Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have released a study exploring building-related symptoms (BRS) caused by damp and mould.
Lisa Coulburn and Wendy Miller from the School of Architecture and Built Environment at QUT and Connie Susilawati from QUT’s School of Economics and Finance, Faculty of Business and Law used the long COVID-19 symptom category framework to analyse 154 residential occupants’ self-reported symptomatic experiences.
The occupants included residents with both short- and long-term exposure to damp and/or mould.
Sick buildings, sick inhabitants
Formerly know as “sick building syndrome”, BRS generally includes well-documented illnesses such as asthma and respiratory-related sickness. The QUT researchers found that there may be a broader range of symptoms than originally thought, including sleep issues, nausea, fatigue, eye and skin irritations, neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression and memory loss.
According to the report, “the majority of occupants experienced three or more dampness and mould indicators and reported multiple concurrent symptoms that came on gradually and persisted for one year or more, significantly impacting quality of life”.
The neuropsychiatric symptoms such as insomnia and headaches were the most common, although the study also notes that new categories have emerged for hypersensitivities and increased occurrences of infections.
Every respondent in the study attributed the symptoms they listed to “problems with condensation, dampness, water damage, water leaks, flooding, or mould in housing”. The respondents who lived with mould or dampness for two or more years were more likely to experience long-lasting symptoms.
As Australia and the world experiences more severe weather events such as extreme flooding, the report warns that there are high levels of concern about the prevalence of mould and damp in homes. The researchers believe more research is needed to explore building-related symptoms, and that the development of a screening tool for characteristics specific to BRS would be beneficial to further research.
The full report is available to read here.