One of the more common environmental asthma triggers is mould.
While mould is a natural part of the environment, exposure to elevated levels of it in homes, schools, work environments and other places where people spend time can trigger asthma for some asthmatics, and cause various respiratory issues for others.
Studies show exposure to mould in the workplace can make pre-existing asthma worse.
Vice president of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) for Clark Seif Clark (CSC), Derrick A. Denis, said mould can grow or amplify in indoor environments if moisture conditions are uncontrolled.
Moisture issues can include wet building materials, damp contents or even elevated humidity.
“Visible mould growth is generally defined as mould amplified to a size visible to the unaided eye. Visible mould growth may exist in readily accessible locations, but can also occur in obstructed inaccessible locations like inside wall cavities, behind furniture or under cabinets,” he said.
“This is why a thorough mould investigation often involves an experienced indoor environmental quality professional with a discerning eye, state-of-the-art tools, various sampling methods and qualified laboratory analysis.
“At CSC, our industrial hygiene and IEQ professionals offer testing, monitoring and consulting services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to mould and a wide range of other biological and chemical asthma triggers, respiratory irritants and allergens.”
According to Asthma Australia, one in nine Australians are affected by asthma or 2.7 million people.
The estimated cost of asthma in Australia in 2015 was $28 billion or $11,740 per person with asthma.
Almost half (44%) of those diagnosed with Asthma were children under14 years old. Children under 15 are more likely to be hospitalised with asthma
According to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indoor air is often up to five times more polluted than the outside air.
One pollutant, radon, is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Another, nitrous dioxide, has been shown to impact lung function and raise respiratory infection risk, especially in young children.
Many of the products designed into buildings, like flooring, paint and varnishes, cabinetry, fabrics, appliances and electronics potentially emit volatile organic health impacting compounds with respiratory and other health risks.