Guidelines to Control Indoor Mould Contamination

Amid growing public concern about mould contamination of homes and its associated health effects, a new study in the United States is recommending policy approaches for controlling mould in homes that could be used on local and nationwide bases. It is published in the July 15 issue of the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and Technology journal.

The study, done by Felicia Wu, Tom Biksey, and Meryl H. Karol compares policies for regulation of mould with those previously developed to regulate two other contaminants in the indoor environment, radon and lead. While federal, state, and local agencies have policies and regulations concerning radon and lead, few state or local policies have been developed for mould and no federal agency has Congressional authority to regulate or develop indoor mould policy, the study points out. Based on lessons from radon and lead, the researchers recommend policy approaches for controlling indoor mould that rely on building and housing codes, maintenance and rehabilitation regulations, home marketing incentives, and public education on moisture and mould control. “While it is not yet feasible to develop standards and regulations for acceptable mould levels in the home, guidelines and policies can be developed at the federal, state, and local levels to control moisture and mould in homes,” the report states.(Source: Wu F, Biksey T, Karol MH. “Can Mould Contamination of Homes Be Regulated? Lessons Learned from Radon and Lead Policies.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007; 41(14): 4861-7. : American Chemical Society : August 2007)