Biological contaminants —mold - Indoor Environmental Quality - page 190

F. Other sources of indoor mold contamination
Mold contamination of indoor spaces can occur even in the absence of high
relative humidities, water intrusion, or flooding. Since high mold levels occur
outdoors, indoor spaces can be contaminated by outdoor mold species when
windows and doors are open, particularly during warmer months and the
autumn season of leaf and other plant decay. Such mold spores are deposited
on indoor surfaces and, on resuspension, affect indoor airborne levels for
some time after additional spores no longer intrude into indoor spaces in
any significant way.
Indoor airborne mold levels and subsequent human exposure can also
occur when mold-infested materials are brought into building spaces.
Sources may include infested furniture, clothing, firewood, dried plants,
topics, etc.
Though there is little evidence to indicate that live plants cause signifi-
cant indoor mold contamination, they are likely to be localized sources of
phylloplane fungi when dead leaves and other plant parts undergo decom-
position. Soil also has the potential to be a source of airborne mold.
Readings
Burge, H.A., The fungi, in Biological Contaminants in Indoor Environments, Morey, P.R.,
Feeley, J.C., and Otten, J.A., Eds., ASTM STP 1071, American Society for Testing
and Materials, Philadelphia, 1990, 136.
Chmel, H., Fungal infections in the immunocompromised host: clinical syndromes
and diagnosis, in Fungal Infections and Immune Responses , Murphy, J.W., Fried-
man, H., and Bendinelli, M., Eds., Plenum Press, New York, 1993, 405.
Etkin, D.S., Biocontaminants in Indoor Environments, Indoor Air Quality Update , Cutter
Information Corp., Arlington, MA, 1994.
Federal-Provincial Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health, Fungal
Contamination in Public Buildings: A Guide to Recognition and Management , Health
Canada, Ottawa, 1995.
ISIAQ Guideline, Control of Moisture Problems Affecting Biological Indoor Air Quality ,
International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Milan, Italy, 1996.
Kurup, V.P. and Fink, J., Fungal allergy, in Fungal Infections and Immune Responses ,
Murphy, J.W., Friedman, H., and Bendinelli, M., Eds., Plenum Press, New York,
1993, 393.
Levetin, E., Fungi, in Bioaerosols , Burge, H.A., Ed., CRC Press/Lewis Publishers, Boca
Raton, 1995, chap. 5.
Lstiburek, J. and Carmody, J., Moisture Control Handbook. Principles and Practices for
Residential and Small Commercial Buildings , Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York,
1994.
Madelin, T.M. and Madelin, M.F., Biological analysis of fungi and associated molds,
in Bioaerosols Handbook , Cox, C.S. and Wathes, C.M., Eds., CRC Press/Lewis
Publishers, Boca Raton, 1995, chap. 14.
Maroni, M., Siefert, B., and Lindvall, T., Indoor Air Quality — A Comprehensive Reference
Book , Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1995, chaps. 6, 31.