Webinar Session on Microbiomes of Indoor Environment
Chanced upon this webinar and discussion session happening next week. Pretty interesting and relevant to the issues we discuss in this blog.
Webinar and Discussion
What Have We Learned about the Microbiomes of Indoor Environments?
Presented by:Brent Stephens, PhD, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
Date and Time: Thursday, September 22, 2016, 11 a.m. - Noon (EDT)
Q&A Session: Noon–12:30 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Within the built environments, in the air, water, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and on surfaces, there exist a vast number and diversity of species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. These microbial communities or “microbiomes” are influenced by interactions with humans, animals and plants. They are also affected by factors such as air flow, temperature, humidity, chemical exposures and building materials. These factors are in turn, shaped by the design, construction, operation and use of the built environments.
For a better understanding of microbiomes in the built environmentand their impacts on human health, the US EPA along with NASA, NIH and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation tasked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to convene a panel of experts to examine the formation and function of microbial communities in the built environment, their impact on human health, and how human occupants shape complex indoor microbes.
Sign up link : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7818365877554232836
In stephen's article, what piqued my interest were these 2 points.
1. Humans are major sources of bacteria to indoor air ! (through shedding of skin and clothes, and the fact that humans re-suspend the settled particles)
2. How building design and operations can affect influence indoor air quality. Apparently, the use of the air conditioner can sometimes cause more harm to the air quality!
References:
Stephens B. 2016. What have we learned about the microbiomes of indoor environments? mSystems 1(4):e00083-16. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00083-16.
Dannemiller KC, Gent JF, Leaderer BP, Peccia J. 2016. Influence of housing characteristics on bacterial and fungal communities in homes of asthmatic children. Indoor Air 26:179–192. doi:10.1111/ina.12205.
