A Hygrothermal Model of House Dust Mite Response to Environmental Conditions in Dwellings

Summary Report of a two year research project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. House dust mites require a particular combination of temperature and relative humidity (RH) to flourish; in other words they are very sensitive to hygrothermal conditions. The possibility of controlling them by modifying the hygrothermal environment within the home has been recognised for some time, but investigating this approach has until now been hampered both by technical difficulties and by the need for cross disciplinary collaboration. Responding to the challenge, a team of building scientists and acarologists has just completed a two year research project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. This project has developed a sophisticated combined hygrothermal and population model of house dust mites in beds. It is the first model in the world that is capable of modelling a) the 3D hygrothermal environment within any bed, in any climate, in any dwelling and with any occupant use pattern, and b) the impact that this environment has on every stage of mite development, taking account of mite movement within the bed. Although more work is required to validate the model and to extend its applicability, the team has begun to use it to investigate which feasible modifications to home environments have most impact on mite populations. In this way it will be possible to establish the most effective, energy efficient and socially acceptable ways of achieving mite control, thereby reducing the prevalence of mite related disease