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An EPA pilot study characterizing fungal and bacterial populations at homes after flooding events at the Martin Peña Channel Community
Citation:
Betancourt, D., T. Dean, AND E. Huertas. An EPA pilot study characterizing fungal and bacterial populations at homes after flooding events at the Martin Peña Channel Community. Microbiology of the Built Environment, Lloyd Harbor, New York, November 03 - 06, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
The proposed study has selected the Martin Peña Channel (MPC) urban community located within the San Juan National Estuary in the northeastern region of the island as a case study to advance the research into indoor air quality improvement at MPC residences with flooding events. This community is experiencing detrimental environmental conditions due to the poorly maintained sewage systems resulting in flooding and environmental exposures to mold and bacteria. The high incidence of asthma appears to be associated with the exposure to mold and the deterioration of the homes due to flooding events. This study will attempt to address the following environmental questions: (1) how do flooding events impact the types of fungal and bacterial populations inside affected homes? (2) are there any differences in the absolute abundances of fungi and bacteria in flooded relative to non-flooded homes? and (3) if there are noticeable effects of flooding on the fungal and bacterial composition and/or abundance, can the effects of flooding be correlated with other environmental variables such as % relative humidity, air exchange rate and temperature inside the homes?
Description:
The overall objective of this study was to characterize fungal and bacterial populations in the Martin Peña Channel (MPC) urban community residences in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following flooding events. The profiles presented were generated by comparing the fungal and bacterial populations in two groups of residences: homes with flooding events and non-flooded homes. Dust and air samples from indoors and outdoors were collected at all homes participating in the study. The characterization of fungal and bacterial populations from the dust and air samples were analyzed using culture-independent molecular technologies and conventional volumetric microbiological methods.