Indirect health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments.

Arundel, Anthony; Sterling, E.; Biggin, Judith H.; Sterling, Theodor D.

doi:10.1289/ehp.8665351

Cited by 241 publications

(193 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…The optimal parameters of RH for health are defined by Arundel et al as 40%-60% humidity; beyond this range, RH can impact on respiratory infections and allergies, by reducing the infectivity of airborne-transmitted infectious bacteria and viruses [44]. In Passive House design, the RH optimal comfort range is 35%-55%, for the avoidance of "mould and the fast growth of HDM" [19] (p. 6).…”

Section: Indoor Air Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Scottish Passive House: Insights into Environmental Conditions in Monitored Passive Houses

et al. 2016

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Climate change and sustainability legislation in recent years has led to significant changes in construction approaches in the UK housing sector. This has resulted in the adoption of new building typologies, including the German Passivhaus (Passive House) standard. This standard aims to improve occupant comfort and energy efficiency, potentially changing the ways in which homes operate and how occupants interact with them. With increasing construction of low energy dwellings, there is an emerging gap in knowledge in relation to occupant health and wellbeing, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality (IAQ). Using data collected from a two year Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) study funded by Innovate UK, the environmental data (temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations) from five Certified Passive House homes in Scotland was compared. The results demonstrate problems with overheating with peak temperatures exceeding 30˝C. Imbalanced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems were identified in 80% of the dwellings and inadequate IAQ was found due to poor ventilation. Only one of the Passive Houses studied exhibited thermal conditions and IAQ which were, on the whole within Passive House parameters. This paper outlines the insights and the main issues of Scottish Passive House in the broader context of sustainability.

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Section: Indoor Air Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Scottish Passive House: Insights into Environmental Conditions in Monitored Passive Houses

et al. 2016

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“…Chamber experiments using clean air showed no drying out of the mucosa after exposure to 9% relative humidity for 78 hours [30]. However, Green [31] and Arundel [32] found that dry indoor air could impair the ciliary function, resulting in an increased occurrence of respiratory infections. RH about 40% has been suggested to be better for the eyes and the airways than levels below 30% [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Odors and Sensations of Humidity and Dryness in Relation to Sick Building Syndrome and Home Environment in Chongqing, China

Wang

Qin

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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The prevalence of perceptions of odors and sensations of air humidity and sick building syndrome symptoms in domestic environments were studied using responses to a questionnaire on the home environment. Parents of 4530 1–8 year old children from randomly selected kindergartens in Chongqing, China participated. Stuffy odor, unpleasant odor, pungent odor, mold odor, tobacco smoke odor, humid air and dry air in the last three month (weekly or sometimes) was reported by 31.4%, 26.5%, 16.1%, 10.6%, 33.0%, 32.1% and 37.2% of the parents, respectively. The prevalence of parents’ SBS symptoms (weekly or sometimes) were: 78.7% for general symptoms, 74.3% for mucosal symptoms and 47.5% for skin symptoms. Multi-nominal regression analyses for associations between odors/sensations of air humidity and SBS symptoms showed that the odds ratio for “weekly” SBS symptoms were consistently higher than for “sometimes” SBS symptoms. Living near a main road or highway, redecoration, and new furniture were risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air. Dampness related problems (mold spots, damp stains, water damage and condensation) were all risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air, as was the presence of cockroaches, rats, and mosquitoes/flies, use of mosquito-repellent incense and incense. Protective factors included cleaning the child’s bedroom every day and frequently exposing bedding to sunshine. In conclusion, adults’ perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air are related to factors of the home environment and SBS symptoms are related to odor perceptions.

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“…Indoor microbial communities are an important component of everyday human health37, and are even partially composed of human-associated bacteria1 due to the high emission rate of up to 10 6 bacteria per person-hour8. In ICUs, sanitation protocols are stricter than in other areas of the hospital, yet many patients treated in ICUs are infected with hospital-acquired “nosocomial infections” often due to an underlying severe disease910.…”

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confidence: 99%

The ignored diversity: complex bacterial communities in intensive care units revealed by 16S pyrosequencing

Oberauner

Zachow

Lackner

et al. 2013

Sci Rep

163

136

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Indoor microbial communities play an important role in everyday human health, especially in the intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals. We used amplicon pyrosequencing to study the ICU microbiome and were able to detect diverse sequences, in comparison to the currently used standard cultivation technique that only detected 2.5% of the total bacterial diversity. The phylogenetic spectrum combined species associated with the outside environment, taxa closely related to potential human pathogens, and beneficials as well as included 7 phyla and 76 genera. In addition, Propionibacterium spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Burkholderia spp. were identified as important sources of infections. Despite significantly different bacterial area profiles for floors, medical devices, and workplaces, similarities by network analyses and strains with identical molecular fingerprints were detected. This information will allow for new assessment of public health risks in ICUs, help create new sanitation protocols, and further our understanding of the development of hospital-acquired infections.

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Indirect health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments.

Cited by 241 publications

References 80 publications

Scottish Passive House: Insights into Environmental Conditions in Monitored Passive Houses

Scottish Passive House: Insights into Environmental Conditions in Monitored Passive Houses

Odors and Sensations of Humidity and Dryness in Relation to Sick Building Syndrome and Home Environment in Chongqing, China

The ignored diversity: complex bacterial communities in intensive care units revealed by 16S pyrosequencing

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