Shared air: Examining the contribution of mold from home crawl spaces to home interiors

This project was designed to assess allergens and asthma triggers in the indoor homeenvironment. Because the Southeast has been the subject of relatively little research on indoor environmental health issues, despite having a climate very favorable to the growth andpersistence of molds, dust mites, and cockroaches, the project focused on six counties in NorthCarolina. It included field sampling in homes to measure levels of allergen and asthma triggers.The project then integrated the results of the sampling into a Geographic Information System(GIS) to develop models that associated risk factors with the presence of allergens and asthmatriggers in the home environment. Concurrently, CEHI worked with community partners,government agencies, and other interest groups to educate the public about homeenvironmental health risks and disseminate project findings. In order to help local communitiesstrengthen their own capacity to operate sustainable, preventive programs that addresshousing-based hazards, residents and community organizations and institutions needed goodinformation about the risks and contributing factors specific to their locale. The projectuncovered key insights regarding respiratory health threats in the home environment, which canin turn be used to tailor and prioritize intervention programs.