Influence of environmental factors favorable to the development and proliferation of mold in residential buildings in tropical climates

Silveira, Vinicius De Castro; Pinto, Mônica Martins; Westphal, Fernando Simon

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106421

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…As is known, mold is one of the most common dampness‐related indicators and is more frequently cultured in damp environments, leading to effects on children’ health, particularly in the form of asthma and allergies 4,14 . Mold growth is most sensitive to temperature, air humidity, substrate, and exposure time 15,16 . In areas of homes with higher water activities, mold growth is metabolically active 17 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have demonstrated the positive correlation between high air humidity in buildings and the occurrence of airborne fungi 16,24‐26 . Though inhaling mold spores and their metabolic products may not cause acute health hazards in healthy people, they would lead to sensitization and immune reactions in tracts of subpopulations, especially in children.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating the effect of building construction periods on household dampness/mold and childhood diseases corresponding to different energy efficiency design requirements

et al. 2020

Indoor Air

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Despite concerns about building dampness and children’ health, few studies have examined the effects of building energy efficiency standards. This study explored the connections between self‐reported household dampness and children’ adverse health outcomes across buildings corresponding to construction periods (pre‐2001, 2001‐2010, post‐2010). Significant differences of dampness‐related indicators were found between buildings; the prevalence was remarkable in pre‐2001 buildings. The prevalence of lifetime‐ever doctor‐diagnosed diseases for children was significantly associated with building dampness (adjust odd ratios > 1), but was not affected by construction periods. The hygrothermal performance for a typical residence was simulated, varying in U‐values of envelopes and air change rates. The simulated performance improvement increased indoor temperatures in 2001‐2010 and post‐2010 buildings. The frequency with higher indoor relative humidity was higher in pre‐2001 buildings, leading to the highest values for maximum mold index (Mmax) on wall surface, especially in winter. Compared to buildings in 2001‐2010, increased insulation and lower air change rate led to a relatively higher relative humidity in post‐2010 buildings, adversely increasing the Mmax values. The findings addressed the positive and negative role of building standard development, which help suggesting appropriate environmental and design solutions to trade‐off energy savings and dampness/mold risk in residences.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the effect of building construction periods on household dampness/mold and childhood diseases corresponding to different energy efficiency design requirements

et al. 2020

Indoor Air

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“…This study lays the foundation for adoption of BPS in the industry in Saudi Arabia and highlights that application of BPS in industry in Saudi Arabia is still in its infancy; further research work needs to be conducted to overcome the identified barriers and widen the scope of BPS applications. Research work with advanced application of BPS tools should be conducted, such as [36,37]. Furthermore, scope and integration of building information modelling (BIM) and BPS in one framework tailored for residential buildings in Saudi Arabia should be researched, similar to the framework presented by Hu for educational buildings [38].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Building Performance Simulation to Design Energy-Efficient Homes: Case Study from Saudi Arabia

Ahmed

Asif

Alrashed³

2019

Sustainability

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The per capita energy usage in Saudi Arabia is almost three times higher than the global average. A major contributor is the residential sector which consumes almost 50% of the total national energy consumption every year. Environmental and economic pressures along with the Saudi Vision 2030 reform program advocate for an improvement in energy consumption patterns. For a sustainable residential sector, energy-efficient solutions should be adopted in the design process preferably based on building performance simulation (BPS). This study investigates the existing status and future prospects of BPS in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia. A survey has been carried out with building industry professionals to investigate the existing practices in terms of use of BPS. Energy and environmental savings achievable through application of BPS have been estimated by modelling a typical residential villa as a case study. The results indicate that presently BPS is not being adequately applied by the building industry and a number of barriers exist which need to be addressed. The case study simulation indicates that electricity consumption of a villa based on a BPS-based design process is 51.3% less than the existing typical residential villa.

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“…The analysis was conducted in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 14-2014. 25 The statistic MBE represents the mean ratio of relative error between two values, as shown in equation (1), while CV/RMSE represents the average deviation between an actual value and a predicted value as shown in equation (3). CV/RMSE values are used to assess the differences between simulated and observed hourly data, to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the simulation model.…”

Section: Building Model Validation Using Simulation Softwarementioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 The high humidity and relatively warm to hot temperature become a potential problem because it is a good environment for mould to grow. The mould can be detected in the environment with relative air humidities above 65%, and temperatures between 15 C and 30 C. 3 A demand for low-density housing in Indonesia has contributed significantly to uncontrolled urban sprawl around the edges of Indonesia's major cities. 4 This unintentional development is characteristic of contemporary Asian Urbanization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying the Passivhaus standard to a terraced house in a hot and humid tropical climate – Evaluation of comfort and energy performance

Sigalingging

Chow

Sharples

2020

Building Services Engineering Research and Technology

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In a hot and humid tropical climate, natural ventilation brings high levels of moisture into dwellings that, together with occupant activity, can result in very elevated internal relative humidity levels. Coupling these high relative humidities with high internal air temperatures creates occupant thermal discomfort, which is typically ameliorated in the tropics using energy-intensive air conditioning systems. This paper has investigated the potential benefits for thermal comfort and energy usage of applying the German Passivhaus standard to tropical dwellings. By creating a super insulated and air-tight envelope, the Passivhaus standard reduces fabric heat transfer, controls air infiltration and provides low-energy comfort. Applying this approach to a tropical terraced house might be effective but could, potentially, have an adverse impact on mechanical cooling demand. This study took an actual terraced property in Jakarta, Indonesia and thermally modelled its performance as insulation and airtightness levels were incrementally improved up to the Passivhaus standard. Field measurements in the dwelling of air temperature and relative humidity were used to validate the thermal model of the existing house. The validated model then tested the feasibility of meeting the Passivhaus energy standard for cooling in the modified tropical house. Simulation allowed the effects of air conditioning (AC) and dehumidifiers on thermal comfort and cooling loads to be investigated. The research develop the Passivhaus building model that had the floor insulation removed to let the ground floor act as a thermal sink and potentially provide radiant cooling. Analysis revealed that the building’s predicted air temperatures were affected in a beneficial way by having the Passivhaus without floor insulation. Practical application: Cooling in hot and humid tropical region is an energy-intensive approach. Design approaches that can bring comfort and save energy for the occupant are essential. The success of Passivhaus standard in mild climate might be transferable to bring comfort in tropical housing. Best practice can be developed by analysing the Passivhaus building performance in hot and humid tropical region.

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Influence of environmental factors favorable to the development and proliferation of mold in residential buildings in tropical climates

Cited by 23 publications

References 35 publications

Evaluating the effect of building construction periods on household dampness/mold and childhood diseases corresponding to different energy efficiency design requirements

Evaluating the effect of building construction periods on household dampness/mold and childhood diseases corresponding to different energy efficiency design requirements

Application of Building Performance Simulation to Design Energy-Efficient Homes: Case Study from Saudi Arabia

Applying the Passivhaus standard to a terraced house in a hot and humid tropical climate – Evaluation of comfort and energy performance

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