Abstract

BIO-AEROSOLS AS EXPOSURE AGENTS IN THE BIODEGRADED BUILDING INDOOR ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO ASTHMA AND ALLERGY

Garima Arya*, Purshotam Kaushik

Department of Botany and Microbiology, G.K.V., Haridwar, India.

ABSTRACT

This review article is a synthesis of biodegraded indoor environments contain a complex mixture of live (viable) and dead (nonviable) microorganisms, fragments thereof, toxins, allergens, volatile microbial organic compounds and other chemicals. The indoor concentrations of some of these organisms and agents are known or suspected to be elevated in biodegraded indoor environments and may affect the health of people living or working there in. Asthma, asthmatic symptoms and allergic sensitization are linked with a number of indoor exposures, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, tobacco smoke and biological agents. This review focuses solely on the biological exposures. Exposures to allergens, microbial agents and other biological particles are risk factors to these health effects, but the exact causal connections or the mechanisms underlying the symptoms are still not well understood. Among the open questions come the importance of geneticenvironmental interactions in the development of allergy, pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of asthma and the role of various exposing agents as causal or adjuvant factors of these diseases.

Keywords: Bioaerosols, Biodegraded buildings, Indoor environment, Asthma, Allergic sensitization.