These can be things like chemical leaks, or water seepage from the plumbing system inside the walls or underground. Not only can secretions from chemicals and other household materials cause moisture problems, moisture can build up when heavy rains occur and flooding is present. Heavy rains can cause water to pool under or near the house. This can cause the structure of the building to become dampened. Flooding causes the house, as well as all materials inside the house to be submerged in water for long periods of time. Afterward, the house and all its contents are wet; this leads to the growth of mold. Following occasional entry events, dampness can also be a result of unwanted condensation that results from air condition units and plumbing systems. They are constantly changing temperatures, allowing for unwanted condensation to build up (WHO, …show more content…
This is acknowledged globally due to increased exposure of dampness and mold. The conditions that have increased the risk of adverse health effect are, but not limited to the lack of implementation in energy conservative measures, urbanization, climate change and quality of building materials. When energy conservation measures are not implement ventilation defects occur, which can cause condensation to build up. Due to urbanization the quality of the building structures decreases, as well as housing availability, which can lead to urban degradation. Houses that are overcrowded are more likely to have cases of moisture issue due to the lack appropriate heating, ventilation and insulation. In low income populations the prevalence of indoor damp can be significantly greater than the population as a whole. For example, a study was conducted among of 1954 young mothers in the United Kingdom. Those who lived in wealthier and more stable living conditions reported 52 percent of damp cases and 24percent of mold cases. Compared to the less fortunate, which were those who lived in relatively deprived housing , 58 percent reported cases of dampness and 56 percent reported issues with mold (WHO,