials and furnishings.
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Ross and colleagues assessed mold spores, lung function, and respiratory symptoms in 57 asthmatic residents of 44 homes in East Moline, Illinois, in April–October 1994 (Ross et al., 2000)
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Overall, the studies did not observe a statistically significant association between mold exposure and respiratory symptoms after flooding events. That result may be influenced by such factors as selection bias, lack of generalizability of the study populations, the healthy-resident effect (whereby healthy residents may be more able to conduct the necessary cleanup and renovation efforts)
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Bacteria Bacteria also thrive in damp indoor environments and often coexist with mold. As noted earlier, they can cause inflammatory responses (Hirvonen et al., 2005)
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. The 2004 IOM report Damp Indoor Spaces and Health summarizes dampness and mold remediation guidelines issued by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOH 1993, 2000)
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That suggests that careful consideration must be given to revising building codes and practices to anticipate future climatic conditions and to taking a coordinated approach to addressing risks. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of its review of the papers, reports, and other information presented in this chapter, the committee has reached the following conclusions regarding the health effects of alterations in IEQ due to dampness and flooding:
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From page 148... ...
o Damp indoor environments are associated with the initiation or exacerbation of a number of respiratory ailments. • Extreme weather and flooding events that penetrate buildings -- which may become more frequent or severe in the future -- increase the number of people at risk for health conditions related to standing water, wet building materials, and sustained high indoor humidity.
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: Re port from an ongoing epidemiological investigation on the association between indoor environmental factors and health effects among children in Sweden. Indoor Air 14(Suppl 7)
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2010. Culturable mold in indoor air and its association with moisture-related problems and asthma and allergy among Swedish children.
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Indoor Air 19(1)
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2000. Guidelines on assessment and remediation of fungi in indoor environments.
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Storrs, CT: Center for Indoor Environments and Health at University of Con necticut Health Center. Sun Y, Zhang Y, Bao L, Fan Z, Sundell J
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