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Observational scores of dampness and mold associated with measurements of microbial agents and moisture in three public schools
Author(s) -
Cho S. J.,
CoxGanser J. M.,
Park J.H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12191
Subject(s) - indoor bioaerosol , observational study , moisture , bioaerosol , environmental science , contamination , toxicology , veterinary medicine , medicine , biology , aerosol , ecology , chemistry , organic chemistry
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 ( MMEI s) 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 MMEI s. Rooms with dampness scores greater than 0.25 (median) had significantly ( P < 0.05) higher levels of most microbial agents, MMEI s, 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.