Understanding building-occupant-microbiome interactions toward healthy built environments: A review

Abstract

Built environments, occupants, and microbiomes constitute a system of ecosystems with extensive interactions that impact one another. Understanding the interactions between these systems is essential to develop strategies for effective management of the built environment and its inhabitants to enhance public health and well-being. Numerous studies have been conducted to characterize the microbiomes of the built environment. This review summarizes current progress in understanding the interactions between attributes of built environments and occupant behaviors that shape the structure and dynamics of indoor microbial communities. In addition, this review also discusses the challenges and future research needs in the field of microbiomes of the built environment that necessitate research beyond the basic characterization of microbiomes in order to gain an understanding of the causal mechanisms between the built environment, occupants, and microbiomes, which will provide a knowledge base for the development of transformative intervention strategies toward healthy built environments. The pressing need to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments highlights the urgency and significance of understanding the complex interactions between the built environment, occupants, and microbiomes, which is the focus of this review.

The bacterial community of childcare centers: potential implications for microbial dispersal and child exposure

“…High abundances of these fungi in built environments have been associated with various respiratory disorders such as asthma and allergic rhinitis [ 24 , 25 ]. Because of the health consequences of microbial exposure—be it bacteria, fungi or other taxa–to young children, it is important to better characterize the indoor microbial community in the context of their unique behaviors and interactions with the built space [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Bioreactivity, Guttation and Agents Influencing Surface Tension of Water Emitted by Actively Growing Indoor Mould Isolates

“…Chemical toxin analyses discriminate between anthropogenic and microbially produced toxins, but do not detect unknown toxins and do not measure bioreactivity [59,60]. Cell toxicity assays based on mammalian cells, human cells or multicellular organisms may recognize the cellular target and measure the bio reactivity of toxic substances, but do not distinguish microbial toxins from anthropogenic toxic chemicals as cleaning chemical and biocides [58,[61][62][63][64][65]. None of these methods consider the metabolic activity of the indoor moulds and may also not measure relevant indicators specific for hazardous mould exposures.…”

Pathogen Control in the Built Environment: A Probiotic-Based System as a Remedy for the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance

“…The BE microbiome composition is largely sourced from humans and commonly include high amounts of human skin colonizers such as Gram-positive Staphylococci, but also Gram-negative bacteria including Enterobacteriaceae family, fungi, and viruses. In particular, data from the Home Microbiome Project showed strict relationships between microbes, people and their homes, suggesting rapid colonization of the home environment by the family's microbiota [55,56]. Various bacterial species can reside in the toilet but also in the kitchen and refrigerators, potentially being a direct source of food borne illness [57].…”