Indoor Environments最新文献

{"title":"Building age is a determining factor of indoor CO2 levels in a University setting","authors":"Leigh Ann Broadway ,&nbsp;Hannah Aycock ,&nbsp;Andrew Broadway ,&nbsp;Ty Russell ,&nbsp;Ana Endsley ,&nbsp;Buddy Harley ,&nbsp;Alex Colmorgan ,&nbsp;Tyler Drafts ,&nbsp;David Estey ,&nbsp;Tom Syfert","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Literature on CO₂ levels in classrooms routinely focus on CO₂ exposure in primary education settings, but comparatively little attention has been given to higher education settings such as colleges. Due to concerns about the relationship between COVID-19 and CO₂, the University of South Carolina’s (USC) Environmental Health and Safety Department (EHS) monitored indoor air quality for 26 buildings and 198 classrooms from the Fall of 2021 to the Spring of 2022 in general purpose university classrooms. 30 Onset HOBO data loggers were used to monitor these classrooms. Average CO₂ levels varied greatly between buildings built after 1981 and before 1955, from 126 ppm over 24 hours to 179 ppm over the 9 am to 5 pm timeframe. There were lesser differences between buildings built between 1956 and 1980 and before 1955, showing CO₂ levels from 23 ppm over 24 hours to 30 ppm over the 9 am to 5 pm timeframe. The parts per million differences were statistically significant over the 24-hour period and the 9 am to 5 pm period. Class occupancy greatly affected CO₂ levels in tested classrooms, with statistically significant differences from 187 ppm to 192 ppm in buildings built after 1981 and those built before 1955 and between 1956 and 1980 when the classroom was at least 50 % occupied. However, these levels dropped to only a 5 ppm difference for buildings build before 1955 and between 1956 and 1980 and were not statistically significant. The rate of CO₂ decrease was slower in buildings built after 1981 with a decrease of 65.4 ppm per hour compared to a decrease of 77.9 ppm per hour in buildings built before 1955. The results were comparable based on the age of the HVAC systems in the buildings, showing total HVAC systems installed after 2000 were 79–113 ppm higher average CO₂ than total HVAC systems installed before 2000 during a 24-hour timeframe and a 9am-5pm timeframe. While none of the classrooms had CO₂ levels that exceeded federal limits for CO₂ exposure, there is a scarcity of data and guidelines of CO₂ levels within a collegiate setting. The data provides information on changes in CO₂ levels related to classroom occupancy and differences in CO₂ levels based on building age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100100"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New considerations for representing moisture in indoor thermal conditions: Associations between enthalpy, cognitive performance, and thermal sensations","authors":"Sandra Dedesko ,&nbsp;Joseph Pendleton ,&nbsp;Anna S. Young ,&nbsp;Brent A. Coull ,&nbsp;John D. Spengler ,&nbsp;Joseph G. Allen","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Motivated by limitations with the use of temperature and thermal comfort models in relation to occupant health outcomes, this work investigates numerous characterizations of thermal conditions and associations among these thermal variables, cognitive performance, and thermal perceptions. Measurements of classroom dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity were used to calculate a suite of eleven thermal variables, which were paired with thermal sensation votes and cognitive test responses from graduate students attending classes in these monitored spaces, resulting in an analysis dataset of 273 observations from 54 participants. Results from Spearman Rank correlation coefficients, factor analysis, and principal component analysis suggest that the eleven thermal variables cluster into three groups that reflect variations in indoor temperature, indoor relative humidity, and indoor-outdoor differences. While several variables appear to reflect variations in only air temperature (e.g., PMV estimates) or moisture, indoor enthalpy appears to reflect variations in temperature and RH in the most balanced manner. A series of mixed effects statistical models suggest that higher values of indoor enthalpy appear to be associated with improved cognitive test scores and warm sensations, and warm sensations appear to be associated with improved cognitive test scores. The collective results posit new considerations for the importance of indoor moisture with respect to occupant outcomes and how commonly used modelling approaches may not reflect this. Additional research that incorporates diverse populations, varied built environments, and causal methods could help further our understanding of the effects of air temperature and moisture on occupant outcomes in varied built environment settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100098"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation: Advances in viral inactivation and vaccine development","authors":"Kathleen K.M. Glover,&nbsp;Sunday S. Nunayon,&nbsp;Lexuan Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has gained global attention for preventing disease transmission. While UVGI technology’s utility in sterilization is well-established, there is growing interest in exploring its potential applications in vaccine development. Relevant studies are reviewed to provide a comprehensive perspective on the current state and future potential of UVGI in this domain. Specifically, this review investigates the effectiveness of UVGI in inactivating various pathogens and details the mechanisms through which different research groups have demonstrated their ability to prevent the transmission of these microbes. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to critically examine the feasibility of UVGI technology for vaccine development, with a focus on its potential to produce inactivated vaccines, its immunogenicity profile, and scalability. The study also identifies existing research gaps, especially in developing novel vaccines using UVGI. By doing so, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how UVGI can contribute to future strategies for preventing infectious diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100099"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving hospitality venue ventilation via behavioural change as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Simon De-Ville ,&nbsp;Sophie Pott ,&nbsp;Chantelle Wood ,&nbsp;Zhangjie Peng ,&nbsp;M. Zaeem Farooq ,&nbsp;Giota Blouchou ,&nbsp;Alisha Suhag ,&nbsp;Edward Murphy ,&nbsp;E. Abigail Hathway","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of good ventilation in hospitality venues, given its role in reducing virus transmission. Small-scale hospitality venues (&lt;50 employees) employ 98 % of staff in the UK hospitality sector. However, little is known about the current state of ventilation in these venues, the barriers to more effective ventilation, and whether behaviour change strategies can improve ventilation performance. This formed the aims of the current research. This work was divided into three phases: Phase 1 explored the current performance of ventilation in hospitality venues and the barriers to more effective ventilation; Phase 2 led to the co-creation of a behaviour change intervention consisting of guidance material and provision of a CO₂ monitor; and Phase 3 piloted the intervention, evaluating changes in behaviour and ventilation performance, in addition to assessing user acceptability of the intervention. Ventilation performance was identified to be below recommended standards in most participating venues. Business owners stated they were not able to improve ventilation due to a lack of clear guidance, lack of funds to upgrade systems, limited authority over building infrastructure, and competing priorities. In these businesses, customer comfort, atmosphere, noise control, and security were given greater importance than improving ventilation. The introduction of a guidance document and CO₂ sensors to monitor ventilation performance saw 3 of 6 venues increase ventilation actions such as window/door opening and/or the switching on of wall mounted fans. Following the intervention, business owners expressed an increased likelihood of purchasing air cleaners, or mechanical ventilation systems. However, their likelihood of purchasing CO₂ monitors decreased. The guidance is advised to be used alongside spot check CO₂ monitoring during periods of high occupancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100097"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Remediating moisture- and mould-damaged residential buildings in Finland – Costs and benefits for health and climate","authors":"Iiris Hörhammer ,&nbsp;Jukka Pappinen ,&nbsp;Olli Halminen ,&nbsp;Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy ,&nbsp;Anne M. Karvonen ,&nbsp;Jukka Lahdensivu ,&nbsp;Virpi Leivo ,&nbsp;Paulus Torkki ,&nbsp;Martin Täubel ,&nbsp;Juha Pekkanen","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mould and moisture damage in residential buildings increase the risk of new-onset asthma and of respiratory symptoms. Alternatives for remediating the damage in external wall structures vary in co-benefits for climate and economy. Integrated assessment of the costs, and health and environmental benefits, of different remediation alternatives is needed for sustainable decisions. We compared two commonly used remediation alternatives of damage in external wall structures in the whole Finnish residential building stock: an immediate replacement of the damaged materials (material replacement, MR) with up-to-date energy-efficient materials and a delayed MR (DMR) preceded by improvement of airtightness. MR yielded a somewhat better discounted net cost benefit (−€5.9 bn) than DMR (−€6.4 bn) over service-life (50 and 60 years, respectively). Benefits for health (€1.2 bn and €1.2 bn for MR and DMR, respectively) and savings in heating (€0.6 bn and €0.5 bn, respectively) could not offset the remediation costs (−€7.7 bn and −€8.0 bn, respectively). The service-life climate impact of both alternatives was negligible. In the sensitivity analysis, variation ( ± 20 %) in remediation costs had the most significant impact on net cost benefit (−€2.7 bn to −€7.3 bn). The assessment did not include all effects of remediations, like future value of the building, which could have a major effect on the estimated net cost benefit. However, the present study presents, to our knowledge for the first time, an integrated approach that can help in identifying sustainable remediation alternatives when societies adapt to and mitigate climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100094"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extreme indoor temperature a growing health hazard in rural areas of India","authors":"Premsagar Prakash Tasgaonkar ,&nbsp;Kamal Kumar Murari","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change projections indicate that heavily populated regions across the globe will face a rising occurrence of more frequent, severe, and extended heat waves (HW), accompanied by prolonged periods of extreme heat. These events are poised to trigger widespread overheating in rural areas, leading to heat-related illnesses and mortalities. In this context, our study aimed to examine heat stress vulnerability, heat mitigation measures and indoor discomfort in rural areas. The study was carried out in the rural areas of Wardha district located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. The census household survey method was adopted to collect quantitative data during the summer month of 2022. The environmental factors such as indoor temperature, relative humidity and dew point were measured for the period from 1st March 2022 to 30th June 2022. A total of 2,672 individuals (comprising 54 % men and 46 % women) reside in the census survey household (700 households), with 38 % of the population falling within the 21 to 40-year age group. People living in house with cement roofs were less affected with odds of 1.00 (0.78, 1.29) as compared to those with tin roofs. The highest indoor temperature was recorded in the tin roof house, reaching 40.0 °C, while cement slab houses recorded an average temperature of 38.5 °C. The highest temperatures ranged from 35 °C to 37 °C (May 11–18, 2022) and 35 °C to 38 °C (June 1–8, 2022). Notably, 80 % of individuals (2136) reported experiencing at least one self-reported Heat-Related Symptom (HRS), with symptoms such as fatigue (736), heavy sweating (679), intense thirst (518), dry mouth (364), leg cramps (255) and headache (238) were reported commonly. A small number of population experienced Severe Heat-Related Symptoms (HRS) like fainting (2), hallucinations (5) and paranoid feelings (6). While the majority exhibited Mild Heat-Related Symptoms (HRS). The mitigation strategies for extreme temperatures encompass seeking shade (1025), wearing light and loose clothing (881), drinking water frequently before feeling thirsty (802), drinking plenty of water (732), clothing removal for free air/airy dress (376) and covering head with a traditional scarf (253). Development of Heat Action Plan (HAP) will be a crucial step to avoid the HRS at local level. In the preparation of HAP engagement of local level stakeholder is very important for the effective implementation. The findings of the study will help policy makers to understand the implications of change in temperature and its consequences on the population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100096"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental determination of 7-day uptake rates for diffusive sampling of 86 volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds relevant for indoor air monitoring and investigation on their sensitivity to exposure time and indoor climate","authors":"Matthias Richter,&nbsp;Florian Schühle","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to experimentally determine uptake rates for 86 indoor relevant volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOC, SVOC) for the passive sampler type Perkin Elmer/Markes™ with Tenax® TA as sorbent, which was used in the German Environmental Survey on Health (GerES VI) carried out by the German Environmental Agency (UBA) in the years 2023–2024. For this purpose, single reference gas atmospheres of 76 pure VOCs (liquid at room temperature) and a group of 10 SVOCs and VOCs (solid at room temperature) were generated using two generation procedures. By exposing the samplers to individual components, it was ruled out that interactions in a mixture have an influence on the uptake rate. Another aspect was to precisely describe the methodology and the resulting uncertainties, as there are gaps in the literature in this regard. The selection of the compounds was based on the findings of the preceding GerES V study for which data was missing or needed to be verified. In each experiment, a number of six passive samplers was exposed to the test gas atmospheres in dynamically operated exposure chambers for seven days. The sensitivity of the uptake rates of a group of 10 selected VOCs to variations in exposure time, ambient temperature, and air humidity in a multi-component reference gas atmosphere was investigated. Here, a decrease in the uptake rate with the exposure time could be observed stabilising from the fifth day of exposure onwards. A significant effect of temperature and humidity on the uptake rate was not apparent. The determined uptake rates exhibit uncertainties of &lt; 20 % for 71 substances, and &lt; 10 % for 51 substances which are also in good agreement with the literature, if already published elsewhere. The quantity of investigated substances, the detailed description of the methodology used to determine the uptake rates complemented by the respective uncertainties, as well as the compilation of comparative data, contribute to a better assessment of the quality and relevance of such data, which had not been published before.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100095"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measured impacts of supply vs. exhaust ventilation in residences","authors":"Paul W. Francisco ,&nbsp;Kiel Gilleade ,&nbsp;Yigang Sun ,&nbsp;Zachary Merrin ,&nbsp;Masih Alavy ,&nbsp;Jason LaFleur","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is well-recognized that ventilation in residential buildings is important for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality. Many residential energy retrofit programs require the installation of ventilation when energy-saving measures such as air sealing are performed on homes. However, there is substantial disagreement about the relative merits of supply ventilation, which brings outdoor air directly into the home, vs. exhaust ventilation, which targets the direct removal of contaminants from the home to outdoors. Past studies to explore this issue have used modeling, testing of unoccupied homes using tracer gases, and comparisons between homes that had different ventilation strategies. This study measured multiple contaminants in 18 lived-in homes in which both supply and exhaust ventilation systems were installed, at similar ventilation rates. Measurements were made over three weeks: one week with no ventilation operating, one week with exhaust ventilation operating, and one week with supply ventilation operating. Because both ventilation strategies were tested in the same homes, the analysis avoids a number of confounding factors based on any differences in homes. The results show that both ventilation strategies reduce contaminants by a similar amount, with differences in contaminant levels between system types not statistically significant. Most reductions were on the order of 10 %, with particles being reduced by 25–30 %. Apparent differences between the strategies differ depending on the contaminant, with exhaust having slightly larger reductions in contaminant levels for most contaminants, but supply having a greater beneficial impact on basement-level radon. The results suggest that there is a similar reduction of contaminant levels regardless of how ventilation is provided to the home.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100093"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using smart thermostats to reduce indoor exposure to wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5)","authors":"Federico Dallo ,&nbsp;Thomas Parkinson ,&nbsp;Carlos Duarte ,&nbsp;Stefano Schiavon ,&nbsp;Chai Yoon Um ,&nbsp;Mark P. Modera ,&nbsp;Paul Raftery ,&nbsp;Carlo Barbante ,&nbsp;Brett C. Singer","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is responsible for millions of premature deaths globally each year. Wildfires are a major source of PM_2.5, creating dangerously high levels of air pollution across extensive regions. Current public health recommendations for wildfire-related PM_2.5 exposure include staying indoors and using portable air cleaners or central air systems with adequate filtration. We addressed the gaps in understanding central air system usage during wildfires by studying smart thermostat data from approximately 5000 California homes during the 2020 wildfire peak, proving that these systems are not effectively utilized for improving air quality. We explored the potential health benefits of optimizing central air system operation using smart thermostats and air quality data through modelling and simulation. An automated optimization approach could decrease indoor PM_2.5 exposure by up to 54 ± 5 % compared to standard air conditioning use, and up to 61 ± 5 % during peak wildfire smoke days. While this increased operation incurs an additional energy cost of about $5 per month per household (totalling $75 million), it is partially offset by an estimated 53 ± 5 % reduction in premature mortality, which translates to $29 million in monetized health benefits. Installing a MERV 13 filter and reducing house leakage further reduces indoor PM_2.5 concentrations. Overall, using a central air system with proper filtration can be as effective as using four portable air cleaners for on average house. The greatest potential for reducing health risks associated with PM_2.5 exposure through an automated optimised system is in lower-income areas. This study reveals that existing technologies and infrastructure, often overlooked, could significantly improve protection for building occupants from wildfire smoke.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100088"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indoor potted plants have little effect on office dust fungal communities","authors":"Abigail Leslie ,&nbsp;Muhtashim Rafiq Chowdhury ,&nbsp;Martin Täubel ,&nbsp;Bridget Hegarty","doi":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reflecting the predominance of time we spend indoors, there is increasing interest in understanding and achieving healthy indoor microbiomes. Introducing more plants into urban environments, e.g., through living architecture, is one possible way to increase indoor microbial diversity. However, more research is needed to establish how and the degree to which indoor plants affect the indoor microbiome, particularly indoor fungal communities. In this study, we explore whether plant and indoor air microbiomes interact with each other. We hypothesized that fungi found in the plants’ soil would be detected in the settled dust samples and that rooms with plants will have more diverse fungal communities. We conducted a longitudinal study of single-occupancy offices with and without plants, (1) quantifying total fungal and bacterial levels in airborne settled dust and (2) comparing the fungal composition. We found that the fungal community composition and total abundance was consistent over time and across the offices that we measured, suggesting a strong building-specific effect. Both relative humidity and dewpoint in the rooms had a statistically significant correlation with the fungal community composition. Plant status had no effect on the alpha or beta diversity, nor the network structure, of the office’s fungal community. A small fraction of the highly abundant soil ASVs were found in the dust samples (0.6 ± 1.5 %), while a larger fraction of the highly abundant dust ASVs were found in the soil samples (27.1 ± 17.4 %), suggesting a small degree of bidirectional exchange between their fungal communities. Future studies with more plants are necessary to evaluate whether this trend persists with more plant material. Overall, our study suggests that typical numbers of office house plants are unlikely to modify indoor air quality by changing the indoor fungal community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100665,"journal":{"name":"Indoor Environments","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100092"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}