EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF INDOOR BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS

1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 09670352
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene
• Research Institution: Yokohama National University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAI Satoshi YOKOHAMA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 環境科学研究センター, 助教授 (70217644)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 1999
• Keywords: INDOOR AIR POLLUTION / EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT / ALLERGY / EPIDEMIOLOGY

Research Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between indoor air quality due to biological contaminants and chemicals, and children's allergies such as asthma and atopy. We measure several pollutant levels inside houses where children with and without allergies were living in the winter, 1998 and in the summer, 1999. Target pollutants were dust mite allergen, fungal index, HCHO, VOCs, et al.
Although most chemical pollutant levels seem to be higher in non-allergic children's homes than in allergic children's homes in 1998, all differences were not significant. In 1999, dust mite allergen and other biological pollutant levels were higher in non-allergic children's homes than in allergic children's homes. However, HCHO levels were higher in allergic children's homes. These results suggest that the family with some allergic problem try to remove pollutant origins and we should conduct a cohort study to investigate the effect of indoor environment on children's health.