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Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types

Meklin, T., Reponen, T., Koponen, V., Husman, T., Hyvarinen, A. and Nevalainen, A.
2002
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT, 36 (39-40): 6031-6039

Meklin, T., Reponen, T., Koponen, V., Husman, T., Hyvarinen, A. and Nevalainen, A., (2002), "Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types", ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT, 36 (39-40): 6031-6039.
Abstract:
Any risk assessment of moisture-damaged buildings requires an accurate characterization of the factors contributing to the human exposure. In this study, the size distributions of indoor air viable fungi and bacteria and average mean diameters of the most common fungi in school buildings were deter-mined. One special focus was to analyze how the microbial size distributions are affected by the building frame (either wooden or concrete) and moisture damage in the building. The study was, performed in 32 school buildings classified as moisture-damaged (index) and non-damaged (reference) schools according to technical building investigations. Sampling for indoor air microbes was carried out using a cascade impactor that collects particles on six stages (range from 0.65 to > 7 mum) according to their aerodynamic diameters. Both wooden and concrete schools had their highest fungal levels in the size range of 1.1-4.7 mum. However, the concentrations of fungi in all size classes were higher in wooden schools than in concrete schools. Moisture damage-associated differences in size distribution, in the particle size range of 1.1-2.1 mum, were seen in concrete schools but not in wooden schools. In general, the average geometric mean diameter (d(g,ave)) of total viable fungi was smaller in wooden schools than in concrete schools, and smaller in index schools of both construction types than in their reference schools. Variation in particle size, however, by genus was observed. No differences in particle size distributions of viable airborne bacteria were found. Our results on the dependency of the particle size on the building type and presence of moisture damage provide an interesting point to be considered in assessing the complex issue of indoor-related bioaerosol exposures.
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Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Meklin, T.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  3. Fungi and actinobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials - concentrations and diversity
  4. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  5. Microbial exposure and health in schools - effects of moisture damage and renovation
  6. Moisture damage in schools - symptoms and indoor air microbes
  7. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  8. Rain penetration control - applying current knowledge (rpc-00)
  9. Skin-prick test findings in students from moisture- and mould-damaged schools: A 3-year follow-up study
  10. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air
  11. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants  
Reponen, T.
  1. Aerodynamic diameters and respiratory deposition estimates of viable fungal particles in mold problem dwellings
  2. Aerodynamic versus physical size of spores: measurement and implication for respiratory deposition
  3. Aerosol characteristics of airborne actinomycetes and fungi
  4. Bioaerosol collection by a new electrostatic precipitator
  5. Characteristics of airborne actinomycete spores
  6. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
  7. Collection of airborne spores by circular single-stage impactors with small jet-to-plate distance
  8. Collection of bioaerosol particles by impaction: effect of fungal spore agglomeration and bounce
  9. Collection of fungal spores on air filters and spore reentrainment from filters into air
  10. Comparison of concentrations and size distributions of fungal spores in buildings with and without mould problems
  11. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  12. Development and evaluation of aerosol generators for biological materials
  13. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  14. Effect of indoor sources on fungal spore concentrations and size distributions
  15. Effect of relative humidity on the aerodynamic diameter and respiratory deposition of fungal spores
  16. Evaluation of a new personal sampler for enumerating airborne spores
  17. Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air
  18. Field Testing of New Aerosol Sampling Method With a Porous Curved Surface as Inlet
  19. Fungal fragments as indoor air biocontaminants
  20. Fungal spore source strength tester: laboratory evaluation of a new concept
  21. Long-term sampling of airbome bacteria and fungi into a non-evaporating liquid
  22. Performance of Air-O-Cell, Burkard, and Button samplers for total enumeration of airborne spores
  23. Personal exposures and microenvironmental concentrations of particles and bioaerosols
  24. Release of Streptomyces albus propagules from contaminated surfaces
  25. Techniques for dispersion of microorganisms into air
  26. Total and culturable airborne bacteria and fungi in arid region flood-damaged residences
  27. Viable fungal spores as indoor aerosols  
Koponen, V.
  1. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings  
Husman, T.
National Public Health Institute, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Kuopio, Finland.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  3. Characteristics of moisture damage in houses and their association with self-reported symptoms of the occupants
  4. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  5. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  6. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  7. Health effects of indoor-air microorganisms
  8. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  9. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  10. Moisture damage in schools - symptoms and indoor air microbes
  11. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  12. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants  
Hyvarinen, A.
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Comparison of concentrations and size distributions of fungal spores in buildings with and without mould problems
  3. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  4. Fungi and actinobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials - concentrations and diversity
  5. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air  
Nevalainen, A.
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland, and Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings
  2. Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock
  3. Comparison of concentrations and size distributions of fungal spores in buildings with and without mould problems
  4. Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects
  5. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
  6. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
  7. Effect of growth medium on potential of Streptomyces anulatus spores to induce inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 macrophages
  8. Effect of indoor sources on fungal spore concentrations and size distributions
  9. Effect of liner and core materials of plasterboard on microbial growth, spore-induced inflammatory responses, and cytotoxicity in macrophages
  10. Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air
  11. Fungal spores as such do not cause nasal inflammation in mold exposure
  12. Fungi and actinobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials - concentrations and diversity
  13. Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools
  14. Induction of Cytotoxicity and Production of Inflammatory Mediators in RAW264.7 Macrophages by Spores Grown on Six Different Plasterboards
  15. Inlet sampling efficiency of bioaerosol samplers
  16. Knowledge-based and statistically modeled relationships between residential moisture damage and occupant reported health symptoms
  17. Microbes and moisture content of materials from damaged building
  18. Moisture, mold and health in apartment homes
  19. Performance of bioaerosol samplers: collection characteristics and sampler design considerations
  20. Personal exposures and microenvironmental concentrations of particles and bioaerosols
  21. Skin-prick test findings in students from moisture- and mould-damaged schools: A 3-year follow-up study
  22. Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air
  23. The relationship between moisture or mould observations in houses and the state of health of their occupants
  24. Validity of detection of microbial growth in buildings by trained dogs  


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