NIOSH Report Describes Investigation of Mold and Moisture on College Campus
A college whose employees raised concerns about dampness and mold in campus buildings was the site of a NIOSH investigation described in a recently published health hazard evaluation (HHE) report. The hundred-acre campus had 14 buildings where approximately 420 people worked. Some 1,100 students attended the college.
Employee concerns about moisture and mold had been reported since the 1980s but increased after completion of a campus-wide water chiller system in 2018. Health complaints were varied and included irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; nausea; vomiting; headaches; sensitivity to light; hearing loss; and other effects.
At the request of the employees’ union, NIOSH investigators visited the campus in August 2022 and March 2023. The investigation involved review of indoor air sampling reports and ventilation diagrams, meetings with employees, and inspections of several buildings. NIOSH found high indoor humidity, condensation leaking from ventilation systems, the absence of vapor barriers in crawl spaces, and campus-wide concerns with mold and moisture. The agency’s recommendations included actions to prevent groundwater from entering basements and crawl spaces; maintaining ventilation systems according to ASHRAE 62.1-2022, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality; correcting sources of dampness; and remediating building materials damaged by mold and moisture.
The report notes the uncertainty of identifying specific causes for health effects related to moisture. “In addition to fungi, indoor dampness is also associated with other allergenic organisms such as dust mites and bacteria, and these may also contribute to adverse health effects,” the report reads. “What building occupants react to is largely unknown. It can be mold, a compound produced by mold, something related to bacteria, or compounds that are released into the air when wet building materials break down.”
The HHE report is dated June 2025 but only recently became available on the NIOSH website. For more information, read the report (PDF).