Energy efficient buildings are an important part of tackling the world’s energy crisis. But while these structures can keep draughts out, they also have a hidden threat lurking within. Deep within their crevices and corners, green buildings are susceptible to trapping humid air in which toxic mould can spread.
The problem, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), affects between 30 and 50 per cent of new or refurbished buildings. A number of these homes have become ghost buildings after the damp seeped in and destroyed furniture and belongings.
The Alberta Court of Appeal in Canada, for instance, has been abandoned since 2001, after renovations to 87-year-old building went wrong. When the renovated building reopened, according to Umair Irfan at ClimateWire, judges and attorneys complained of fatigue, irritated lungs, and watery eyes.
‘They couldn't figure out what was wrong,’ Tang Lee, a professor of architecture in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary told Climate Wire. Air quality samples revealed that the problem came from mould growing inside the walls. The new airtight building trapped moisture breeding toxic mould.
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