MAINTENANCE | 39

rioblanco

A
living organism, mould is present almost
everywhere and its microscopic spores are
easily spread through the air.
Mould growth can increasingly damage
building structures, possessions and endanger
peoples well-being. In some cases, particularly in residential
instances, mould has even made the building uninhabitable.
Although there are hundreds of references about the causes
of mould in buildings, there are two main contributing factors
in mould development: moisture and darkness. In other
words, high humidity and insucient brightness in buildings
are the most important triggers of mould problems in indoor
environments. Lets look at the major causes of mould growth.

EXCESS MOISTURE
In a report in 2009, the World Health Organisation stated that
the growth of microbes such as mould, fungi and bacteria is
caused by excess moisture in the building elements that will
pollute indoor air quality. Humidity level can increase by both
direct and indirect reasons:
Direct moisture problems may include a leaky roof, broken
pipes, water vapour condensation on windows, humidiers
in buildings, drying clothes indoors on stands and running
appliances without an exhaust.
Indirect damp rise can be caused by poor ventilation
basically, inadequate ventilation does not allow humidity
to escape from the building. This can be caused by
malfunctioning HVAC, poor design of the building, or an
inux of cheap materials with high water vapour storage
capacity used in the building structure.

ELIMINATING LACK OF LIGHT

Mould grows best where there are small amounts of light
or curtains and blinds are kept shut. According to the Black

A MOULD
Mould Control website, large quantities of light, and in
particular ultraviolet light, break up and destroy the DNA of
mould, resulting in the sterilisation of the mould.

PROBLEM EFFECTS OF MOULD ON HEALTH

Mould is not only unsightly, it can also
cause health problems for occupants,
writes ARIAN BAHRAMSARI.
A study published in the Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine states, Except for persons with
severely impaired immune systems, indoor mould is not a
source of fungal infections, while the US Occupational Safety
and Health Administration website has also cited that mould
may cause localised skin or mucosal infections but, in general,
does not cause systemic infections in humans, except for
persons with impaired immunity, AIDS, uncontrolled diabetes
or those taking immune suppressive drugs.
Having said that, ndings from the US Environmental
Energy Technologies Division claim that building mould is

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 40 | MAINTENANCE

associated with increases of 30 to 50 percent in a variety of
respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes.
Generally, allergy and irritation are the most common
symptoms of mould exposure. Less common eects of mould
exposure include infections and illness. Although symptoms
can vary, researchers in the Division of Environmental Health
Sciences of the University of Minnesota believe that the most
common symptoms seen in people exposed to mould indoors
include:
nasal and sinus congestion
eye irritation, such as itchy, red, watery eyes
wheezing and diculty breathing
cough
throat irritation
skin irritation, such as a rash
headache, and
risk of lower respiratory illness.
ERADICATION OF MOULD
In order to eliminate mould from a building, there are some
essential steps to be taken:
Maintaining and monitoring the HVAC system
The HVAC system has an important part to play in
promoting mould growth. Highly commissioned or
maintained ventilation systems will leave no room for
mould to grow. Always attempt to keep the HVAC/air
conveyance system, air-handling units, exhaust outlets and
air lters clean, dry and serviced regularly, and changed
according to their maintenance schedule, enhancing the
quality of indoor air.
If mould is evident, the HVAC system needs to be
isolated to ensure airborne spores do not spread into
the entire building. Once the HVAC system has been
decontaminated, it can be turned back on.
The American Air and Water Company has developed
a UV disinfection solution, which can be used in HVAC
systems to irradiate the coils and dripping pans. This
new system benets from mixing two main resolutions:
reducing humidity and providing UV (ultraviolet) light.
This is an eective solution for mould inhibition and
remediation. With installed in-duct UVC, it will eventually
deliver enough UV dosage to break the DNA of the airborne
mould spores and has a cumulative eect on the circulation
of indoor air throughout HVAC systems.
Ongoing monitoring humidity level in building
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency,
indoor relative humidity (RH) should ideally be kept
between 30 and 50 percent to avoid mould growth. Keep
humidity levels low, always below 60 percent, in the
building anything above that will exponentially allow
mould colonisation. HVAC systems can be equipped
with moisture sensors and can provide facility managers

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 exhaust fans, particularly when bathing, cooking, doing
Generally, allergy and laundry or drying clothes. Educating residents about
limiting the use of humidiers, sh tanks and indoor plants
irritation are the most can also reduce the risk of mould growth in apartments.
common symptoms of
mould exposure. Less MOULD REMOVAL
Generally, surface mould, such as that found on bathroom tiles
common effects of or on the surface of kitchen cabinets, can be cleaned up fairly
mould exposure include easily without calling in outside help. However, it is still highly
infections and illness. recommended that a facemask, safety goggles and gloves
should be used in any mould cleaning.
If mould covers a large area of your building according to
the Australian Mould Guideline, this is roughly dened as one
square metre and is dense, or if occupants are asthmatic and/
with accurate indications of humidity level in building or allergic to mould, its best to call in the experts. Professional
management systems. mould cleaners should be certied, have the right equipment
Moisture source elimination and special training.
The source of any dampness needs to be remedied One of the common professional resolutions is fogging. This
immediately. In high-rise buildings, leaky re-protection is a chemical cleaning process designed to eliminate invisible
sprinklers, rainwater leaks and leaky landscaping on airborne mould spores. This solution can be misted into large
top oors are some examples of dampness sources that enclosed spaces (even covering inaccessible sections). Air
promptly need to be repaired. Also, waterproong puriers are usually applied after this process to remove the
balconies is one of the most signicant preventative dead mould spores from the environment.
steps to discourage mould growth.
Raising resident awareness > Arian Bahramsari is a facility manager at Docklands-based
Try to encourage residents and occupants to turn on Facility Management Victoria.

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