Fungi linked to asthma and respiratory illnesses may be going undetected in some homes despite there being no visible signs of mould, according to a UK study.
The findings come as landlords face tougher responsibilities under Awaab’s Law, which aims to improve the response to damp and mould in rented homes.
Researchers at Imperial College London found that the air inside homes contains a greater variety of fungi than outdoor air. Some properties had high levels of fungal spores even when no mould was visible.
The study, which has also been covered by our sister title Air Quality News, monitored 118 households over two years and analysed 262 air samples collected between October 2022 and June 2024.
Scientists identified more than 2,000 types of fungi and highlighted more were present in indoor air samples rather than outdoor.
One of the study’s most notable findings was a home with no visible mould but unusually high levels of Aspergillus spores. The property was occupied by a child with an allergy to the fungus and a history of asthma-related hospital admissions.
Samuel Hemmings, PhD student in Imperial’s School of Public Health, said: ‘This research demonstrates that [visual inspection] methods alone are not sufficient in detecting the true burden of fungal bioaerosols within homes.’
Researchers found that several fungal groups, including Penicillium, Aspergillus and Wallemia, were more common indoors than outdoors. Many are associated with damp conditions, allergies and respiratory illnesses.
Professor Matthew Fisher, Professor of Fungal Disease Epidemiology at Imperial, added: ‘These findings prove that fungal aerosols are an important but often overlooked component of indoor air pollution. Integrating fungal monitoring into housing and public health policy is now vital for improving respiratory health in the UK.’
The full research can be read here.
Image: Tanya Barrow/UnSplash
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