Khaberni - A new scientific study has revealed that exposure to toxic mold during childhood can have long-lasting effects on lung health, extending into adolescence and beyond.
A research team from the University of Bristol found that children exposed to mold in homes recorded a significant decrease in lung function during adolescence.
These results are part of a long-term research project known as "Children of the 90s," which has followed participants for nearly three decades.
Study: Household Mold Leaves Long-Lasting Impact on Children's Lungs
The data showed that participants who were exposed to mold at age 15 suffered a 5% decrease in lung function efficiency ten years later compared to others.
Living in damp or mold-infested homes is known to cause a wide range of health problems, including respiratory infections such as aspergillosis (Aspergillus), asthma, and allergies.
Mold – a microscopic fungus – releases thousands of tiny toxic particles into the air, making its inhalation a continual risk to health.
Symptoms and Warning Signs
Key signs that may indicate effects from household mold include: persistent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, worsening of asthma or respiratory diseases, airway infections.
Dr. Raquel Granell, who participated in the study, said that practical steps can be taken to reduce the risk of mold spreading inside homes, most notably good ventilation and opening windows, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, and avoiding drying clothes indoors as much as possible. She also recommended using dehumidifiers when necessary.
Study: Household Mold Leaves Long-Lasting Impact on Children's Lungs
Hidden Places for Mold Growth
Experts warn that mold is not limited to just walls, but can also grow inside household appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, and microwaves due to continuous moisture. It can also appear behind sinks, under floors, in basements, and poor-ventilated attic ceilings.
Specialists explained that mold can begin to grow within a day to two in damp environments, while odors or visible stains may take weeks or even months to appear.
More Dangerous Types
Some types of mold are more dangerous than others, notably black mold, which produces toxic chemicals known as fungal toxins (Mycotoxins). Repeated exposure to these toxins can lead to serious symptoms such as cognitive disturbances and mood alterations, headaches and muscle pain, asthma-like symptoms, weakened immune systems.
Experts say that inhaling these toxins stimulates the immune system to release powerful inflammatory substances known as cytokines, which can circulate through the blood to affect vital organs including the brain and nervous system.
Alarming Numbers
According to British government data, approximately 5,000 cases of asthma and 8,500 lower respiratory infections in England in 2019 were linked to dampness and mold inside homes, and it is believed that between 1 and 2% of new hay fever cases annually are due to these factors.
Professor James Dodd, a respiratory medicine professor at Bristol Medical School, said that exposure to mold mainly affects the lungs by inhaling fungal spores that trigger an allergic and inflammatory response. He emphasized that children, asthma sufferers, and chronic lung disease patients are most at risk for complications.
He added that moisture and mold represent a preventable cause of respiratory diseases, and ignoring poor housing conditions leads to worsening health disparities and increases pressure on health care systems.
