Energy-efficient
buildings can be wonderful at keeping out drafts and keeping down
heating bills. But the same air-tightness, unfortunately, is also
perfect for trapping humid air where toxic mold can go to party.
The
Alberta Court of Appeal in Canada has been a mold-filled ghost building
since 2001, after renovations to the handsome, 87-year-old sandstone
building went awry. When the renovated and newly energy-efficient
building reopened, according to ClimateWire, judges and attorneys complained of fatigue, irritated lungs, and watery eyes.
Air
quality samples pointed the finger at mold growing inside the walls.
The cracks and leaks of the pre-renovation building had been a crude
form of air-quality control—albeit not very energy efficient. The new
airtight building, however, trapped moisture to breed toxic mold.
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