Aims: Effective household hygiene measures require that sources of bacterial contamination and the places to which contamination spreads be carefully identified. Therefore, a study was performed to examine the distribution of microorganisms throughout ordinary households in Japan, which has its own unique customs of daily life and food preparation. Methods and Results: Using the stamping method, samples were taken from 100 different places and items in each of 86 households. This study found kitchens ⁄ dining rooms to have the greatest level of microbial contamination and bathrooms, the next highest level. Toilets (water closets) were found to have an unexpectedly low level of bacterial contamination. The largest bacterial counts were found on items such as drain traps, dish-washing sponges, counter towels, sinks, dish-washing tubs, and bathroom sponges. Conclusions: It is necessary to carefully identify both the items that can become instruments for spreading bacterial contamination and the places that easily become subject to secondary contamination, and then to take timely and effective disinfection ⁄ sanitizing measures. Significance and Impact of the Study: The data gathered in this study will be very valuable for anticipating the pathways over which bacteria are transported and prioritizing disinfection targets, to make effective disinfection possible.
The bacterial contamination of Japanese homes and the attitudes of Japanese people toward sanitation were studied. By taking bacterial counts of approximately 90 places each in five homes, this study found kitchens to have the greatest degree of bacterial contamination, followed by bathing rooms. Toilets had less bacterial contamination than was expected. While concern about bacteria on highly contaminated items such as sponges, towels for wiping counters, and other reservoirs/disseminators was common, there was a relative lack of concern regarding contact surfaces such as dining tables. It is believed that an in-depth study of bacterial contamination in the home and concern about it would lead to the promotion of greater public understanding of home sanitation and help to facilitate the provision of useful information and products to the public.
A BSTRACTBackground: Because fungi in the indoor environment strongly affect not only damage to and the deterioration of building materials, but also affect human health, it is important to know the distribution of fungi within an indoor environment. Therefore, in the present study, we examined fungi in houses over a period of 1 year and attempted to produce an indoor fungal contamination map for Japanese houses. Methods: Fungi were collected at approximately 100 fixed points in 81 ordinary houses around the Kanto District using either the stamp or dressing tape methods between 1999 and 2000. A commercially available potato dextrose agar culture medium was used to incubate the fungi collected. After incubation, fungi were quantified and identified by routine methods and the fungal conditions in the indoor environment was evaluated. Results: The relationships between the fungal conditions in the indoor environment found around the Kanto District and parameters such as the season, area in the house and indoor environment were analyzed. According to the fungal flora found in the present study, the indoor environment in Japanese
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