According to a Health Canada Workgroup report1 on fungus in ambiant air in houses, and two recent Canadian studies 2,3, the high humidity and the presence of fungus (molds) and their toxines, may cause the following health problems for human beings:
These toxic effects are caused by various substances produced by fungus: the fungus breeding, the spores associated mycotoxins and volatile chemical substances associated or vapours detected by their characteristic mildew odor. Health risks are also related to the presence of other microorganisms who live and multiply themselves very easily in damp environments, such as bacteria as well as mites (very small animals barely visible to the naked eye, in the category of arachnids).
Both Canadian studies 2,3 therefore conclude that the exposure to humidity and molds in houses represent an important risk factor in respiratory diseases in Canada, since more than 38% of houses sampled presented some signs of dampness and molds.s
