Ositum Oy
Betonimiehenkuja 4, 02150 Espoo
Tel. +358 10 425 2610
Fax +358 10 425 2618
Kiilakiventie 1, 90250 Oulu
Tel. +358 10 425 2600
Fax +358 10 425 2601
Maakuntakatu 29 - 31, 96200 Rovaniemi
Tel. +358 10 425 2612
Fax +358 10 425 2601
e-mail: firstname.lastname@ositum.fi
MICROBE LABORATORY
Usually a moisture or a microbial damage is discovered behind the most serious symptoms of indoor air problems in real estates. Typical symptoms caused by mould exposure are constant airway inflammations, irritation of eyes and mucous membranes, headache and tiredness. Fever or joint symptoms may also appear. The sensitivity to the moulds varies between persons and therefore only a part of the exposed show symptoms.
There are moulds and other microbes continuously in our environment in small numbers. However, risen mould quantities due to moisture damage do not belong to healthy indoor air. Certain mould species are more harmful than others to the health and they are the ones found mostly in the moisture damage targets. These moulds are so-called indicator species.
The health problems created by moulds and microbes are related to the poisons (mycotoxines) produced by the mould spores and threads and to the evaporated metabolism products of microbes (MVOC = microbial volatile organic compounds). These substances weaken the defence ability of mucous membranes and the human being is exposed to various infections. Also direct irritation symptoms may appear due to exposure. The spores of the microbes related to moisture damage are very small, typically only for a few micrometres, so they are carried all the way to the alveoli in the airways.
To examine the quality of indoor air we study microbial air samples (with a DNA method or a cultivation method) and investigate volatile compounds (VOC and MVOC) quantitatively. (see Chemistry Laboratory ).
There are moulds and other microbes continuously in our environment in small numbers. However, risen mould quantities due to moisture damage do not belong to healthy indoor air. Certain mould species are more harmful than others to the health and they are the ones found mostly in the moisture damage targets. These moulds are so-called indicator species.
The health problems created by moulds and microbes are related to the poisons (mycotoxines) produced by the mould spores and threads and to the evaporated metabolism products of microbes (MVOC = microbial volatile organic compounds). These substances weaken the defence ability of mucous membranes and the human being is exposed to various infections. Also direct irritation symptoms may appear due to exposure. The spores of the microbes related to moisture damage are very small, typically only for a few micrometres, so they are carried all the way to the alveoli in the airways.
To examine the quality of indoor air we study microbial air samples (with a DNA method or a cultivation method) and investigate volatile compounds (VOC and MVOC) quantitatively. (see Chemistry Laboratory ).
