Economic Costs Of Indoor Molds- Estimated $22.4 Billion Us Annually

Exposure to indoor molds can trigger and/or significantly increase the severity of many adverse health effects including asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis and respiratory infections. A 2010 meta-analysis of 23 published studies reported that exposure to indoor molds is associated with a statistically significant 45% increased risk of bronchitis and 44% increased risk of respiratory infections.

1. As earlier reported in this column. other meta-analysis have reported that indoor mold or water damage exposure is associated with significantly increased risk of asthma (average 50% increased risk from 16 studies)

2. and rhinitis/sinusitis (average increase risk 82% from 31 studies )

3. The economic costs of indoor mold and moisture exposure are considerable and include medical and hospital costs, lost work and school productivity, and increased death rates.

A 2016 analysis estimated that the economic costs of indoor mold and related water dampness problems are about $22.4 billion. These annual USA costs amount to $3.7 billion for allergic rhinitis, $1.9 billion for bronchitis, $15.1 billion for asthma morbidity and $1.7 billion for asthma mortality4. Many studies have reported that indoor control of water and mold problems can significantly reduce medical and lost productivity costs.

References / Sources

1. Fisk WJ, Eliseeva EA, Mendell MJ. Association of residential dampness and mold with respiratory tract infections and bronchitis: a meta-analysis. Environ Health 2010;9:72.

2. Quansah R JM, Huggt, et al. Residential dampness and molds and the risk of developing asthma: A systematic reveiew an meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 2012;7(E47526).

3. Jaakkola JJ, Hwang BF, Jaakkola N. Home dampness and molds, parental atopy, and asthma in childhood: a six-year population-based cohort study. Environ Health Perspect 2005;113(3):357-61.

4. Mudarri DH. Valuing the Economic Costs of Allergic Rhinitis, Acute Bronchitis, and Asthma from Exposure to Indoor Dampness and Mold in the US. J Environ Public Health 2016;2016:2386596.

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