Determination of Mold Invasion and Occupants' Respiratory Health in University Laboratories

The presence of mold can have detrimental effects on both the integrity of buildings and occupants' health. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the extent of mold invasion on the respiratory health of occupants at the university laboratories through the integration of quantitative bioaerosol sampling and semi-quantitative strategies. The latter approach involved the application of the NIOSH Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool (DMAT) to assess the damage, presence of mold and dampness in the laboratories. Instruments such as biostage impactors and air velocity meters were used to collect samples and data on the biological and physical parameters of indoor air quality (IAQ). Furthermore, a validated questionnaire was also used to gather information on respiratory symptoms among occupants. The findings of DMAT showed that "visible mold" and "wet/damp" were the most significant factors based on the lab classification. Meanwhile the variables "damage/stain" and "room" were the most significant variables when comparing numbers of doors (p < 0.05). When assessing the physical and biological parameters in the laboratories, it was disclosed that temperature and total bacterial count were the most significant factors among all (p < 0.001). Interestingly, relative humidity significantly correlated well with both total fungal count (r2 = 0.362) and total bacteria count (r2 = 0.202). The completed questionnaire indicated that 18.57% of the occupants were technical staff while the remaining 81.43% were students. It portrayed that cough (p = 0.002) was the most significant respiratory symptom with the highest prevalence of 74.3% among occupants. In addition, the logistic regression model disclosed that all IAQ parameters significantly influenced cough symptoms, except temperature (r2 = 0.641, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study adds to our understanding of the complex link between indoor mold exposure, IAQ parameters, and respiratory health in laboratory occupants. The high prevalence of cough symptoms and their association with IAQ indicators emphasized the importance of focused intervention strategies to enhance indoor environmental quality.