First Nations people have long complained that their homes are making them sick. Now, they've got scientific proof to back them up.
A team of researchers at the University of B.C is preparing to publish a study showing a direct link between mould-infested homes in one First Nation community and an increased incidence of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments among the people living in those homes.
Karen Bartlett, an associate professor of environmental health at UBC, said the findings highlight an "enormous problem" in Canada where many First Nations communities have problems with overcrowding and poorly constructed, mould-infested homes.
Bartlett said the mould takes its greatest toll on infants and the elderly, because they have developing or weakened immune systems, and tend to spend the most time inside the unhealthy homes. For infants, early exposure may lead to long-term allergies or asthma, she said.
"People look at asthma and they say, 'Well, who cares about asthma? It's not cancer.' Well, that's the wrong way of thinking, because in fact people can die of asthma. And once you have it, you have it for your entire life. It is a significant problem."
During the study, investigators went into the First Nations community to research the history of the homes, how they were constructed and the age of the materials. They tested for mould, dust mites and other airborne particles inside the house, and they surveyed residents to find out whether they used an inhaler or suffered from a respiratory illness such as asthma or bronchitis.
When the researchers matched the tests with the epidemiology study of the residents, "indeed, we found a relationship between the amount of mould and, for example, use of inhalers or respiratory symptoms."
Bartlett said she did not have permission to name the First Nation community that participated in the study. "[But] what we found is not unusual to that community," she said. "It's actually symptomatic of a lot of housing, particularly on the coast of British Columbia."
The debilitating effects of mouldy housing on aboriginal children is particularly troubling to Tang Lee, an architecture professor in the faculty of environmental design at the University of Calgary who spent 30 years assessing health risks in aboriginal homes. He despairs at the number of children he has seen lying around their homes in a brain fog caused by mould.
"These kids are so sick they can't learn," he said. "They can't concentrate because the microtoxins in the mould make them sick. They fall asleep in school as if they are intoxicated."
He usually visits reserves with a team that includes health-care professionals, microbiologists and engineers. "We are very rigorous with our sampling methods because I really want to write a report which gets some action," he said.
But, despite submitting reports to the First Nations bands that hire him, and endless phone calls to various levels of government, recommendations rarely get followed, he said.
"They thank me, but don't take any action," Lee said. "It has got to the point I don't want to do it anymore."
lkines@tc.canwest.com
jlavoie@tc.canwest.com
timescolonist.com
To read the rest of the series so far, and to read and make comments on the stories, visit us online
