Presentation: Exposure Profile of Indoor Risk Factors in Dwellings of Children with Atopic Dermatitis ( World Allergy Congress)

Thursday, 15 October 2015

Hall D1 Foyer (Floor 3) (Coex Convention Center)

Hyunwook Lim, MD , Dept. of Pediatrics, Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

Jun-Sik Park, MS , Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

Byung Kwan Kim, MD , Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

Sungchul Seo, PhD , Allergy Immunology Center, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea

Young Yoo, MD, PhD , Department of Pediatrics, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea

Ji Tae Choung, MD, PhD , Environmental Health Center for Childhood Asthma, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

Background: High prevalence rates of asthma and allergic rhinitis have recently been shown in South Korea. For better prevention of development or exacerbation of both allergic diseases, the secondary prevention from symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) could be effective, in the aspect of “allergic march”. For this reason, we aimed to explore how the variation of indoor risk factors may be linked with the change of symptoms of AD or development of asthma and/or allergic rhinitis.

Methods: We recruited homes of AD patients aged with around 24 months old, along with SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) Index of greater than 25 through the both Environmental Health Centers for Asthma and Atopic allergy. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO), airborne mold and bacteria, and particulate matter with diameter less than 10 mm (PM₁₀) were measured in their dwellings in both indoor and outdoor. Particularly, the levels of TVOC and PM₁₀were monitored for 24 hrs using direct reading instruments as well.

Results: Both environmental surveys were performed in a total of 51 houses. The mean age (± standard deviation, SD) and SCORAD Index of subjects was 2.2 ± 0.2 years old and 39.5±18.3, respectively. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of airborne mold were 526.6–565.5 CFU/m³, which refer to above the recommended level of WHO. However, the corresponding value of airborne bacteria were below the Korean standard guideline (800 CFU/m³). For exposure level of gaseous pollutants in indoor, TVOC and HCHO ranged from 566.6–748.3 µg/m³ and 31.0–35.9 µg/m³, respectively, but the outdoor levels were 382.4–453.1 µg/m³; for TVOC and 4.0–4.6 µg/m³ for HCHO. The highest levels of TVOC and PM₁₀monitored using each direct reading instrument were observed after midnight and in the evening, respectively.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that a comparable amount of bioaerosols and gaseous pollutants in indoor were observed in patient’s dwellings. Particularly, different exposure patterns for particulate matter and TOVC were shown time –dependently, and so a proper prevention strategy should be prepared.

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