LAUSR

Abstract House dust mites produce the allergens responsible for causing asthma and other allergic diseases. The concentrations of three mite allergens (Der f 1, Der p 1, and Der 2) in 101 house dust samples from residential apartments in different regions of China were measured. Additionally, the indoor environmental conditions and nature ventilation were continuously monitored to determine their correlations with mite allergen concentrations. The measured Der f 1 concentration showed obvious differences across different regions; the median concentration of Der f 1 in the northern cities was 13 times higher than that in the southern cities. In terms of Der p 1 and Der 2 concentrations, median concentration in northern cities are only about 5% of that in southern cities. Indoor humidity showed positive correlations with the concentrations of all three mite allergens (p   6 g/kg), whereas no such relationship is found. Occupant surveys showed that frequent washing, vacuum-cleaning, living on a higher floor to ensure lower humidity, and choosing wooden sofas to reduce the use of fabric materials to eliminate mite nesting environments can help prevent mite allergens (p