title: Microbial growth inside insulated external walls as an indoor air biocontamination source.
abstract: The association between moisture-related microbial growth (mesophilic fungi and bacteria) within insulated exterior walls and microbial concentrations in the indoor air was studied. The studied apartment buildings with precast concrete external walls were situated in a subarctic zone. Actinomycetes in the insulation layer were found to have increased concentrations in the indoor air. The moisture content of the indoor air significantly affected all measurable airborne concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland. anna-mari.pessi@utu.fi
authors.forename: Anna-Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pessi
authors.forename: Jommi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suonketo
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentti
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurkilahti
authors.forename: Kaija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peltola
authors.forename: Auli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rantio-Lehtimäki
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003081:Cold Climate; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006798:Housing