Culturable mold in indoor air and its association with moisture-related problems and asthma and allergy among Swedish children

Abstract

Mold spore exposure indoor have been suggested as a possible explanation for airway problems such as asthma and allergy among people living in buildings with moisture-related problems. However, this investigation could not find any associations between the spore concentrations in indoor air and signs of dampness and moldy odor reported by parents or observed by professional inspectors. Neither was there any association between the indoor spore concentration and asthma/allergy among children. With these results, there is no reason for one-time air sampling of mold colony-forming unit (CFU) in indoor air of homes to identify risk factors for asthma/allergy in children living in Scandinavian countries.