Indoor air quality assessment
We were invited to a dental practice in order to carry out an indoor air quality assessment. The building is situated in the residential area of Skegness and is surrounded by properties of similar use and construction. The property is situated on level ground with mature vegetation in close proximity. The ground floor of the practice consists of one dental surgery, a reception area, a waiting room and a customer’s toilet. The first floor of the practice consists of three dental surgeries, a developer room and a decontamination room. On the second floor the property’s attic consists of an office and a staff kitchen. The building has a cellar accessible via an alleyway and consists of three rooms with dirt floor, brick walls and low level plasterboard ceilings. The building had previously been affected by a service leak from a dishwasher situated in the decontamination room. The leak affected the ceiling in the ground floor waiting room and customer’s toilet, however this leak had been identified and resolved in summer 2016 before our assessment.
Results of Moisture mapping
In the staff room our surveyor found evidence of mould contamination under the window. The window frame was stained as a result but in good condition. The root cause of this contamination was condensation of water vapour in a poorly insulated and poorly ventilated area. The wall plaster in the corridor to the staff room was detaching from frame work due to age.
All other rooms in the attic, on the first floor and the ground floor were also inspected and no signs of water damage, damp, leaking services or fungal contamination were identified. The areas behind the install cabinets were inspected and no signs of fungal contamination were observed here either. Lastly our surveyor inspected the basement where there were no signs of water damage, damp, leaking services or fungal contamination identified.
Recommendations to improve indoor air quality
Based on the results of moisture mapping, visual observation and microbiological sampling and identification our surveyor was able to conclude that the overall indoor air quality is not effected by fungal spores as the extent of fungal contamination is low (<1m2). Therefore the likelihood of regular disturbance is also low. The potential exposure time is low (<1h) so none of the employees working in the practice can be considered at an increased risk to health due to personal circumstances. The assessment of all the relevant exposure factors indicate that at the present the overall risk to health from exposure to fungal elements is likely to be low.
