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. 2022 May 29;19(11):6642.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116642.

An Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi in the Female Dormitory Environment: Level, Impact Factors and Dose Rate

Yanju Li  1 , Xinyu Wang  1 , Guoqing Cao  2 , Yu Wang  1 , Qingqing Miao  1 , Jinlu He  1
Affiliations

An Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi in the Female Dormitory Environment: Level, Impact Factors and Dose Rate

Yanju Li et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

In this study, the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were tested in a female dormitory room; the effects of heating, relative humidity and number of occupants on indoor microorganisms were analyzed and the dose rate of exposure to microbes was assessed. The bacterial and fungal concentrations in the room ranged from 100 to several thousand CFU/m3, and the highest counts were observed in the morning (930 ± 1681 CFU/m3). Staphylococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp. were found in the dormitory. When the heating was on, the total bacterial and fungal counts were lower than when there was no heating. Moreover, statistically significant differences were observed for bacterial concentrations during the morning periods between the times when there was no heating and the times when there was heating. The number of occupants had an obvious positive effect on the total bacterial counts. Moreover, RH had no correlation with the airborne fungi in the dormitory, statistically. Furthermore, the highest dose rate from exposure to bacteria and fungi was observed during sleeping hours. The dose rate from exposure to airborne microorganisms in the dormitory was associated with the activity level in the room. These results helped to elucidate the threat of bioaerosols to the health of female occupants and provide guidance for protective measures.

Keywords: bacteria; dose rate; fungi; impact factors; indoor environment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Layout of the tested dormitory and the indoor sampling positions: (a) building location; (b) indoor view of room; (c) sampling points.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Indoor temperature, R.H. and CO2 in the tested dormitory.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Microbe concentrations in the dormitory in the morning, noon and evening: (a) bacteria; (b) fungi.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Culturable airborne bacteria and fungi during the unheated and heated periods: (a) bacteria; (b) fungi.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Relationship between the concentrations of microbes and the number of female occupants in the dormitory.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Correlations between the airborne microbe concentration and the RH (6 occupants, sampling time: 21:30–22:30).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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