ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Thermal modernization is carried out in a number of buildings. Wooden window frames are more and more often being replaced by plastic ones. A change in conditions and ventilation after the installation of new airtight windows can cause increased dampness inside a building, and mould. The tenants of infested buildings are exposed to allergens, volatile metabolites MVOC and the mycotoxins of moulds present in the partitions. In the Lubuskie Province the condition of the thermal protection in buildings built in the 1980s, was examined with a thermal camera. The results of this examination showed the presence of thermal bridges. After the windows in these buildings were replaced their air-tightness increased considerably. The result was the lack of air circulation in the flats and ventilating ducts. The damp, wet wall surfaces were infested with mould. A mycological analysis showed that apart from moulds such as Aspergillus vericolor, Penicillium chrysogenum, Scopulariopsis fusca, Acremonium charticola or Cladosporium herbarum, bacteria, yeasts, and mites were also present on partitions. Such infestations are a health danger to the inhabitants, especially as far as allergies are concerned.
