title: Creating mold-free buildings: a key to avoiding health effects of indoor molds.
abstract: In view of the high costs of building diagnostics and repair subsequent to water damage--as well as the large medical diagnostic and healthcare costs associated with mold growth in buildings--commitment to a philosophy of proactive preventive maintenance for home, apartment, school, and commercial buildings could result in considerable cost savings and avoidance of major health problems among building occupants. The author identifies common causes of mold growth in buildings and summarizes key building design and construction principles essential for preventing mold contamination indoors. Physicians and healthcare workers must be made aware of conditions within buildings that can give rise to mold growth, and of resulting health problems. Timely advice provided to patients already sensitized by exposure to molds could save these individuals, and their families, from further exposures as a result of inadequate building maintenance or an inappropriate choice of replacement housing.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Independent Research on Technology, and Health, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. enquiries@envirodesic.com
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Small
mesh_terms: D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000592:standards; D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control; D002980:Climate; D004782:Environmental Health; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005658:Fungi; D006798:Housing / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008283:Maintenance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010684:Philosophy; D012307:Risk Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control