Toxic mold may not be so toxic
Data fails to link mold, serious illness.

New scientific evidence rejects claims that mold in buildings causes serious health problems. A report by the Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit institution affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences, links mold and other factors to damp conditions in homes and buildings, and further links those conditions to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic disorder, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people.

Although mold is a factor in certain respiratory symptoms, the available evidence does not support an association between either indoor dampness or mold and the wide range of other health complaints that have been ascribed to them, the report says. Given the frequent occurrence of moisture problems in buildings and their links to respiratory problems, excessive indoor dampness should be addressed through a broad range of public health initiatives and changes in how buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained, said the committee that wrote the report.

Through its careful review of the available scientific studies, the committee found sufficient evidence to conclude that mold and damp conditions are associated with asthma symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, and to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people. However, the evidence did not meet the strict scientific standards needed to establish a clear, causal relationship.

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