Relationship between the Microbiome and Indoor Temperature/Humidity in a Traditional Japanese House with a Thatched Roof in Kyoto, Japan

Abstract

In our living environment, there are various microorganisms that are thought to affect human health. It is expected that excessive microbial suppression can have a negative effect on human health and that the appropriate control of the microbiome is beneficial to health. To understand how the physical environment, such as temperature and relative humidity, or housing itself affects the microbiome in a rural house, we measured temperature and humidity and collected microbial samples in a traditional Japanese house with a thatched roof. The relative humidity of outdoor air was over 60% most of the day throughout the year. Indoor and outdoor air temperature and humidity were closer to each other in summer than in winter. The DNA concentration of indoor surfaces correlated with the relative humidity, especially with the lowest annual relative humidity. In the thatched roof, outside surface relative humidity often reached 100%, and the occurrence of condensation can affect the DNA concentrations. A high percentage of archaea were detected in the house, which is not a common characteristic in houses. In addition, the microbial community was similar outdoors and indoors or in each room. These characteristics reflect the occupants’ behaviour, including opening the windows and partitions in summer. In the future, it will be necessary to conduct continuous surveys in various houses, including traditional and modern houses, in Japan.

Keywords

• microbiome
• relative humidity
• temperature
• building environment
• indoor environment
• thatched roof