Review of 'Airborne bacterial species in indoor air and association with physical factors <span class="so-article-trans-title" dir="auto"> Translated title: Luftbårne bakterier i indekliamet og sammenhæng med fysiske forhold </span>'

Reviewer: Hector Altamirano

Publication date of review: 2023-02-08

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Hector Altamirano4

Airborne bacterial species in indoor air and association with physical factors <span class="so-article-trans-title" dir="auto"> Translated title: Luftbårne bakterier i indekliamet og sammenhæng med fysiske forhold </span>Crossref ScienceOpen

Average rating:	    Rated 3.5 of 5.
Level of importance:	    Rated 3 of 5.
Level of validity:	    Rated 3 of 5.
Level of completeness:	    Rated 4 of 5.
Level of comprehensibility:	    Rated 4 of 5.
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Airborne bacterial species in indoor air and association with physical factors Translated title: Luftbårne bakterier i indekliamet og sammenhæng med fysiske forhold

Anne Madsen, Saloomeh Moslehi-Jenabian, Mika Frankel … (2023)

The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about which cultivable bacterial species are present in indoor air in homes, and whether the concentration and species composition of airborne bacteria is associated with different factors. Measurements have been performed for one whole year inside different rooms in 5 homes and once in 52 homes. Within homes, a room-to-room variation for concentrations of airborne bacteria was found, but an overlap in bacterial species was found across rooms. Eleven species were found very commonly and included: Acinetobacter lowffii , Bacillus megaterium, B. pumilus , Kocuria carniphila , K. palustris , K. rhizophila, Micrococcus flavus , M. luteus, Moraxella osloensis, and Paracoccus yeei . The concentrations of gram-negative bacteria in general and the species P. yeei were significantly associated with the season with highest concentrations in spring. The concentrations of P. yeei , K. rhizophila , and B. pumilus were associated positively with relative humidity, and concentrations of K. rhizophila were associated negatively with temperature and air change rate. Micrococcus flavus concentrations were associated negatively with air change rate. Overall, this study identified species which are commonly present in indoor air in homes, and that the concentrations of some species were associated with the factors: season, air change rate, and relative humidity.

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Review information

DOI:: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-LIFE.AW03NY.v1.REJTZX

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This work has been published open access under Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Conditions, terms of use and publishing policy can be found at www.scienceopen.com.

ScienceOpen disciplines: Life sciences

Keywords: Paracoccus yeei,exposure,indoor air,Built environment,indoor humidity,bacteria,MALDI-TOF MS,Bacillus megaterium,Health,seasonality,room-to-room variation,home environment

Review text

Very interesting study. This paper describes the bacterial species found in Danish homes and their link with environmental factors. The methodology used to collect bacterial species is very clear and well-described. However, further information regarding the various studies mentioned, the monitoring of environmental conditions and calculation methods should also be provided in detail. Specific comments below:

On the background page, the author mentioned emerging human pathogens; Are there any of the species found in the study considered critical pathogens to be concerned about? Also, please describe within the paper the term ‘species composition.
Please specify or discuss the likely sources of the species found.
Provide details of the three studies mentioned in the Study design section. The author mentioned Study A, B and C.
Clarify whether the bacterial species reported in the document were collected in 52 homes and five extra homes or if the five homes are part of the 52.
Were RH and ACH recorded in all 52 homes or just five?
Describe in detail how relative humidity and temperature were monitored and recorded in each study (A, B, C). Please also report on the period recorded (season, yearly, daily, etc.), intervals, locations of sensors within each room, external conditions, constant or one-off measurement (one per season), etc.
Were temperature and relative humidity recorded simultaneously as sampling bacterial species?
Please provide details about how Air Change Rate was calculated and the period it refers to.
It would also be good to present a summary of the environmental conditions (e.g. RH and temperature levels) recorded and analysed within the documents. In the document, the author indicated that bacteria concentration was affected by low ACH or when RH was highest. However, how high is the highest? What levels of RH are you referring to? Furthermore, for how long they remain high.

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Reviewed by Spyros Efthymiopoulos Reviewed by Hector Altamirano