Fungal contamination: one of the respiratory health aftermaths of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria impacted Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017
Image source: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/9/21/16345176
Although it has been nearly six years since Hurricane Maria impacted Puerto Rico and left island-wide devastation, scientists are still working to further understand the numerous health effects from the aftermath of this catastrophic hurricane. Recently, scientists from the University of Puerto Rico published a study in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health titled “Impact of Hurricane Maria on mold levels in the homes of Piñones, Puerto Rico.” In this study, scientists provide insights into how Hurricane Maria significantly impacted the indoor-built environment, particularly indoor fungal contamination in homes with open ventilation, characteristic of Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico. The RIPLRT reached out to the authors of the study to further understand the following:
How did the study provide further insights into the…
importance of addressing fungal contamination in the indoor-built environment in the aftermath of natural disasters?
interest in studying the interface between fungi and respiratory health?
relevance of the architecture in Puerto Rico in intervention in different communities to limit contamination in the indoor-built environment following natural disasters?
The RIPLRT asks: “How did the study further the importance of addressing fungal contamination in the indoor-built environment in the aftermath of natural disasters.?”
Dr. Benjamín Bolaños-Rosero replies: “In the aftermath of natural disasters such as hurricanes, and floodings after heavy rains is critical to be aware that mold growth is promoted by the presence of water indoors. Outdoor fungal spores infiltrate the indoor environment by the natural ventilation prevalent in Puerto Rico, finding optimal conditions for growth in wetted-porous materials such as wood, boxes, and books affected by the flooding. This fungal proliferation may occur in a matter of hours due to the fast growth of mold promoted by the high humidity conditions. Therefore, it is very important to remove the water and dry the wet porous materials from the indoor environments within 24 hours after the flooding event to prevent the germination of the fungal spores and the formation of fungal colonies indoors. The growth potential of fungi indoors due to high humidity conditions could be enormous. Some fungi such as Aspergillus sp, and Penicillium sp are more aggressive in growing indoors after flooding. Under these conditions, the levels of fungal spores indoors could be many folds higher than in the air outdoors. Exposure to high levels of fungal spores may produce respiratory conditions in the building occupants.”
The RIPLRT asks: “How did the study further enhance your interest in the interface between fungi and respiratory health?”
Xaymara Hernández-González replies: “Since I became part of the Aerobiology and Mycology Laboratory of Dr. Bolaños-Rosero in 2019, I started collaborating on projects that aimed to elucidate the impact of hurricanes on the environment of water-affected households. I quickly became aware of the importance of the exposome, especially the biological part (like fungi), and the major impact that have on the respiratory health of Puerto Ricans. This project reinforced the knowledge I had acquired on the environmental fungi in households with water damage caused by atmospheric phenomena and how mitigation plans can help prevent respiratory health problems.“
The RIPLRT asks: “How did the study provide further insight into the relevance of the architecture in Puerto Rico in intervention in different communities to limit contamination in the indoor-built environment following natural disasters?
Dr. Humberto Cavallin-Calanche replies: “There are two important aspects that the findings of this study highlight about not only the architecture but the role of the location of the buildings during a natural disaster such as a Hurricane.
In the event's aftermath, only one house was severely damaged, with full exposure to the environment because of the destruction of part of the roof. However, even under these conditions, both the direct measurements of indoor air quality via particulate counting and indirect via dust deposit, both signaled not only abnormal levels of microorganisms in the environment, but that these signals were high and similar to each other regardless of the households damaged or not, and independently of their physical location. These measurements were remarkably similar to those taken for the outdoor air in the neighboring areas of the studied households. This points out the possibility of a general effect that goes beyond the conditions of the individual households and points out factors that happen at the scale of whole regions.
Measurements one year after, conversely show a differentiation between the different regions and households. These measurements not only were differentiated between them but also different from the ones of one year prior and closer in characteristics to previously reported conditions in absence of extreme environmental impacts for the region of the study. This is one year after both regions and households seem to be in a process of coming back to their pre-hurricane conditions.
Although more studies will be certainly necessary to better explore our results, the previously described finding seems to point out a significant role of the external environment to the household in the characteristics of the indoor air in highly naturally ventilated houses as the ones in our study. And this ecological view connecting households to their surrounding environment, calls for design, mitigation, and remediation approaches that need to focus beyond the traditional emphasis on households' repair, and shift into a community discourse in which households’ design, mitigation, and remediation should be seen as part of the system that connects the housing units to their natural and built environments. “
Lear more about the authors of the study who contributed to this blog.
1st author of the manuscript
Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology of the School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus
Co-author of the manuscript
Graduate student, Dept. of Microbiology of the School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus
Mentee of the RIPLRT
Dr. Humberto Cavallin-Calanche
Co-author of the manuscript
Professor, School of Architecture, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus