Abstract
In this study, the growth rate of fungus was investigated under the following three types of conditions: (a) constant temperature and humidity, (b) constant relative humidity with varying temperatures, and (c) constant absolute humidity with varying temperatures. The results showed that the growth rates of Cladosporium cladosporioides IFO 6348 under conditions (b) and (c) became 1 /2 to 1 /4 of those under condition (a). Furthermore, higher growth rate was observed in the environment where the relative humidity is constant than in the environment where the absolute humidity is constant, if the temperature variations are the same in each environment. These results suggest that the method of controlling absolute humidity is more effective than the method of controlling relative humidity to protect against the growth of fungi in building environments.
