Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Perry, Tamara T., MD
• Vargas, Perla A., PhD
• Bufford, Jeremy, MD
• Feild, Charles, MD
• Flick, Michael, MD
• Simpson, Pippa M., PhD
• Hamilton, Robert G., PhD
• Jones, Stacie M., MD

Titel

Classroom aeroallergen exposure in Arkansas Head Start centers

Ist Teil von

• Annals of allergy, asthma, & immunology, 2008-04, Vol.100 (4), p.358-363

Ort / Verlag

McLean, VA: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2008

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background The impact of preschool environmental conditions on classroom aeroallergen concentrations is not fully understood. Objective To examine the relationship between school environmental conditions and classroom aeroallergen concentrations in the Pulaski County Head Start (HS) Program. Methods Thirty-three HS centers in Pulaski County, Arkansas, underwent a detailed environmental evaluation. Classroom settled dust samples were analyzed for the presence of common indoor allergens. Results Classroom eating (70%), wall-to-wall carpeting (58%), and water damage (33%) were common. Median classroom allergen levels were as follows: dust mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), 0.6 μg/g; Fel d 1, 0.4 μg/g; Can f 1, 1.7 μg/g; cockroach, below detection; Mus m 1, 0.18 μg/g; and mold spores, 17,800 CFU/g. Can f 1 and Mus m 1 allergens were detected in 100% of HS centers. Facilities with carpeting, increased humidity, and single-use facilities showed trends toward increased dust mite concentrations. Detectable cockroach allergen was more common in classrooms cleaned by teachers than by professional housekeepers. Conclusions Aeroallergens were commonly detected in Pulaski County HS center classrooms, with dog and mouse allergens detected in 100% of centers. Median classroom allergen concentrations were low, and classroom characteristics were not strongly predictive of increased allergen exposure.