Crane J, Ellis I, Siebers R, Grimmet D, Lewis S, Fitzharris P
Wellington Asthma Research Group, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, New Zealand.
Allergy. 1998 Aug;53(8):755-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1998.tb03971.x.
We have examined the effect of reducing relative humidity (RH), with inbuilt mechanical ventilation and heat-exchange (MVHE) units, on house-dust-mite (HDM) counts and allergen levels, in a pilot study of 10 Wellington dwellings. Recent international prevalence studies in adults and children have confirmed a high prevalence of asthma in New Zealand. Sensitivity to HDM is common among the general population, and HDM is the major allergen associated with asthma. Recent studies of allergen levels have confirmed high concentrations of Der p 1 in the domestic environment. While humidity was significantly reduced in those dwellings fitted with ventilation units, no systematic effect on mites or Der p 1 was observed during the study period. When the reductions in humidity were examined in the context of the time spent below the critical equilibrium humidity (CEH), the intervention led to RH values below the CEH for only 39% of the total of 24-h periods for which measurements were made. Reducing RH by means of MVHE in New Zealand domestic dwellings does not lower humidity sufficiently, or long enough, to have any measurable effect on HDM populations.
在一项针对惠灵顿10处住宅的初步研究中，我们研究了使用内置机械通风和热交换（MVHE）装置降低相对湿度（RH）对屋尘螨（HDM）数量和过敏原水平的影响。近期针对成人和儿童的国际患病率研究证实，新西兰哮喘的患病率很高。在普通人群中，对屋尘螨过敏很常见，且屋尘螨是与哮喘相关的主要过敏原。近期关于过敏原水平的研究证实，室内环境中Der p 1浓度很高。虽然安装了通风装置的住宅湿度显著降低，但在研究期间未观察到对螨虫或Der p 1有系统性影响。当在低于临界平衡湿度（CEH）的时间背景下检查湿度降低情况时，在进行测量的总共24小时期间，干预措施仅使39%的时间段内RH值低于CEH。在新西兰住宅中通过MVHE降低RH的程度和时长不足以对屋尘螨数量产生任何可测量的影响。
