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Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings

Teija Meklin1, Anne Hyvärinen, Mika Toivola

  • 1National Public Health Institute, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 95, FIN-70701 Kuopio, Finland. teija.meklin@ktl.fi

AIHA Journal : a Journal for the Science of Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety
|February 7, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Building material significantly impacts indoor air quality. Wooden schools had higher fungal concentrations, while moisture damage increased microbes in concrete schools, indicating specific marker fungi.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Building Science

Background:

  • Indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for health, especially in schools.
  • Building materials and moisture damage can influence microbial growth and airborne concentrations.
  • Previous research has linked building characteristics to IAQ, but specific comparisons between frame types and moisture effects are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of building frame material (wood vs. concrete/brick) and moisture damage on indoor microbial air quality in schools.
  • To identify specific microbial species associated with moisture damage in different building types.
  • To determine if building frame material is a determinant of airborne fungal concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted technical investigations in 17 wooden and 15 concrete/brick school buildings to detect visible moisture and mold damage.
  • Collected viable airborne microbes using a six-stage Andersen impactor (10-800).
  • Analyzed microbial concentrations, comparing wooden and concrete schools with and without moisture damage.

Main Results:

  • Wooden schools exhibited significantly higher mean concentrations of viable airborne fungi compared to concrete schools.
  • Moisture damage did not significantly alter fungal concentrations in wooden buildings.
  • Concrete schools with moisture damage showed significantly higher microbial concentrations than reference concrete schools.
  • Aspergillus versicolor, Stachybotrys, and Acremonium were identified as marker fungi for moisture damage.
  • Oidiodendron, Cladosporium, and actinobacteria were associated with moisture damage in concrete schools.

Conclusions:

  • Building frame material is a significant determinant of airborne fungal concentrations in schools.
  • Moisture damage has a more pronounced effect on microbial air quality in concrete schools than in wooden schools.
  • Specific fungi (Aspergillus versicolor, Stachybotrys, Acremonium) serve as reliable indicators of moisture damage in school buildings.

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