Effects of moisture-damage repairs on microbial exposure and symptoms in schoolchildren.

UNLABELLED: Effects of renovation on symptom prevalence and microbial status were studied in two moisture-damaged schools and in two non-damaged schools with longitudinal cross-sectional surveys before and after repairs. Over 1300 schoolchildren aged 6-17 returned questionnaires before and after repairs. After full renovation in one of the damaged schools, elevated concentrations and increased frequencies of indoor air fungi normalized and a significant decrease in the prevalence of 10 symptoms of 12 studied was observed among schoolchildren. No change in microbial conditions was seen after partial repairs in the other damaged school, and only slight improvement was observed in symptom prevalence. The change in the prevalence of symptoms in the reference schools was minor. The results suggest that increased symptom prevalence among schoolchildren in moisture-damaged schools can be managed with proper repair of the moisture damage.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This longitudinal intervention study showed the positive effects of the moisture and mold damage repairs of a school building on children's health. The success necessitates however, a thorough renovation including appropriate ventilation. Monitoring of airborne viable microbes revealed the damage status of the building and thus could be used as a tool in evaluating the quality of repairs.