Mold infestation problems in building are a complex phenomenon due to various causes such as environmental conditions including temperature and relative humidity, substrates (building materials), exposure time, and so on. Earlier studies showed the interrelationship among humidity, temperature conditions and mold growth. However, surface structure also can be a key factor to mold germination. This study conducted experiments on the mold germination and growth on wallpapers with different surface structures. Four wallpapers and two fungal species (Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium chrysogenum) were selected for experiment and observed fungal germination and growth on the different surface structures of wallpapers using scanning electron microscope. The resulfts showed that the shape of the micro structure of wallpaper surface affected to the growth of fungi.

Mould growth can deteriorate indoor air quality in buildings. To alleviate the problems in the built environment, accurate understanding of the risk factors associated for mould infestation is required. This study aims to evaluate current status of mould growth problems in residential buildings in Korea. Both the physical characteristics of buildings and the behaviour of occupants have been studied as risk factors. In this study, a questionnaire survey has been conducted randomly on a national basis. A total of 314 completed questionnaires were collected and processed for statistical analysis. The relationship between mould growth and activity factors was analyzed. As a result, about 30% of residential buildings in Korea reported mould problems. However, the types of residential buildings did not show a statistically significant difference in the ratio of mould problems.