Koulurakennusten kosteus- ja homevauriot: opas ongelmien selvittämiseen

Tässä kouluohjeessa esitetään suosituksia koulurakennusten kosteus- ja homevaurioiden selvittämiseen, erityisesti koulurakennusten sisäilman mikrobinäytteenottoon ja tulosten tulkintaan. Opas on suunnattu terveysvalvonnan toimijoille ja muille koulujen sisäilmaselvityksiä tekeville tahoille. Lisäksi tarkastellaan terveysvaikutuksia, joita koulujen oppilailla ja opettajilla on havaittu kosteus- ja homevaurioiden yhteydessä

Healthy people in healthy premises : the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018-2028

Clean and fresh indoor air supports health and well-being. However, indoor air can contain pollutants that can cause a variety of symptoms and reduce well-being. Individual exposure agents can also increase the risk of certain diseases. Finns have taken major steps to improve the quality of indoor air for several decades. The primary focus of these activities has been the prevention and reduction of exposure to poor indoor air quality through guidance and regulation directing remediation of damaged buildings. Nevertheless, reported symptoms related to poor indoor air quality are common in Finland. In addition to exposure to indoor air pollutants, this may be partly due to the lively public discussion on the health risks caused by poor indoor air quality, conflicting views between experts, and mistrust towards public authorities, building owners and builders. Because of the scale of the indoor air problems in Finland, people's needs for reliable information and support, and the major costs involved, there is a call for new evidence-based methods, perspectives and solutions. Therefore, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare initiated the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018-2028 together with a number of collaborators and stakeholders. The primary, long-term objective of the programme is to reduce hazards to health and well-being linked to indoor environments in Finland. To fulfill this objective, the programme will focus on the promotion of human health and well-being, the prevention of hazards, improved communication and engage the whole health-care sector to manage better patients ' symptoms and complaints. The 10-year Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme consists of four areas that aim (1) to increase understanding of the effects of indoor environments on health and well-being; (2) to develop the management of problems linked to indoor environments; (3) to improve the treatment and working and functional capacity of people with symptoms and illnesses; and (4) to strengthen the competence in matters related to indoor environments. The progress of the programme and reaching the predefined, quantitative goals will be monitored throughout the programme.Peer reviewe

Healthy people in healthy premises: the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018–2028

Abstract Clean and fresh indoor air supports health and well-being. However, indoor air can contain pollutants that can cause a variety of symptoms and reduce well-being. Individual exposure agents can also increase the risk of certain diseases. Finns have taken major steps to improve the quality of indoor air for several decades. The primary focus of these activities has been the prevention and reduction of exposure to poor indoor air quality through guidance and regulation directing remediation of damaged buildings. Nevertheless, reported symptoms related to poor indoor air quality are common in Finland. In addition to exposure to indoor air pollutants, this may be partly due to the lively public discussion on the health risks caused by poor indoor air quality, conflicting views between experts, and mistrust towards public authorities, building owners and builders. Because of the scale of the indoor air problems in Finland, people’s needs for reliable information and support, and the major costs involved, there is a call for new evidence-based methods, perspectives and solutions. Therefore, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare initiated the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018–2028 together with a number of collaborators and stakeholders. The primary, long-term objective of the programme is to reduce hazards to health and well-being linked to indoor environments in Finland. To fulfill this objective, the programme will focus on the promotion of human health and well-being, the prevention of hazards, improved communication and engage the whole health-care sector to manage better patients´ symptoms and complaints. The 10-year Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme consists of four areas that aim (1) to increase understanding of the effects of indoor environments on health and well-being; (2) to develop the management of problems linked to indoor environments; (3) to improve the treatment and working and functional capacity of people with symptoms and illnesses; and (4) to strengthen the competence in matters related to indoor environments. The progress of the programme and reaching the predefined, quantitative goals will be monitored throughout the programme

Mould specific IgG antibodies connected with sinusitis in teachers of mould damaged school: a two-year follow-up study

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between mould exposure induced by moisture damage and mould specifi c immunoglobulin G antibodies to 20 common mould species and their association with respiratory diseases. Materials and Methods: Mould specifi c immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were monitored in teachers in a follow-up after an extensive mould remediation process in school buildings. IgG antibodies to 20 different microbes were determined from the sera of 26 teachers (19 exposed and 7 references) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum samples were drawn twice, fi rstly at the completion of the remediation in the spring of 1997 and secondly, two years later in the spring of 1999. Health data was collected with self-administered questionnaires. Results: No statistical differences were found in the overall concentrations of 20 mould-specifi c IgG-antibodies between the study and control groups at the beginning of the study. An association between sinusitis and elevated mould-specifi c IgG-levels for Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aureobasidium pullulans, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Phialophora bubakii, Rhodotorula glutinis, Sporobolomyces salmonicolor, Stachybotrys atra, and Tritirachium roseum was found in the study group. Conclusions: In a two-year follow-up the total concentration of the IgG antibodies for Tr. toseum was lower at the end than at the beginning of the follow-up and this remained signifi cant for the group of teachers with sinusitis. The decrease in mould specifi c IgG to Cl. cladosporioides, Geotrichum candidum, Ph. bubakii and Rhizopus nigricans was associated with bronchitis. According to our knowledge, this is the fi rst study in which the association between elevated mould specifi c IgG antibodies and sinusitis was found in the school environment

Modeling Associations between Principals’ Reported Indoor Environmental Quality and Students’ Self-Reported Respiratory Health Outcomes Using GLMM and ZIP Models

Background: The aim of this paper was to examine associations between school building characteristics, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and health responses using questionnaire data from both school principals and students. Methods: From 334 randomly sampled schools, 4248 sixth grade students from 297 schools participated in a questionnaire. From these schools, 134 principals returned questionnaires concerning 51 IEQ related questions of their school. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to study the associations between IEQ indicators and existence of self-reported upper respiratory symptoms, while hierarchical Zero Inflated Poisson (ZIP)—models were used to model the number of symptoms. Results: Significant associations were established between existence of upper respiratory symptoms and unsatisfactory classroom temperature during the heating season (ORs 1.45 for too hot and cold, and 1.27 for too cold as compared to satisfactory temperature) and dampness or moisture damage during the year 2006–2007 (OR: 1.80 as compared to no moisture damage), respectively. The number of upper respiratory symptoms was significantly associated with inadequate ventilation and dampness or moisture damage. A higher number of missed school days due to respiratory infections were reported in schools with inadequate ventilation (RR: 1.16). Conclusions: The school level IEQ indicator variables described in this paper could explain a relatively large part of the school level variation observed in the self-reported upper respiratory symptoms and missed school days due to respiratory infections among students