Background: While workers and organisations heeded lockdown
enforcements and abandoned offices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
potential for mold growth thrived in unoccupied offices. The growth of mold on
buildings has raised concerns and led to increased legal action against
property owners, builders, and real estate operators. There is a need to ensure
a healthy office environment through health and environmental risk assessment
strategies involving the identification and ridding of infective mold which
might potentially impact the health of workers. An investigative enquiry to
assess the potential and risk of mold
exposure is a sine-qua-non to safe re-entry to offices.
Materials and Methods: Visual inspection of offices through
a walk-through survey was undertaken. An analytical study was conducted through
a walk-through survey involving visual inspection, measurement of
physico-chemical parameters (Temperature, Relative Humidity, Air Velocity and
Particulate Matters PM2.5); and collection and analysis of suspected swabs and
bulk samples. Four wall scrapings (bulk) and four swab samples were collected
and cultured in the laboratory using nutrient agar.
Results: Results showed copious amounts of moisture
evidenced by an averagely high relative humidity of 94%, low ambient
temperature of 16% and poor ventilation evinced by an air velocity of 0.4
metres per second. Analysis of scrapings and surface swabs revealed the
presence of three genus and eight species of fungi in the investigated sites.
Analysis of samples of Mucor species revealed (Mucor mucedo, Mucor himalis,
Mucor racemosus); Aspergillus species (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus
fumigatus and Aspergillus terrus); Cladosporium species (Cladosporium
cladosproides and Cladosporium sphaerosperum).
Conclusion: Poor ventilation, deposits of debris, increased
moisture and dysfunctional ventilation system as found in abandoned offices for
Mold growth. Post-lockdown re-entry to offices should be preceded by Mold risk
assessment among other measures to rule out the presence of Mold growth. Preparations
for re-entry should include deep cleaning with anti-Mold agents, optimization
of the ventilation system using anti-Mold and High-Efficiency Particulate
Absorbing (HEPA) filters, and dehumidifiers and safe remediation of suspected
mold growth using suitable personal protective equipment.
Author(s) Details
Kennedy A. Osakwe
School of Property, Construction and Project Management,
RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia.
Folusho E. Alamina
Independent Researcher and Consultant Public and
Occupational Health, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Please see the link:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/strufp/v7/533
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