Reducing Mold Exposure
A report authored by scientific experts has considered the health effects of mold exposure in indoor environments.
At the request of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies convened a panel of nine experts to consider the health effects of damp or moldy environments by reviewing the relevant scientific literature on this topic. The Institute has now issued a report summarizing the Panel's findings and conclusions.
The Panel made the following recommendations in its report. First, the Panel found mold exposure could be reduced if building designers and builders used existing technical knowledge to limit dampness in new buildings. The Panel recommended that building guidelines be issued to prevent indoor dampness. Second, the Panel concluded that there is no quantifiable method of measuring exposure to microorganisms caused by mold, which makes it difficult to determine the health effects caused by mold exposure. The Panel recommended that exposure assessment methods need to be developed in order to help future large-scale epidemiological studies in this area.
The Panel reached the following conclusions about the health effects of mold exposure. The Panel concluded that evidence showed a link between mold exposure and upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, and wheezing in healthy people, while causing asthma symptoms in sensitized individuals. However, the Panel determined that the evidence was insufficient to establish a clear, causal connection between exposure and these conditions. The Panel found the evidence suggested a possible connection between mold exposure and lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children, but the evidence was not strong enough to make a conclusive determination.
Otherwise, the Panel's report stated that there was inadequate or insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the many other diseases and conditions which have been associated with mold exposure. These include: cancer, fatigue, reproductive effects, lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy individuals, skin symptoms, and neuropsychiatry symptoms.
Visit http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11011.html to buy the report.
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