Climate change appears to influence immune health, a link explored in a study by the University of Bergen in Norway. The research reveals how indoor environmental factors and microbial communities relate to human well being.
The study offers ideas about how homes and health might evolve in coming years. It was published in Environmental Science and Technology.
The project took place in five Scandinavian cities, aiming to understand the indoor microbial world and its connection to health. It surveyed 1,038 households, focusing on how indoor air and house dust shape the bacterial communities people share their spaces with.
Hesham Amin, a researcher from the Bergen School of Medicine, describes the work as a first step toward redefining how indoor environments influence health. The study highlights how location, weather, who lives in a building, pets, and cleaning habits relate to the makeup of indoor microbiota.
Climate change and the risk of developing asthma and atopy
Findings show that exposure to a range of microbial agents is linked to a lower risk of asthma and atopy. The study notes that a farm-like microbiota, rich in certain outdoor bacteria, seems protective against these conditions.
Interestingly, these outdoor bacteria are less common in Bergen homes, where more moisture and slower air exchange can limit their entry indoors.
The research team examined how climate change might shape this issue. With warming temperatures, precipitation patterns are expected to shift, potentially increasing outdoor particle deposition while reducing the entry of external bacteria into indoor spaces.
As a result, fewer foreign bacteria may reach internal microbiomes, a shift that could disrupt immune tolerance and influence health outcomes.
The researchers emphasize the close link between environmental conditions, microbial life inside buildings, and health outcomes. The findings call for ongoing study and closer attention to how homes and cities adapt to changing climates.
The balance between the inner environment and overall health remains a central focus as the world shifts. Understanding the microbiome within people may help explain how habitats and health evolve for future generations.
Reference: ACS EST article 3c01616
….
Contact details for the environment department have been withheld for privacy.