Paper 4: Volume 5 No.3 Dec 2006 Edition
Levels of Indoor Airborne Microbes
Associated with Ventilation Efficiency in Naturally-Ventilated Residences
HJ
Su, PC Wu and HP Chien
Dept. of
Environmental and Occupational Health,
College
of
Medicine
,
National
Cheng
Kung
University
,
Tainan
,
Taiwan
, ROC.
Abstract
Indoor microbial exposure has been implicated in various adverse health
effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of ventilation efficiency
on indoor/outdoor (I/O) levels of airborne microbes in homes with natural
ventilation, a predominant type adopted by most residential buildings in
Taiwan
where high microbial concentrations have been reported. Environmental
investigations were conducted in 44 homes. Indoor and outdoor airborne
bacteria and fungi were collected using a Burkard sampler with Trypticase
Soy agar and Malt Extract agar in a flow rate of 10 L/min. Air change
rate (AC/H) was measured using the tracer gas concentration decay method.
Indoor airborne bacteria and total fungi levels in most investigated
houses were generally greater than 1000 CFU/m3. The most
frequently isolated fungal genera were Aspergillus,
Penicillium, Cladosporium,
Alternaria and Yeast. Only the
I/O ratios of A. niger
and Penicillium were
significantly higher for those homes with an air change rate of less than
2.13 /h, the median value, compared to those with greater than 2.13
(p<0.05). A weak, but not significant, association was observed between
the increasing I/O ratios of Cladosporium
and Alternaria and increasing
ACH rates. Such an association, however, could not be identified
with concentrations of indoor and outdoor airborne bacteria. Results also
suggested higher air change rate in residences with natural ventilation
may, in turn, elevate effectively indoor microbial levels of outdoor
origin for there may be absence of proper filtration.
Key words: fungi,
bacteria, air change rate (AC/H), indoor/outdoor ratio, natural
ventilation.
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Contents
Editorial
Ventilation
for Better Indoor Air Quality: Yuguo
Li
and Xianting
Li
Paper 1
Ventilation
for Better Indoor Air Quality: Yuguo
Li
and Xianting
Li
Paper
2
Performance
of Underfloor Air Distribution in a Field Setting: Fisk, W. J., Faulkner,
D., Sullivan, D. P., Chao, C., Wan, M. P., Zagreus, L. and Webster, T.
Paper 3
Applying
the Local Dynamic Similarity Model and CFD for the Study of
Cross-Ventilation: Hu, C-H.,
Kurabuchi, T. and Ohba, M.
Paper
4
Levels
of Indoor Airborne Microbes Associated with Ventilation Efficiency in
Naturally-Ventilated Residences: Su, H. J., Wu, P. C. and Chien, H. P.
Paper 5
Air
Quality and Thermal Comfort in an Office with Underfloor, Mixing and
Displacement Ventilation:
Cermak, R. and Melikov, A. K.
Paper
6
Passive
Tracer Gas Measurement of the Long Term Variation of Ventilation in Three
Swedish Dwellings: Stymne, H., Emenius, G. and Boman, C. A.
Paper
7
Validation
of a CFD Model for Research into Stratum Ventilation: Lin,
Z., Chow, T. T. and Tsang, C.F.
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