 Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) depends upon...  Proper circulation  Age of the building  Regular maintenance  Filtration  Humidity levels

 One out of every thirteen school-aged children suffer from asthma  Every year, more than 10 million absentee days are accumulated on account of airborne related illnesses  EPA study in 2000 determined 50% of nation’s schools had improperly maintained equipment

 Effect of outdoor air supply rate and filtration  Speed of 4 of 7 tests performed improved significantly when outdoor air supply rate increased  No sig. effect on test scores  Effect of moderately raised temperatures  When temps reduced from 25 to 20 degrees Celsius, performance (speed) improved in 2 numerical and 2 language based tests  Effect of particle filtration  So significant effects on performance Wargocki and Lyon, Wargocki et al., 2007.

 Radon  Carbon Monoxide  Ozone  Tobacco Smoke  Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)  Toxic Materials – Asbestos, Lead  Biological Aerosols (Bioaerosols)

 Defined as... - Any airborne molecule that is biological in origin  can be in the form of gases, vapor, or large particulates.  can also be microorganisms themselves - Fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans

SOURCEEXAMPLES OF BIOAEROSOLS Bacteria Legionella, Actinomycetes Fungi Histoplasma, Alternaria, Pencillium, Aspergillus, Stachybotrys, aflatoxins, aldehydes, alcohol Protozoans Naegleria, Acanthamoeba Viruses Influenza Algae Chlorococus Green Plants Ambrosia (ragweed) pollen Arthropods Dermatophagoides (dust mites) feces, Cockroaches MammalsDog or cat dander Source:

 Study conducted in Italy, Daccarro et al. 2003, looking at airborne microbial communities in gyms  Found a higher abundance of “Staph” in the gym compared with outdoors  Also, 38 fungi taxa in gyms and 30 outdoors

 Growing Airborne Microbes  Comparing different areas of the scholastic environment  Petri dishes  Agar medium  Particulate traps  Wire hangers, nylon, and petroleum jelly

 Genus of bacteria  Legionnaires disease  Flu-like symptoms  Domestic hot-water systems and cooling towers

 Most species harmless  Food poisoning  More recently, human infections

 Very common: 1-20 million/ g of soil  Look much like fungi but are bacteria  Tuberculosis

 Histoplasmosis  Primarily effects lungs  Common in immunodeficent individuals

 Mostly plant pathogens  Allergen to humans

 Commonly known as moulds  Main cause of food spoilage  Produce mycotoxins  Many practical applications

 Another common mould  Some species produce aflatoxins  Also, many practical applications

 Black mold  Moist areas  Wide range of symptoms  Extended exposure: very severe symptoms

 One of the main causes of asthma  Fecal matter higher allergenic  Unfortunately, no way to avoid...FOUND EVERYWHERE