<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi All,<div><br></div><div>I am doing a research about air quality inside straw bale buildings. I am particularly interested in how a "usual" kind of mold in baled straw inside a plastered wall affects air quality within indoor environment and how healthy that environment is. I would like to know if there is any scientific paper written on this subject. </div><div><br></div><div>I hope you will not mind me asking to give me some further links, or pointers. In any case, I would be grateful to hear your opinion. </div><div><br></div><div>I have contacted Stephen Collette> <a href="http://www.yourhealthyhouse.ca/">http://www.yourhealthyhouse.ca/</a> to give his expertise. I thought it might be useful for all of us to hear. Please see excerpt from his e-mail below.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you.</div><div><br></div><div>Have a peaceful Advent time full of warmth and happiness.</div><div><br></div><div>With warm wishes</div><div><br></div><div>Kuba</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>On 3 Nov 2014, at 16:26, Stephen Collette wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div>As for your questions Jakub:</div><div><br></div><div>I do not have any specific research, university type, looking at the moulds in straw bale homes. I have come across some in my professional practice. (To summarize, I used to build, worked on 2 dozen straw bale buildings. Now I am a consultant, building science geek and know a fair bit about natural building sciences, teaching it through the Building Biology Institute in the US.) </div></div></blockquote><div><br></div>...</div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><b>As for how it impacts the air quality within a house, I would say it is negligible, under normal conditions. Fibreglass, unfortunately common in North America can hold crap loads of mould and water, and that type of wall system is quite "loose" compared to a plastered wall, which are not so common here. Plastered walls reduce air leakage, and therefore pathways of concern. Also the walls are so dense, to slow air movement in and of themselves, irrespective of the plaster. </b></div><div><br></div><div>All the best.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div><br></div><div>Stephen</div><div><br></div><div><div><div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; ">Stephen Collette BBEC, LEED AP, BSSO</div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; "><b><i>Your Healthy House</i></b> - <font class="Apple-style-span" size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; ">Indoor Environmental Testing & Building Consulting</span></font></div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; "><a href="http://www.yourhealthyhouse.ca/">http://www.yourhealthyhouse.ca</a></div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; "><a href="mailto:stephen@yourhealthyhouse.ca">stephen@yourhealthyhouse.ca</a></div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; ">705.652.5159</div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><div><div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; "><br></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div></div></body></html>