This study was conducted in a school center that had been the focus of inte
nse public concern over 2 years because of suspected mold and health proble
ms. Because several attempts to find solutions to the problem within the co
mmunity were not satisfactory, outside specialists were needed for support
in solving the problem. The study group consisted of experts in civil engin
eering, indoor mycology, and epidemiology. The studies were conducted in cl
ose cooperation with the city administration. Structures at risk were opene
d, moisture and temperature were measured, and the causes of damage were an
alyzed. Microbial samples were taken from the air, surfaces, and materials.
Health questionnaires were sent to the schoolchildren and personnel. Infor
mation on the measurements and their results was released regularly to scho
ol employees, students and their parents, and to the media. Repairs were de
signed on the basis of this information. Moisture damage was caused mainly
by difficult moisture conditions at the building site, poor ventilation, an
d water leaks. Fungal genera (concentrations <200 colony-forming units (cfu
)/m(3), <3000 cfu/cm(2)) typical to buildings with mold problems (e.g., Asp
ergillus versicolor, Eurotium) were collected from the indoor air and surfa
ces of the school buildings. Where moisture-prone structures were identifie
d and visible signs of damage or elevated moisture content were recorded, t
he numbers of microbes also were high; thus microbial results from material
samples supported the conclusions made in the structural studies. Several
irritative and recurrent symptoms were common among the upper secondary and
high school students. The prevalence of asthma was high (13%) among the up
per secondary school students. During the last 4 years, the incidence of as
thma was 3-fold that of the previous 4-year period.