Allowing sunlight in through windows can kill bacteria that live
in dust, according to a study published in the open access journal Microbiome.
Researchers at the University of Oregon found that in dark rooms
12% of bacteria on average were alive and able to reproduce (viable). In
comparison only 6.8% of bacteria exposed to daylight and 6.1% of bacteria
exposed to UV light were viable.
Dust kept in the dark contained organisms closely related to
species associated with respiratory diseases, which were largely absent in dust
exposed to daylight.
The researchers made eleven identical climate-controlled
miniature rooms that mimicked real buildings and seeded them with dust
collected in residential homes. The authors applied one of three glazing
treatments to the windows of the rooms, so that they transmitted visible,
ultraviolet or no light. After 90 days, the authors collected dust from each
environment and analysed the composition, abundance, and viability of the
bacteria present.
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