Public health and economic impact of dampness and mold Page: 4 of 19
This article is part of the collection entitled: Office of Scientific & Technical Information Technical Reports and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Accepted for publication in Indoor Air
Table 1. Summary health risks for dampness and mold in U.S. houses from Fisk, et al.
(2007).
Outcome # of Studies Odds Ratio (95% CI)
Upper respiratory tract 13 1.70 (1.44-2.00)
symptoms
Cough 18 1.67 (1.49-1.86)
Wheeze 22 1.50 (1.38-1.64)
Current asthma 10 1.56 (1.30-1.86)
Ever diagnosed asthma 8 1.37 (1.23-1.53)
Asthma development 4 1.34 (0.86-2.10)
The evidence of higher individual risk does not specifically address the primary causal agents
responsible for the reported health outcomes. No one expects, for example, that dampness per se
is a causal agent, but dampness (or moisture) is known to promote the growth and proliferation
of dust mites, mold, and bacteria, exposure to which can result in allergic or infectious health
outcomes. In addition, dampness promotes the degradation of some building materials and
furnishings and can increase and/or alter their emissions. Whatever the primary causal agents,
policies and programs that are successful in preventing and mitigating dampness and mold
conditions would also be effective in reducing the public health risks and associated economic
impacts.
Prevalence of dampness and mold exposure
The magnitude of the public health impact of dampness and mold also depends on the prevalence
of dampness and mold. The American Housing Survey of the U.S. Census for 2003 reports that
10.4% of U.S. homes had water damage from exterior leakage, while 8% had water damage from
interior leakage. However, the survey did not cover dampness or mold. There is otherwise no
national database on the prevalence of dampness and mold in U.S. houses; however, Table 2
compiles data from studies that reported prevalence of various moisture related conditions in
U.S. houses.
There is considerable variation in the prevalence estimates for each of the indicated moisture
categories. For the "any dampness or mold category", four of the studies report the prevalence to
be 50% or more, while three report prevalence values below 50%. The largest study (Spengler,
1994) reports prevalence of dampness and mold in 50% of the homes. Excluding the Freeman4
LBNL-63007
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This article can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Article.
Mudarri, David & Fisk, William J. Public health and economic impact of dampness and mold, article, June 1, 2007; Berkeley, California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc896583/m1/4/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.