Dampness in buildings as a risk factor for health effects. European multidisciplinary review of the entire literature (EUROEXPO)

The scientific literature on health effects associated with "dampness" in buildings including literature between 1998 and 2000 has been reviewed by a European group (EUROEXPO). The group consisted of scientists with experience from medicine, epidemiology, toxicology and engineering. Of the 104 reviewed articles 52 were excluded as they were judged as background papers or "non-informative" or "inconclusive" or the study did not present data on exposure, health effects or analysis of the association between exposure and health. The review group concluded that "dampness" in buildings is a risk factor for health effects such as cough, wheeze, asthma, general symptoms and airway infections among atopics and non-atopics, both in domestic and public environments. However, the literature is inconclusive in respect of causative agents in such buildings. Suggested causative agents are mites, microbiological agents and organic chemicals from degraded building materials.