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Effects of various vacuum cleaners on the airborne content of major cat allergen (Fel d 1)
Author(s) -
Blay F.,
Spirlet F.,
Gries P.,
Casel S.,
Ott M.,
Pauli G.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1998.tb03914.x
Subject(s) - allergen , airborne allergen , medicine , allergy , immunology
Background It has been shown that a vacuum cleaner (VC) can increase airborne cat allergen levels. This study aimed to compare the degree of leakage of airborne Fel d 1 levels among five different VCs, both under laboratory conditions and in an apartment with cats. Methods Three of the VCs were marketed as antiallergic: a HEPA filter VC (VC A), a water impingement and HEPA filter VC (VC B), and a foam fabric filter VC (VC C). The other two were standard VCs: VC D and VC E. VCs were tested in a 20 m', airtight, experimental room and in a 53 m 2 * living room in an apartment with three cats. Air was sampled with a glass‐fiber filter and an impinger at 20 1/min for 30 min before, during, and after vacuuming. Airborne Fel d 1 was measured with a two‐site monoclonal ELISA assay. Results In the experimental room, no airborne Fel d 1 level was measured before using the VCs. After introducing a dust sample containing Fel d 1 in the VCs. we found that VCs A, B, and E did not provoke any increase in airborne Fel d I. In contrast, VCs C and D significantly increased airborne Fel d 1 levels (GM: 4.9 and 5.3 ng/m, respectively). In the apartment, all VCs induced an increase in airborne Fel d 1, which was carried by particles greater than 5 nm. However, VCs C and D provoked significantly greater increases in airborne Fel d 1 than VCs A, B, and E (P=0.0001). Conclusions Our results suggest that:1) The two VCs with leakage in the experimental room had greater leakages in the apartment. 2) In the apartment with cats, all VCs provoked increases in airborne Fel d 1, primarily carried by large particles. 2) Given the increased marketing of “antiallergic” VCs, further studies are needed to standardize methods for testing airborne allergen leakage by VCs.