Health Risks of Dampness and Mold in Schools

A detailed discussion of the health risks of dampness and mold in schools is provided in the section of this web site on IAQ in Schools. The relatively consistent findings of a substantial number of quality studies indicate that there is an association of dampness and mold in schools with increased respiratory health symptoms, such as cough or wheeze, among occupants of the schools. Visible dampness and mold or mold odor are more clearly associated with symptoms than are higher levels of measured mold in air or dust. Objective health measures are, however, less consistently associated with dampness and mold in schools. Overall, these findings mirror those available from a larger body of research on dampness and mold in homes.