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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.

Increased Levels of Markers of Microbial Exposure in Homes with Indoor Storage of Organic Household Waste

Inge M. Wouters,1 Jeroen Douwes,1 Gert Doekes,1 Peter S. Thorne,2 Bert Brunekreef,1 and Dick J. J. Heederik1,*

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 beta (1right-arrow3)-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.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Environmental Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 238, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands. Phone: 31 317 482080. Fax: 31 317 485278. E-mail: DICK.HEEDERIK{at}STAFF.EOH.WAU.NL.

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.


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