Healthy Indoors | 21
ganisms we commonly find inside and around the outside of
homes (including allergens from pollens, molds, pet dander,
rodents, cockroaches, and dust mites). A national survey of
the settled dust in a representative set of American homes
found more than half of all homes tested (832) had detect-
able concentrations of at least six of these allergens. And
about 46% had at least 3 of these allergens at concentra-
tions known to be associated with some kind of symptoms.
(reference)
The AHS asks a variety of questions related to moisture
and the sources of moisture leaks. The number of homes
reporting moisture-related issues might seem surprising,
but to those of us who go into homes to evaluate health and
safety risks, moisture-related hazards are common. Unfor-
tunately, so are the health impacts of living in chronically
damp conditions.
There are now over 14 chronic health conditions, includ-
ing the development of asthma in sensitized people, that
have been associated with living in chronically damp envi-
ronments and the weight of evidence increasing every year.
