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Exposures to molds in school classrooms of children with asthma

Sachin N Baxi1, Michael L Muilenberg, Christine A Rogers

  • 1Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|October 12, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Classroom mold levels vary significantly within schools, with the classroom environment being a major factor in spore concentration and diversity. Visible mold can indicate higher spore counts, warranting further study into health impacts.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Indoor Air Quality
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Students spend significant time in classrooms, potentially leading to mold exposure.
  • Inner-city schools were assessed for airborne mold diversity and concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine mold diversity and concentrations in inner-city school classrooms.
  • To identify variations in mold levels and species between classrooms within the same school.

Main Methods:

  • Collected airborne mold spore samples from 180 classrooms across 12 schools over a 2-day period, twice during the school year.
  • Utilized direct microscopy for spore analysis.

Main Results:

  • Mold was detected in 100% of classrooms, with significant variations in mold levels and diversity scores between classrooms in the same school.
  • The classroom environment accounted for the majority of variance in total mold count (62%) and mold diversity (56%).
  • Common mold species included Cladosporium, Penicillium/Aspergillus, smut spores, and basidiospores.

Conclusions:

  • Schools are a source of mold exposure, with significant microenvironmental variations in mold quantity and species within classrooms.
  • Visible mold may predict higher airborne mold spore counts.
  • Further research is needed to link mold exposure to asthma morbidity in children.
Keywords:
asthmachildrenfungusinner-citymoldschool

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