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Measured moisture in buildings and adverse health effects: A review
Author(s) -
Mendell M. J.,
Macher J. M.,
Kumagai K.
Publication year - 2018
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.12464
Subject(s) - moisture , environmental health , environmental science , atopic dermatitis , bedroom , water content , odds ratio , asthma , medicine , odds , logistic regression , geography , meteorology , engineering , dermatology , pathology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology
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.