Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2000, p. 627-631, Vol. 66, No. 2
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands,1 and Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-50002
Received 30 July 1999/Accepted 10 November 1999
As part of environmental management policies in Europe, separate
collection of organic household waste and nonorganic household waste
has become increasingly common. As waste is often stored indoors, this
policy might increase microbial exposure in the home environment. In
this study we evaluated the association between indoor storage of
organic waste and levels of microbial agents in house dust. The levels
of bacterial endotoxins, mold
(1
3)-glucans, and fungal
extracullar polysaccharides (EPS) of Aspergillus and Penicillium species were determined in house dust extracts
as markers of microbial exposure. House dust samples were collected in
99 homes in The Netherlands selected on the basis of whether separated
organic waste was present in the house. In homes in which separated
organic waste was stored indoors for 1 week or more the levels of
endotoxin, EPS, and glucan were 3.2-, 7.6-, and 4.6-fold higher,
respectively (all P < 0.05), on both living room and
kitchen floors than the levels in homes in which only nonorganic
residual waste was stored indoors. Increased levels of endotoxin and
EPS were observed, 2.6- and 2.1-fold (P < 0.1), respectively, when separated organic waste was stored indoors for 1 week or less, whereas storage of nonseparated waste indoors had no
effect on microbial agent levels (P > 0.2). The
presence of textile floor covering was another major determinant of
microbial levels (P < 0.05). Our results indicate
that increased microbial contaminant levels in homes are associated
with indoor storage of separated organic waste. These increased levels
might increase the risk of bioaerosol-related respiratory symptoms in
susceptible people.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| J. Bacteriol. | Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. | Eukaryot. Cell | All ASM Journals |
|---|