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Indoor green can modify the indoor dust microbial communities
Yinthe Dockx1, Martin Täubel2, Esmée M Bijnens1,3
1Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Indoor Air
|March 29, 2022
Summary
Indoor plants can increase the diversity of bacteria and fungi in homes, contributing to a richer indoor microbial environment. However, the total amount of microbes (loads) in homes with plants did not significantly change.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Indoor Air Quality
Background:
- The composition of indoor microbial communities is not fully understood.
- Indoor plants are common household features, but their impact on indoor microbiota is largely unknown.
- Understanding indoor microbial diversity is crucial for human health and environmental studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the presence of indoor plants and the indoor microbiota.
- To determine if indoor plants influence bacterial and fungal diversity and loads in households.
Main Methods:
- Collected settled dust samples from 155 households in the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort.
- Utilized 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing to characterize bacterial and fungal communities.
- Performed qPCR for microbial loads and calculated diversity indices (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson).
Main Results:
- Increased number and density of indoor plants were associated with higher microbial diversity.
- Households with more than three plants showed significantly increased bacterial and fungal taxa richness.
- No significant association was found between indoor plants and overall microbial loads.
Conclusions:
- Indoor plants can enrich the diversity of the indoor microbial environment.
- The presence of indoor plants supports a more diverse microbial community without substantially increasing microbial load.
- Findings suggest indoor plants play a role in modulating indoor microbial ecosystems.
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