June 4, 2004—A long-awaited federal study issued recently finds that while exposure to excessively damp indoor spaces can trigger allergies and may even be associated with the development of asthma in susceptible individuals, there is no evidence that mold causes cancer, debilitating fatigue, gastrointestinal or neurological problems. The study was conducted by the non-partisan Institute of Medicine, part of the Congressionally chartered National Academy of Sciences that advises the federal government on health issues.
The report was conducted by prominent international environmental, health and building scientists over a two-year period and represents the first comprehensive analysis of the health effects associated with damp environments.
“The study should go a long way toward quelling consumer fears about mold and should bring some relief to the real estate industry, which has been inundated with lawsuits seeking compensation for exposure to mold,” said Eileen Lee, Ph.D., Vice President of Environment for the Joint Legislative Program of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA).
“We have all read newspaper stories of people whose severe health problems resolved when they left their moisture-damaged environment, be it an apartment, office or school,” noted Lee, “but this report says that we cannot isolate mold as the cause of illness because there are too many other factors in the typical indoor environment that may be influencing health.”
According to the new study, “indoor environments subject occupants to multiple exposures that may interact physically or chemically with one another and with other characteristics of the environment such as humidity, temperature, and ventilation rate.” It notes that damp environments are associated with dust mites and bacteria which may cause allergic reactions and that damp environments can even lead to chemical emissions from buildings and furnishings.
“NMHC/NAA have been following the mold phenomenon since 1999, when we issued the real estate industry’s first White Paper on the topic,” explained Lee. “Long before media coverage of the more sensational but unsubstantiated mold claims, apartment owners took the threat seriously and began training their staff about the importance of controlling moisture to prevent mold growth. With help from an NMHC/NAA training video and a prototype Operations and Maintenance (O&M) plan, apartment staff across the country have implemented our recommended best practices for managing and remediating mold.”
Even though the report rejects the most sensational mold-related claims, it echoes NMHC/NAA’s long-held advice to property owners to deal promptly and effectively with indoor dampness.
NMHC and NAA operate a Joint Legislative Program and represent the nation’s leading firms participating in the multifamily rental housing industry.
For more information, contact NMHC at 202/974-2300.
