Morphology and Quantification of Fungal Growth in Residential Dust and Carpets

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barnes MA ; da Silva H ; Dannemiller KC ; Divjan A ; Green, Brett J. ; Haines SR ; Nastasi N ; Perzanowski MS ; Rappleye CA ; Xu L
• Description:
  Mold growth indoors is associated with negative human health effects, and this growth is limited by moisture availability. Dust deposited in carpet is an important source of human exposure due to potential elevated resuspension compared to hard floors. However, we need an improved understanding of fungal growth in dust and carpet to better estimate human exposure. The goal of this study was to compare fungal growth quantity and morphology in residential carpet under different environmental conditions, including equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) (50%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%), carpet fiber material (nylon, olefin, wool) and presence/absence of dust. We analyzed incubated carpet and dust samples from three Ohio homes for total fungal DNA, fungal allergen Alt a 1, and fungal morphology. Dust presence and elevated ERH (≥85%) were the most important variables that increased fungal growth. Elevated ERH increased mean fungal DNA concentration (P < 0.0001), for instance by approximately 1000 times at 100% compared to 50% ERH after two weeks. Microscopy also revealed more fungal growth at higher ERH. Fungal concentrations were up to 100 times higher in samples containing house dust compared to no dust. For fiber type, olefin had the least total fungal growth, and nylon had the most total fungi and A. alternata growth in unaltered dust. Increased ERH conditions were associated with increased Alt a 1 allergen concentration. The results of this study demonstrate that ERH, presence/absence of house dust, and carpet fiber type influence fungal growth and allergen production in residential carpet, which has implications for human exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution, Indoor Dust Fungi Humidity Hypersensitivity Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Allergens Allergies Author Keywords: Microscopy Dust Particles Dusts Flooring IAQ IEQ Indoor Air Pollution Indoor Air Quality Indoor Environmental Quality Indoor Environments Moisture Mold Molds Relative Humidity

  More +
• ISSN:
  0360-1323
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; New York ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  174
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059083
• Citation:
  Build Environ 2020 May; 174:106774
• Contact Point Address:
  Nicholas Nastasi, 2070 Neil Ave. Hitchcock Hall Room 491B, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
• Email:
  nastasi.5@osu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Building and Environment
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8f4d6c8d9c93adb6a3fa943ff1f88c972473b0f90844f1cd06917f11cc39ddb62090a12c99a6d54386817733a00a35aa4360bf2d4b9d3d10a50fe024f91a85e4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223403/cdc_223403_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.82 MB ]