title: Comparison of work-related symptoms and visual contrast sensitivity between employees at a severely water-damaged school and a school without significant water damage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a health hazard evaluation (HHE) of a water-damaged school in New Orleans (NO), Louisiana. Our aim in this evaluation was to document employee health effects related to exposure to the water-damaged school, and to determine if VCS testing could serve as a biomarker of effect for occupants who experienced adverse health effects in a water-damaged building.
  
  
  METHODS
  NIOSH physicians and staff administered a work history and medical questionnaire, conducted visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) testing, and collected sticky-tape, air, and dust samples at the school. Counting, culturing, and/or a DNA-based technology, called mold-specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR), were also used to quantify the molds. A similar health and environmental evaluation was performed at a comparable school in Cincinnati, Ohio which was not water-damaged.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Extensive mold contamination was documented in the water-damaged school and employees (n = 95) had higher prevalences of work-related rashes and nasal, lower respiratory, and constitutional symptoms than those at the comparison school (n = 110). VCS values across all spatial frequencies were lower among employees at the water-damaged school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employees exposed to an extensively water-damaged environment reported adverse health effects, including rashes and nasal, lower respiratory, and constitutional symptoms. VCS values were lower in the employees at the water-damaged school, but we do not recommend using it in evaluation of people exposed to mold. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:844-854, 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Nancy Clark
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vesper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D005076:Exanthema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055820:New Orleans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D009820:Ohio; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational