TY  - JOUR
AB  - 3-D printers are widely used. Based on previous findings, we hypothesized that their emissions could enhance allergen responsiveness and reduce lung diffusing capacity. Using a cross-over design, 28 young subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis were exposed to 3-D printer emissions, either from polylactic acid (PLA) or from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), for 2 h each. Ninety minutes later, nasal allergen challenges were performed, with secretions sampled after 1.5 h. Besides nasal functional and inflammatory responses, assessments included diffusing capacity. There was also an inclusion day without exposure. The exposures elicited slight reductions in lung diffusing capacity for inhaled nitric oxide (DLNO ) that were similar for PLA and ABS. Rhinomanometry showed the same allergen responses after both exposures. In nasal secretions, concentrations of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor were slightly reduced after ABS exposure versus inclusion day, while that of interleukin 5 was slightly increased after PLA exposure versus inclusion.
AU  - Würzner, P.*
AU  - Jörres, R.A.*
AU  - Karrasch, S.
AU  - Quartucci, C.*
AU  - Bose-O'Reilly, S.*
AU  - Nowak, D.*
AU  - Rakete, S.*
C1  - 66855
C2  - 53325
TI  - Effect of experimental exposures to 3-D printer emissions on nasal allergen responses and lung diffusing capacity for inhaled carbon monoxide/nitric oxide in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 32
IS  - 11
PY  - 2022
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In the version of this article originally published, several competing interests for Erika von Mutius were missing. The following text was added to the Competing Interests section: Erika von Mutius is listed as inventor on the following patents: Publication Number EP 1411977: Composition containing bacterial antigens used for the prophylaxis and the treatment of allergic diseases; Publication Number EP 1637147: Stable dust extract for allergy protection; and Publication Number EP 1964570: Pharmaceutical compound to protect against allergies and inflammatory diseases. Erika von Mutius is listed as inventor and has received royalties on the following patent: Publication Number EP 2361632: Specific environmental bacteria for the protection from and/or the treatment of allergic, chronic inflammatory and/or autoimmune disorders.
AU  - Leppänen, H.K.*
AU  - Nevalainen, A.*
AU  - Vepsäläinen, A.*
AU  - Roponen, M.*
AU  - Täubel, M.*
AU  - Laine, O.*
AU  - Rantakokko, P.*
AU  - von Mutius, E.
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
C1  - 58946
C2  - 48538
CY  - 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, Nj Usa
SP  - 553
TI  - Determinants, reproducibility, and seasonal variation of ergosterol levels in house dust (vol 24, pg 248, 2014).
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 30
IS  - 3
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Exposure to moisture-damaged indoor environments is associated with adverse respiratory health effects, but responsible factors remain unidentified. In order to explore possible mechanisms behind these effects, the oxidative capacity and hemolytic activity of settled dust samples (n = 25) collected from moisture-damaged and non-damaged schools in Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland were evaluated and matched against the microbial content of the sample. Oxidative capacity was determined with plasmid scission assay and hemolytic activity by assessing the damage to isolated human red blood cells. The microbial content of the samples was measured with quantitative PCR assays for selected microbial groups and by analyzing the cell wall markers ergosterol, muramic acid, endotoxins, and glucans. The moisture observations in the schools were associated with some of the microbial components in the dust, and microbial determinants grouped together increased the oxidative capacity. Oxidative capacity was also affected by particle concentration and country of origin. Two out of 14 studied dust samples from moisture-damaged schools demonstrated some hemolytic activity. The results indicate that the microbial component connected with moisture damage is associated with increased oxidative stress and that hemolysis should be studied further as one possible mechanism contributing to the adverse health effects of moisture-damaged buildings.
AU  - Huttunen, K.*
AU  - Wlodarczyk, A.J.*
AU  - Tirkkonen, J.*
AU  - Mikkonen, S.*
AU  - Täubel, M.*
AU  - Krop, E.*
AU  - Jacobs, J.*
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
AU  - Heederik, D.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
AU  - Hirvonen, M.R.*
AU  - Adams, R.*
AU  - Jones, T.*
AU  - Zimmermann, R.
AU  - BéruBé, K.*
C1  - 55344
C2  - 46112
CY  - 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, Nj Usa
SP  - 299-307
TI  - Oxidative capacity and hemolytic activity of settled dust from moisture-damaged schools.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 29
IS  - 2
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2019
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - 3D printers are increasingly run at home. Nanoparticle emissions from those printers have been reported, which raises the question whether adverse health effects from ultrafine particles (UFP) can be elicited by 3D printers. We exposed 26 healthy adults in a single‐blinded, randomized, cross‐over design to emissions of a desktop 3D printer using fused deposition modeling (FDM) for 1 hour (high UFP‐emitting acrylonitrile butadiene styrene [ABS] vs low‐emitting polylactic acid [PLA]). Before and after exposures, cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α, INF‐γ) and ECP in nasal secretions, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), urinary 8‐isoprostaglandin F2α (8‐iso PGF2α), and self‐reported symptoms were assessed. The exposures had no significant differential effect on 8‐iso PGF2α and nasal biomarkers. However, there was a difference (P < .05) in the time course of FeNO, with higher levels after ABS exposure. Moreover, indisposition and odor nuisance were increased for ABS exposure. These data suggest that 1 hour of exposure to 3D printer emissions had no acute effect on inflammatory markers in nasal secretions and urine. The slight relative increase in FeNO after ABS printing compared to PLA might be due to eosinophilic inflammation from inhaled UFP particles. This possibility should be investigated in further studies using additional biomarkers and longer observation periods.
AU  - Gümperlein, I.*
AU  - Fischer, E.*
AU  - Dietrich-Gümperlein, G.*
AU  - Karrasch, S.
AU  - Nowak, D.*
AU  - Jörres, R.A.*
AU  - Schierl, R.*
C1  - 53605
C2  - 44696
CY  - 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, Nj Usa
SP  - 611-623
TI  - Acute health effects of desktop 3D printing (fused deposition modeling) using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid materials: An experimental exposure study in human volunteers.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 28
IS  - 4
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The possible impact of ultrafine particles from laser printers on human health is controversially discussed although there are persons reporting substantial symptoms in relation to these emissions. A randomized, single-blinded, cross-over experimental design with two exposure conditions (high-level and low-level exposure) was conducted with 23 healthy subjects, 14 subjects with mild asthma, and 15 persons reporting symptoms associated with laser printer emissions. To separate physiological and psychological effects, a secondary physiologically based categorization of susceptibility to particle effects was used. In line with results from physiological and biochemical assessments, we found no coherent, differential, or clinically relevant effects of different exposure conditions on subjective complaints and cognitive performance in terms of attention, short-term memory, and psychomotor performance. However, results regarding the psychological characteristics of participants and their situational perception confirm differences between the participants groups: Subjects reporting symptoms associated with laser printer emissions showed a higher psychological susceptibility for adverse reactions in line with previous results on persons with multiple chemical sensitivity or idiopathic environmental intolerance. In conclusion, acute psychological and cognitive effects of laser printer emissions were small and could be attributed only to different participant groups but not to differences in exposure conditions in terms of particle number concentrations.
AU  - Herbig, B.*
AU  - Jörres, R.A.*
AU  - Schierl, R.*
AU  - Simon, M.*
AU  - Langner, J.*
AU  - Seeger, S.*
AU  - Nowak, D.*
AU  - Karrasch, S.
C1  - 52259
C2  - 43838
CY  - Hoboken
SP  - 112-124
TI  - Psychological and cognitive effects of laser printer emissions: A controlled exposure study.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 28
IS  - 1
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Cross-sectional studies have shown that exposure to indoor moisture damage and mold may be associated with subclinical inflammation. Our aim was to determine whether early age exposure to moisture damage or mold is prospectively associated with subclinical systemic inflammation or with immune responsiveness in later childhood. Home inspections were performed in children's homes in the first year of life. At age 6 years, subclinical systemic inflammation was measured by serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood leukocytes and immune responsiveness by ex vivo production of interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in whole blood cultures without stimulation or after 24 hours stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin (PI), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or peptidoglycan (PPG) in 251-270 children. Moisture damage in child's main living areas in infancy was not significantly associated with elevated levels of CRP or leukocytes at 6 years. In contrast, there was some suggestion for an effect on immune responsiveness, as moisture damage with visible mold was positively associated with LPS-stimulated production of TNF-α and minor moisture damage was inversely associated with PI-stimulated IL-1β. While early life exposure to mold damage may have some influence on later immune responsiveness, it does not seem to increase subclinical systemic inflammation in later life.
AU  - Karvonen, A.M.*
AU  - Tischer, C.*
AU  - Kirjavainen, P.V.*
AU  - Roponen, M.*
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
AU  - Illi, S.*
AU  - Mustonen, K.*
AU  - Pfefferle, P.I.*
AU  - Renz, H.*
AU  - Remes, S.*
AU  - Schaub, B.*
AU  - von Mutius, E.
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
C1  - 53467
C2  - 44733
SP  - 450-458
TI  - Early age exposure to moisture damage and systemic inflammation at the age of 6 years.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 28
IS  - 3
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Microbial exposures in homes of asthmatic adults have been rarely investigated; specificities and implications for respiratory health are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate associations of microbial levels with asthma status, asthma symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and atopy. Mattress dust samples of 199 asthmatics and 198 control subjects from 7 European countries participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II study were analyzed for fungal and bacterial cell wall components and individual taxa. We observed trends for protective associations of higher levels of mostly bacterial markers. Increased levels of muramic acid, a cell wall component predominant in Gram-positive bacteria, tended to be inversely associated with asthma (OR's for different quartiles: II 0.71 [0.39-1.30], III 0.44 [0.23-0.82] , and IV 0.60 [0.31-1.18] P for trend .07) and with asthma score (P for trend .06) and with atopy (P for trend .02). These associations were more pronounced in northern Europe. This study among adults across Europe supports a potential protective effect of Gram-positive bacteria in mattress dust and points out that this may be more pronounced in areas where microbial exposure levels are generally lower.
AU  - Valkonen, M.*
AU  - Täubel, M.*
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
AU  - Tischer, C.*
AU  - Rintala, H.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Casas, L.*
AU  - Probst-Hensch, N.*
AU  - Forsberg, B.*
AU  - Holm, M.*
AU  - Janson, C.*
AU  - Pin, I.*
AU  - Gislason, T.*
AU  - Jarvis, D.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
C1  - 52215
C2  - 43812
CY  - Hoboken
SP  - 16-27
TI  - Microbial characteristics in homes of asthmatic and non-asthmatic adults in the ECRHS cohort.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 28
IS  - 1
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Ultrafine particles emitted from laser printers are suspected to elicit adverse health effects. We performed 75-minute exposures to emissions of laser printing devices (LPDs) in a standardized, randomized, cross-over manner in 23 healthy subjects, 14 mild, stable asthmatics, and 15 persons reporting symptoms associated with LPD emissions. Low-level exposures (LLE) ranged at the particle background (3000 cm-3) and high-level exposures (HLE) at 100 000 cm-3. Examinations before and after exposures included spirometry, body plethysmography, transfer factors for CO and NO (TLCO, TLNO), bronchial and alveolar NO, cytokines in serum and nasal secretions (IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, IFNγ, TNFα), serum ECP, and IgE. Across all participants, no statistically significant changes occurred for lung mechanics and NO. There was a decrease in volume-related TLNO that was more pronounced in HLE, but the difference to LLE was not significant. ECP and IgE increased in the same way after exposures. Nasal IL-6 showed a higher increase after LLE. There was no coherent pattern regarding the responses in the participant subgroups or single sets of variables. In conclusion, the experimental acute responses to short but very high-level LPD exposures were small and did not indicate clinically relevant effects compared to low particle number concentrations.
AU  - Karrasch, S.
AU  - Simon, M.*
AU  - Herbig, B.*
AU  - Langner, J.*
AU  - Seeger, S.*
AU  - Kronseder, A.*
AU  - Peters, S.*
AU  - Dietrich-Gümperlein, G.*
AU  - Schierl, R.*
AU  - Nowak, D.*
AU  - Jörres, R.A.*
C1  - 50508
C2  - 42503
CY  - Hoboken
SP  - 753-765
TI  - Health effects of laser printer emissions: A controlled exposure study.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 27
IS  - 4
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - We studied dampness and mould in homes in relation to climate, building characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES) across Europe, for 7127 homes in 22 centres. A subsample of 3118 homes were inspected. Multilevel analysis was applied, including age, gender, centre, SES, climate and building factors. Self-reported water damage (10%), damp spots (21%), and mould (16%) in past year were similar as observed data (19% dampness and 14% mould). Ambient temperature was associated with self-reported water damage (OR=1.63 per 10 °C; 95% CI 1.02-2.63), damp spots (OR=2.95; 95% CI 1.98-4.39) and mould (OR=2.28; 95% CI 1.04-4.67). Precipitation was associated with water damage (OR=1.12 per 100 mm; 95% CI 1.02-1.23) and damp spots (OR=1.11; 95% CI 1.02-1.20). Ambient relative air humidity was not associated with indoor dampness and mould. Older buildings had more dampness and mould (p<0.001). Manual workers reported less water damage (OR=0.69; 95% CI 0.53-0.89) but more mould (OR=1.27; 95% CI 1.03-1.55) as compared to managerial/professional workers. There were correlations between reported and observed data at centre level (Spearman rho 0.61 for dampness and 0.73 for mould). In conclusion, high ambient temperature and precipitation and high building age can be risk factors for dampness and mould in homes in Europe.
AU  - Norbäck, D.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Plana, E.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Tischer, C.*
AU  - Jacobsen, R.*
AU  - Sunyer, J.*
AU  - Künzli, N.*
AU  - Villani, S.*
AU  - Olivieri, M.*
AU  - Verlato, G.*
AU  - Soon, A.*
AU  - Schlünssen, V.*
AU  - Gunnbjörnsdottir, M.I.*
AU  - Jarvis, D.*
C1  - 50649
C2  - 42765
CY  - Hoboken
SP  - 921-932
TI  - Building dampness and mould in European homes in relation to climate, building characteristics and socio-economic status: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey ECRHS II.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 27
IS  - 5
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Exposure to house dust has been associated with asthma in adults, and this is commonly interpreted as a direct immunologic response to dust-mite allergens in those who are IgE sensitized to house dust-mite. Mattress house dust-mite concentrations were measured in a population-based sample of 2890 adults aged between 27 and 56 years living in 22 centers in 10 countries. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to explore the association of respiratory symptoms with house dust-mite concentrations, adjusting for individual and household confounders. There was no overall association of respiratory outcomes with measured house dust-mite concentrations, even in those who reported they had symptoms on exposure to dust and those who had physician-diagnosed asthma. However, there was a positive association of high serum specific IgE levels to HDM (>3.5 kUA/l) with mattress house dust-mite concentrations and a negative association of sensitization to cat with increasing house dust-mite concentrations. In conclusion, there was no evidence that respiratory symptoms in adults were associated with exposure to house dust-mite allergen in the mattress, but an association of house mite with strong sensitization was observed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
AU  - Bakolis, I.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Norbäck, D.*
AU  - Svanes, C.*
AU  - Chen, C.M.
AU  - Accordini, S.*
AU  - Verlato, G.E.*
AU  - Olivieri, M.*
AU  - Jarvis, D.L.*
C1  - 31773
C2  - 34742
CY  - Hoboken
SP  - 235-244
TI  - House dust-mite allergen exposure is associated with serum specific IgE but not with respiratory outcomes.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 25
IS  - 3
PB  - Wiley-blackwell
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Early-life exposure to microbial agents may play a protective role in asthma and allergies development. Geographical differences in the prevalence of these diseases exist, but the differences in early-life indoor microbial agent levels and their determinants have been hardly studied. We aimed to describe the early-life levels of endotoxin, extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), and β(1-3)-glucans in living room dust of four geographically spread European birth cohorts (LISA in Germany, PIAMA in the Netherlands, INMA in Spain, and LUKAS2 in Finland) and to assess their determinants. A total of 1572 dust samples from living rooms of participants were analyzed for endotoxin, Penicillium/Aspergillus EPS, and β(1-3)-glucans. Information on potential determinants was obtained through questionnaires. Concentrations of endotoxin, EPS, and β(1-3)-glucans were different across cohorts. Concentrations of endotoxin and EPS were respectively lower and higher in INMA than in other cohorts, while glucans were higher in LUKAS2. Season of sampling, dog ownership, dampness, and the number of people living at home were significantly associated with concentrations of at least one microbial agent, with heterogeneity of effect estimates of the determinants across cohorts. In conclusion, both early-life microbial exposure levels and exposure determinants differ across cohorts derived from diverse European countries.
AU  - Casas, L.*
AU  - Tischer, C.G.
AU  - Wouters, I.M.*
AU  - Valkonen, M.*
AU  - Gehring, U.*
AU  - Doekes, G.*
AU  - Torrent, M.*
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
AU  - García-Esteban, R.*
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Sunyer, J.*
C1  - 24374
C2  - 31528
SP  - 208-218
TI  - Endotoxin, extracellular polysaccharides, and β(1-3)-glucan concentrations in dust and their determinants in four European birth cohorts: Results from the HITEA project.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 23
IS  - 3
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Previous studies have found inconsistent results on the association between asthma in children and gas cooking emissions. We aimed to assess the effects of the long-term exposure to gas cooking on the onset of asthma and respiratory symptoms, focusing on wheezing, in children from two German birth cohorts: LISAplus and GINIplus. A total of 5078 children were followed until the age of 10 years. Asthma, wheezing, gas cooking, and exposure to other indoor factors were assessed through parental reported questionnaires administered periodically. Logistic and multinomial regressions adjusting for potential confounders were performed. The prevalence of asthma and persistent wheezing was higher among children exposed to gas cooking but the results were not statistically significant. Exposure to gas cooking was positively associated (P-value < 0.05) with exposure to other indoor factors (dampness, environmental tobacco smoke, and pets). Our results did not show a statistically significant association between the exposure to gas cooking and childrens respiratory health. Practical Implications These analyses are consistent with the assumption of no effect of the exposure to low doses of nitrogen dioxide. The strong positive associations found between gas cooking and other indoor factors highlight the importance of considering other indoor factors when assessing health effects of gas cooking. Low-dose exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide through gas cooking might not contribute to increase the risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms in children.
AU  - Casas, L.
AU  - Tischer, C.G.
AU  - Tiesler, C.M.
AU  - Brüske, I.
AU  - Koletzko, S.*
AU  - Bauer, C.P.*
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - von Berg, A.*
AU  - Berdel, D.*
AU  - Krämer, U.*
AU  - Schaaf, B.*
AU  - Lehmann, I.
AU  - Herbarth, O.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 11251
C2  - 30577
SP  - 476-482
TI  - Association of gas cooking with children's respiratory health: Results from GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohort studies.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 22
IS  - 6
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Endotoxin exposures have manifold effects on human health. The geographical variation and determinants of domestic endotoxin levels in Europe have not yet been extensively described. To investigate the geographical variation and determinants of domestic endotoxin concentrations in mattress dust in Europe using data collected in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey follow-up (ECRHS II). Endotoxin levels were measured in mattress dust from 974 ECRHS II participants from 22 study centers using an immunoassay. Information on demographic, lifestyle, and housing characteristics of the participants was obtained in face-to-face interviews. The median endotoxin concentration in mattress dust ranged from 772 endotoxin units per gram (EU/g) dust in Reykjavik, Iceland, to 4806 EU/g in Turin, Italy. High average outdoor summer temperature of study center, cat or dog keeping, a high household crowding index, and visible damp patches in the bedroom were significantly associated with a higher endotoxin concentrations in mattress dust. There is a large variability in domestic endotoxin levels across Europe. Average outdoor summer temperature of study center, which explains only 10% of the variation in domestic endotoxin level by center, is the strongest meteorological determinant. The observed variation needs to be taken into account when evaluating the health effects of endotoxin exposures in international contexts. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The incoherent observations of the health effects of endotoxin may be partly owing to the geographical heterogeneity of endotoxin exposure. Therefore, the observed variation should be considered in further studies. Measurements of indoor endotoxin are recommended as an indicator for the level of exposures of individual domestic environments.
AU  - Chen, C.-M.
AU  - Thiering, E.
AU  - Doekes, G.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Bakolis, I.*
AU  - Norbäck, D.*
AU  - Sunyer, J.*
AU  - Villani, S.*
AU  - Verlato, G.*
AU  - Täubel, M.*
AU  - Jarvis, D.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 7209
C2  - 29561
SP  - 24-32
TI  - Geographical variation and the determinants of domestic endotoxin levels in mattress dust in Europe.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 22
IS  - 1
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess occurrence of dampness and mold in school buildings in three European countries (the Netherlands, Spain, and Finland), representing different climatic regions. An assessment was performed utilizing both questionnaires and on-site building investigations, and the agreement between these two methods was evaluated for validation purposes. On the basis of questionnaire data from a representative sample of schools, different types of moisture problems were reported in 24-47% of all school buildings at the time of the study. Most commonly reported was dampness in the Netherlands, moisture/water damage in Spain, and mold odor in Finland. Subsequently, 20-24 schools per country were selected for on-site inspections by trained staff. The overall agreement between the questionnaire and inspection data was good (kappa-value 0.62), however, with large differences (0.39-0.91) between countries. Extrapolating from the inspection data, the minimum estimates for prevalence of moisture problems in school buildings are 20% in the Netherlands, 41% in Spain, and 24% in Finland. In conclusion, moisture problems (such as moisture damage, dampness, and mold) are relatively common in schools. The occurrence and severity may vary across geographical areas, which can be partly explained by building characteristics. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: On the basis of this study, the prevalence of verified moisture problems in school buildings was highest in Spain, but lower and similar in Finland and the Netherlands. Questionnaire-based surveys can be used to assess moisture problems in school buildings, but because of large variation in agreement with inspection data, the questionnaire needs to be validated by on-site inspections in a subsample of the surveyed buildings.
AU  - Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U.*
AU  - Borras-Santos, A.*
AU  - Turunen, M.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Jacobs, J.*
AU  - Krop, E.J.*
AU  - Casas, L.*
AU  - Shaughnessy, R.*
AU  - Täubel, M.*
AU  - Heederik, D.*
AU  - Hyvärinen, A.*
AU  - Pekkanen, J.*
AU  - Nevalainen, A.*
AU  - HITEA Study Group (Heinrich, J.
AU  - Tischer, C.G.)
C1  - 22453
C2  - 30866
SP  - 457-466
TI  - Occurrence of moisture problems in schools in three countries from different climatic regions of Europe based on questionnaires and building inspections - the HITEA study.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 22
IS  - 6
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Outdoor particulate matter (PM10) is associated with detrimental health effects. However, individual PM10 exposure occurs mostly indoors. We therefore compared the toxic effects of classroom, outdoor, and residential PM10. Indoor and outdoor PM10 was collected from six schools in Munich during teaching hours and in six homes. Particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Toxicity was evaluated in human primary keratinocytes, lung epithelial cells and after metabolic activation by several human cytochromes P450.We found that PM10 concentrations during teaching hours were 5.6-times higher than outdoors (117 ± 48 lg/m3 vs. 21 ± 15 lg/m3, P < 0.001). Compared to outdoors, indoor PM contained more silicate (36% of particle number), organic (29%, probably originating from human skin), and Ca-carbonate particles (12%, probably originating from paper). Outdoor PM contained more Ca-sulfate particles (38%). Indoor PM at 6 lg/cm2 (10 lg/ml) caused toxicity in keratinocytes and in cells expressing CYP2B6 and CYP3A4. Toxicity by CYP2B6 was abolished with the reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine. We concluded that outdoor PM10 and indoor PM10 from homes were devoid of toxicity. Indoor PM10 was elevated, chemically different and toxicologically more active than outdoor PM10. Whether the effects translate into a significant health risk needs to be determined. Until then, we suggest better ventilation as a sensible option.
AU  - Oeder, S.
AU  - Dietrich, S.*
AU  - Weichenmeier, I.
AU  - Schober, W.
AU  - Pusch, G.
AU  - Jörres, R.A.*
AU  - Schierl, R.*
AU  - Nowak, D.*
AU  - Fromme, H.*
AU  - Behrendt, H.
AU  - Buters, J.T.M.
C1  - 4699
C2  - 28990
SP  - 148-158
TI  - Toxicity and elemental composition of particulate matter from outdoor and indoor air of elementary schools in Munich, Germany.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Only recently, the radioactive gas thoron ((220) Rn) and its decay products have been regarded as significant health risk in the indoor environment. This is because of new findings of increased thoron concentrations in traditional mud dwellings and considerations leading toward reduced action levels for natural airborne radionuclides. A model which describes the sources and sinks of thoron and its decay products should help to assess the indoor exposure. This work presents an extensive depiction of the influences of indoor conditions on the occurrence of these radionuclides. Measurements were performed in an experiment room and in mud dwellings in China and India. Mud even with an average (232) Th concentration was identified as a significant thoron source. The spatial distribution of the decay products proved to be homogeneous, which is in contrast to thoron gas. The prominent contribution of the unattached and attached decay product (212) Pb to the exposure was elaborated. The theoretically derived impact of air exchange and aerosol concentration, which determines the proportion of unattached decay products, could be confirmed. Transfer coefficients of the model were determined. The thoron model with these transfer coefficients predicts annual doses of almost 2 mSv for dwellers of traditional Chinese and Indian mud buildings, confirming the potential health impact of thoron. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The radioactive noble gas radon with its decay products is well known as a health risk. After increased concentrations of the isotope (220) Rn (thoron) have been found in traditional Chinese mud-walled cave dwellings, the need for a model that describes the occurrence of thoron and its decay products indoors has arisen. This work presents such a model from the emergence of thoron in the building material until the decay to the stable (208) Pb and discusses the various influences on the occurrence of these nuclides. The model makes possible to predict the exposure of people staying in a room to thoron and its decay products and - combined with a dose model - to calculate their inhalation doses from easily measurable data.
AU  - Meisenberg, O.
AU  - Tschiersch, J.
C1  - 5253
C2  - 28326
SP  - 240-252
TI  - Thoron in indoor air: Modeling for a better exposure estimate.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 21
IS  - 3
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Investigation of long-term effects of childhood pet exposure is usually based on retrospective information provided by adults, while there is little knowledge about the reliability in adult reporting of childhood events. We analyzed 8287 adults interviewed about childhood pets twice, on average nine years apart, in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Agreement between the surveys in reporting of childhood cats, dogs and birds were investigated with kappa statistics, and potential effects of disease status on agreement were analyzed with kappa statistics and multiple logistic regressions. Cats, dogs and birds in childhood were reported by 44, 41 and 38%, respectively. Cohen's kappa for agreement in adult reporting of childhood pets was 0.714 (95% CI=0.698-0.729) for cat, 0.709 (0.691-0.722) for dog, and 0.606 (0.591-0.626) for bird. Thus, agreement was significantly higher for reporting of cat and dog than for bird. Adult wheeze, asthma or atopy did not influence agreement. Neither did adult cat sensitization influence agreement in adult reporting of childhood cat. Childhood factors such as moving house <5 years, or growing up as a single child, in a large family or in a rural area, were associated with poorer agreement, while adult factors were unrelated to agreement. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Long-term reliability in adult reporting of childhood pets was substantial, and not influenced by disease status. Thus, collection of information about childhood pets from adults appears to be reliable for the purpose of studying adult allergic disease. Future studies should consider that the reliability was higher for a more important childhood event and influenced by childhood rather than adult characteristics. Imperfect reliability contributed to underestimation of the effects of pets on adult allergy; i.e. with a kappa of 0.71, a true odds ratio (OR) of 0.80 would be attenuated to 0.86. Future studies should account for non-differential misclassification error.
AU  - Svanes, C.*
AU  - Dharmage, S.*
AU  - Sunyer, J.*
AU  - Zock, J.P.*
AU  - Norbäck, D.*
AU  - Wjst, M.
AU  - Heinrich, J.*
AU  - Jarvis, D.*
AU  - de, Marco, R.*
AU  - Plana, E.*
AU  - Villani, S.*
AU  - Antò, J.M.*
C1  - 2361
C2  - 25280
SP  - 84-92
TI  - Long-term reliability in reporting of childhood pets by adults interviewed twice, 9 years apart. Results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey I and II.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 18
IS  - 2
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2008
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Indoor environment has been associated with allergic disease. Further, it has been observed that the prevalences of allergic sensitization are different in different social groups. We therefore investigated the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and indoor bio-contaminants. House dust samples were collected from parents' and infants' mattress from 2166 families in Munich (62.2%) and Leipzig (37.8%), Germany. Major mite allergen Der p 1 and Der f 1, cat allergen Fel d 1, and endotoxin were extracted and quantified. Parental educational level and family equivalent income were used independently as socioeconomic indicators. Indoor endotoxin, mite allergen Der p 1, and the amount of sampled dust were not associated with the social factors. Mite allergen Der f 1 was slightly associated by family SES but without a consistent pattern. In families who are not cat owners, however, a negative association between the amount of cat allergen and family SES were observed. The observed negative association between cat allergen loads and concentrations in mattress and family SES in non-cat owners' homes indicated that community is an important source of cat allergen exposure. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study indicated that community is a major source of cat allergen exposure especially in communities of low SES.
AU  - Chen, C.M.
AU  - Mielck, A.
AU  - Fahlbusch, B.*
AU  - Bischof, W.*
AU  - Herbarth, O.*
AU  - Borte, M.
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 1730
C2  - 24920
SP  - 384-393
TI  - Social factors, allergen, endotoxin, and dust mass in mattress.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 17
IS  - 5
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2007
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The comparison of endotoxin levels between study populations and countries is limited as a result of differences in sampling, extraction, and storage procedures. The objective of this study is to assess the levels and determinants of endotoxin in mattress and living room floor dust samples from three European countries, namely, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, using a standardized sampling, storage, and analysis protocol. The mattress and living room floor dust was collected from the homes of 1065 German, Dutch, and Swedish (pre-)school children. All the samples were collected in the cool season and analyzed for endotoxin in a central laboratory. The determinants were assessed by a standardized questionnaire. The endotoxin concentrations in mattress and living room floor dust were found to be the highest in German homes and lowest in the Swedish ones. Differences between the geometric means were small (factor 1.1–1.7). Most of the associations between endotoxin concentrations and potential determinants were not statistically significant and heterogeneous across countries. However, keeping pets and having more than four persons living in the home were consistently associated with up to 1.7-fold higher endotoxin concentrations in mattress and floor dust. Furthermore, having carpets or rugs, and opening the windows frequently was associated with up to 3.4-fold and 1.3-fold higher endotoxin concentrations in living room floor dust, respectively. The proportion of variance explained by the questionnaire variables was generally low. In conclusion, the data on housing characteristics did not accurately predict the endotoxin concentrations in house dust, and could only partly explain the differences between countries.
AU  - Giovannangelo, M.*
AU  - Gehring, U.
AU  - Nordling, E.*
AU  - Oldenwening, M.*
AU  - Terpstra, G.*
AU  - Bellander, T.*
AU  - Hoek, G.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Brunekreef, B.*
C1  - 5839
C2  - 24436
SP  - 70-79
TI  - Determinants of house dust endotoxin in three European countries – the AIRALLERG study.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 17
IS  - 1
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
PY  - 2007
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Thaqi, A.
AU  - Franke, K.
AU  - Merkel, G.*
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 3984
C2  - 23287
SP  - 302-310
TI  - Biomarkers of exposure to passive smoking of school children: Frequency and determinants.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 15
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2005
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Topp, R.
AU  - Thefeld, W.*
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 3395
C2  - 22988
SP  - 222-227
TI  - The effect of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on allergic sensitization and allergic rhinitis in adults.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 15
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2005
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Gehring, U.
AU  - Bischof, W.*
AU  - Borte, M.*
AU  - Herbarth, O.*
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Heinrich, J.
C1  - 3349
C2  - 21844
SP  - 284-292
TI  - Levels and predictors of endotoxin in matters dust samples from East and West German homes.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 14
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2004
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Bischof, W.*
AU  - Koch, A.*
AU  - Gehring, U.
AU  - Fahlbusch, B.*
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - INGA Study Group (*)
C1  - 22064
C2  - 20700
SP  - 2-9
TI  - Predictors of High Endotoxin Concentrations in the Settled Dust of German Homes.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 12
PB  - Wiley
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Douwes, J.*
AU  - Doekes, G.*
AU  - Heinrich, J.
AU  - Koch, A.*
AU  - Bischof, W.*
AU  - Brunekreef, B.*
C1  - 21331
C2  - 19446
SP  - 255-263
TI  - Endotoxin and ß(1-3)-Glucan in House Dust and the Relation with Home Characteristics: A Pilot Study in 25 German Houses.
JO  - Indoor Air
VL  - 8
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0905-6947
ER  -