THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH ON HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO THE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT OF WATER-DAMAGED BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Learned people have known since biblical times (NKJV, Leviticus 14:33-48) that dank, moldy buildings with musty smells pose health risks to human inhabitants. The observations about sick buildings making people sick were correct, but there was no proof of causation. Older research suggested that the building-related illness involved allergies, infections, and asthma, but cellular and immune inflammatory causes awaited proof. Yes, mold was found in water-damaged buildings (WDB), but it was also present in other areas. As time passed and cytokines were discovered, the role of resident microbes found in WDB was gradually unveiled as suspected culprits in what became to be known as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). By 1970, indoor paint was marketed that contained benomyl, a substituted benzimidazole. The paint prevented mold from growing on the paint films, but benomyl was a potent mutagen that created a roster of mutant fungi. New isolations of azole-resistant, toxin-forming fungi followed. Given the concurrent oil embargoes from oil-rich countries, the construction of energy-saving, tight buildings boomed. Tight homes reduce ventilation, raising indoor humidity. Even worse, poorly constructed basements and crawl spaces added to the moisture problems.

Symptom Clusters