A recent study performed by a team of physicians and scientists from the University of Cincinnati, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has deduced that there are, in fact, three molds that are specifically linked to the development of childhood asthma:
- Aspergillus ochraceus
- Aspergillius unguis
- Penicillum variabile
These findings are important because according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), asthma afflicts approximately 9% of school-aged children. And, direct medical costs of asthma are nearly $15 billion yearly, with several thousand deaths and millions of lost work and school days.
This cohort study suggests that exposure during infancy is linked to these three mold species that are common to water-damaged buildings. The study demonstrated that these molds were later associated with childhood asthma at the age of seven.
This is further significant because until now there has been a lack of quantitative, standardized methods to determine if a home indoor environment is sufficiently benign, not posing any serious health risks to future occupants.
Enter DNA-based technology. Clinical studies prove that DNA-based technology can be successfully used to identify and quantify molds common to water-damaged buildings. This brand new technology opens up the door to standardization for mold testing and mold inspections.