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Dust entry

Mold-contaminated building dust

Dust and bioaerosol particulate associated with damp or water-damaged buildings where mold contamination is present.

Airborne form

aerosol

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

respiratory symptomsasthmahypersensitivity pneumonitisallergic rhinitiseczemaeye and airway irritation

Evidence

NIOSH reports that research on damp buildings and mold has found associations with respiratory symptoms and infections, asthma development or worsening, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and eczema; it also states that mold can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, skin, or lungs.

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At a glance · 1
Research has found that people who spend time in damp buildings report health problems including respiratory symptoms and infections, developing or worsening asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis or hay fever, and eczema ... Mold can also cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, skin, or lungs even in people who are not allergic to mold.

NIOSH states that damp-building occupants may inhale or contact microbes, compounds released by microbes, and structural components such as spores and fungal fragments; it recommends finding and correcting dampness rather than relying on air sampling alone.

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Overview; Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool · 1
People inside buildings may be exposed to: Microbes; Compounds released by microbes; Structural components of microbes like spores and fungal fragments. ... Finding and promptly correcting sources of dampness is more effective at preventing health problems than air samples for indoor mold.

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