Efficacy of Occupant-Collected Dust Samples in the Evaluation of Residential Allergen and Fungal Levels

Abstract

This study evaluated the ability of a resident to evaluate their home for allergens and mold using a settled dust test kit compared with evaluation and collection of settled dust by an industrial hygienist. Forty-three home residents were provided with a kit containing written instructions and a vacuum cleaner attachment for collecting a settled dust sample. Within 2 weeks of receiving the occupant-collected sample, an industrial hygienist evaluated these homes, including a visual inspection, collection of settled dust, and collection of spore trap samples. Settled dust samples were analyzed for major dog, cat, dust mite, and cockroach allergens using immunoassay methods, and for mold spore equivalents using quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods for the 13 mold species or species groups comprising the American Relative Moldiness Index (ARMI). Allergen concentrations and ARMIs were compared between the resident- and industrial hygienist-collected samples. Linear regression between the two sets of samples showed strong correlations for dog allergen (r² = 0.92) and cat allergen (r² = 0.90). Correlations for dust mite (r² = 0.57) and cockroach allergens (r² = 0.22) were lower, likely due to most samples being near the limit of detection. ARMIs were highly correlated (r² = 0.68) and were in categorical (high, medium, or low) agreement for 76% of residences. These results show that residents can reliably follow directions and collect settled dust samples, providing an efficient method to remotely screen homes for elevated allergen levels and to identify homes with a potential mold or moisture problem that may need further evaluation.

Keywords:

• allergens
• asthma triggers
• indoor air quality
• mold
• residential settled dust analysis

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Melissa Hiserote, Jeffrey Nathanson, David Tinkelman, Kathleen Schulte, and Paige Pickering for their help with this study. Some authors of this study were supported, in part, by a Healthy Homes Demonstration Grant (COLHH0162-08) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.