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Dust entry

Moldy-building dust and bioaerosol

Airborne particulate and biological agents released from mold-contaminated or damp indoor building materials and surfaces.

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 hypersensitivityasthma concernrespiratory irritationallergic responserespiratory disease concern

Evidence

A NIOSH-indexed study of moldy office buildings examined airborne biological agents and their relationship to respiratory hypersensitivity, respiratory-system disease, and preventive measures.

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Abstract · 1
Health hazards resulting in hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other respiratory diseases were studied in five large office buildings ... Moisture incursion into occupied spaces and HVAC systems was found to be a common trait of office buildings reporting outbreaks of disease. The high incidence of respiratory disorders observed among workers ... was attributed to extant microorganism concentrations.

A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation explains that damp buildings can promote mold, bacteria, other microbial agents, dust mites, and cockroaches, and that occupants may be exposed to fungal allergens, spores, and fungal fragments associated with respiratory health effects.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 6 · Health Effects from Exposure to Indoor Dampness and Mold · 2
Damp building conditions promote the growth of mold, bacteria, other microbial agents, dust mites, and cockroaches. Health concerns regarding mold involves multiple fungal components, including fungal allergens, mycotoxins, microbial volatile organic compounds, fungal cell wall components ... and spores.

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