Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

Myers, Nirmala T.; Calderon, L.; Pavilonis, Brian; Wang, Zuocheng; Xiong, Ya; Sorensen-Allacci, Mary Ann; Plotnik, Deborah; Senick, Jennifer; Gong, Jie; Krogmann, Uta; Andrews, Clinton J.; Mainelis, Gediminas

doi:10.1111/ina.12743

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…In the present study, a 24‐h ventilation system suppressed the formation of condensation. As previously discussed, the window‐type air conditioners popular in Japan do not ventilate indoor air with outdoor air; therefore, the indoor dew point temperature and the indoor‐to‐outdoor ratio of fungal bioaerosol levels in the summer are higher in houses equipped with this type of air conditioner compared with residences with HVAC systems 16,20 . A 24‐h ventilation system compensates for the shortcomings of window‐type air conditioners.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moldy odor from air conditioners in the residences of Japanese participants with and without asthma

et al. 2022

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Fungi are a major environmental allergen. 1 Exposure and sensitization to environmental fungi are associated with asthma onset, severity, and exacerbation. 2 Furthermore, fungi pose a risk for the development of more severe conditions such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis/mycosis (ABPA/ABPM). An estimation of the global burden suggested that ABPA develops in approximately five million patients with asthma worldwide. 3 As more time is spent at home in the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, appropriate maintenance of the indoor environment is essential for the health of patients with asthma. However, less is known regarding environmental interventions to reduce indoor molds and their efficacy compared with the approaches for another major indoor allergen, house dust-mites. 4 Mold growth is affected by temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation. Therefore, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are beneficial for reducing the burden of airborne fungi. 5 However, if not properly maintained, air conditioners themselves can be contaminated with fungi and, consequently, spread fungal spores into indoor air. 6,7 We previously reported a case of ABPM with repeated deterioration due to recurrent exposure to

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moldy odor from air conditioners in the residences of Japanese participants with and without asthma

et al. 2022

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“…To determine the culturable fungi, the SAS Super 180 Microbial Sampler (Bioscience International, Rockville, MD) was operated at 180 L/min at the same time to collect three samples of 5 min each onto malt extract agar (Difco, Becton, Dickinson, and Co., Franklin Lakes, NJ). The plates were then incubated at room temperature for 5 days, and the resulting colony-forming units were counted and adjusted using positive-hole correction . They are reported as a concentration of airborne colony-forming units (CFU/m 3 ).…”

Section: Materials and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The plates were then incubated at room temperature for 5 days, and the resulting colony-forming units were counted and adjusted using positive-hole correction. 41 They are reported as a concentration of airborne colony-forming units (CFU/m 3 ). Deposition Modeling.…”

Section: ■ Materials and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Lung Deposition of Fungal Spores Using Actual Airborne Spore Concentrations and Physiological Data

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Sagona

Calderon

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Exposure to bioaerosols has been implicated in adverse respiratory symptoms, infectious diseases, and bioterrorism. Although these particles have been measured within residential and occupational settings in multiple studies, the deposition of bioaerosol particles within the human respiratory system has been only minimally explored. This paper uses real-world environmental measurement data of total fungal spores using Air-o-Cell cassettes in 16 different apartments and residents’ physiological data in those apartments to predict respiratory deposition of the spores. The airborne spore concentrations were measured during the spring, summer, and fall. The respiratory deposition of five most prevalent spore generaAscospores, Aspergillus, Basidiospores, Cladosporium, and Myxomyceteswas predicted using three empirical models: the Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry model, using both the Yeh and age-specific versions, and the Bioaerosol Adaptation of the International Committee on Radiological Protection’s Lung deposition model. The predicted total deposited number of spores was highest for Ascospores and Cladosporium. While the majority of spores deposit were in the extrathoracic region, there is a significant deposition for both Aspergillus and Cladosporium in the alveolar region, potentially leading to the development of aspergillosis or allergic asthma. Although the dose–response relationship is unknown, the estimate of the actual spore deposition could be the first step in determining such a relationship.

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“…Further research is required before drawing conclusions on the prevalence of these contaminants within high‐rise MURBs and the ability of ventilation system types to maintain acceptable indoor concentrations. That being said, these studies did show that: decentralized HRVs/ERVs may be a viable option for reducing indoor contaminants within high‐rise MURBs; 46,53,69 natural ventilation via window operation may be a viable option for reducing indoor contaminants, such as radon, within high‐rise MURBs; 69 more ventilation may be required to maintain similar IAQ levels in energy‐efficient high‐rise MURB designs (airtight buildings) compared with less efficient, leakier MURBs; 52,66,70 high‐rise MURBs can be susceptible to radon issues, even in suites on upper floors; 69 ventilation system type may not have a significant effect on the presence of indoor culturable bacteria within MURBs, but may have a significant effect on indoor culturable fungi; 71 and infectious diseases, such as SARS‐CoV‐2, may be transmitted through central bathroom exhaust systems that rely on buoyancy to drive airflow; 72 however, transmission could result for a multitude of reasons, including cross‐contamination driven by stack effect. …”

Section: Meta‐analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐rise residential building ventilation in cold climates: A review of ventilation system types and their impact on measured building performance

et al. 2022

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Ventilation system performance in high‐rise multi‐unit residential buildings (MURBs) has a significant impact on resident wellbeing. While the importance of ventilation is well established, it is commonly overlooked since underperformance often goes undetected. This article presents a review and synthesis of ventilation system performance in high‐rise MURBs located in cold climates as it relates to the three pillars of sustainability: economic (capital and operational cost), social (airflow control, indoor environmental quality, and occupant behavior and interactions), and ecological (energy and carbon). A meta‐analysis revealed previous ventilation system designs generally prioritized economic sustainability, specifically, capital cost. However, priorities have recently shifted toward social and ecological sustainability. While this shift is positive, there is insufficient empirical evidence showing which ventilation system most effectively supports it. The decentralized heat/energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV) system shows the potential to improve upon the social and ecological sustainability of previous designs, such as the centralized pressurized corridor system, but the interconnected nature of performance metrics can cause improvements to one to negatively impact others. Therefore, further research is required to enhance ventilation system performance in cold climate, high‐rise MURBs, and facilitate decision‐making while designing and retrofitting these systems.

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Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

Cited by 14 publications

References 89 publications

Moldy odor from air conditioners in the residences of Japanese participants with and without asthma

Moldy odor from air conditioners in the residences of Japanese participants with and without asthma

Estimating Lung Deposition of Fungal Spores Using Actual Airborne Spore Concentrations and Physiological Data

High‐rise residential building ventilation in cold climates: A review of ventilation system types and their impact on measured building performance

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