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Correlation between ERMI Values and Other Moisture and Mold Assessments of Homes in the American Healthy Homes Survey

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Abstract

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) values in the Department of Housing and Urban Development American Healthy Homes Survey (AHHS) homes and an alternative analysis frequently used in mold investigations, i.e., the inspector’s “walk-through” assessment of visual or olfactory evidence of mold combined with occupant’s answers to a questionnaire about mold odors and moisture. Homes in the highest ERMI quartile were in agreement with visual inspection and/or occupant assessment 48% of the time but failed to detect the mold in 52% of the fourth quartile homes. In about 7% of lowest ERMI quartile homes, the inspection and occupant assessments overestimated the mold problem. The ERMI analysis of dust from homes may be useful in finding hidden mold problems. An additional objective was to compare the ERMI values in inner city east-Baltimore homes, where childhood asthma is common, to the AHHS randomly selected homes.

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Abbreviations

US EPA:

United States Environmental Protection Agency

MSQPCR:

Mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction

ERMI:

Environmental relative moldiness index

HUD:

Department of Housing and Urban Development

AHHS:

American Healthy Homes Survey

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Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by funding from the U.S. EPA Asthma Initiative.

Notice

The U.S. EPA through its Office of Research and Development, funded and collaborated in the research described here. It has been subjected to the Agency’s peer review and has been approved as an EPA publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products, including those that embody EPA patented technology, does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the EPA for use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Stephen Vesper

  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA

    Craig McKinstry

  3. QuanTech, Arlington, VA, USA

    David Cox & Gary Dewalt

Authors
  1. Stephen Vesper
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  2. Craig McKinstry
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  3. David Cox
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  4. Gary Dewalt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen Vesper.

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Vesper, S., McKinstry, C., Cox, D. et al. Correlation between ERMI Values and Other Moisture and Mold Assessments of Homes in the American Healthy Homes Survey. J Urban Health 86, 850–860 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-009-9384-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-009-9384-1

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