title: Are Cockroaches an Important Source of Indoor Endotoxins?
abstract: Endotoxins are common indoor biocontaminants. Their levels have been shown to link to many sources and factors. One of them is cockroach infestation but the role of cockroaches and contamination mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that not only is cockroach infestation a sign of poor hygiene, but it also contributes to indoor endotoxins via fecal contamination. In this study, different cockroach species were caught in homes. The endotoxin and allergen levels and their ratios in cockroach feces were determined. To estimate the amount of indoor endotoxins that originated from cockroaches, a new approach of using these new cockroach endotoxin and allergen ratios to compare with environmental data was employed. We found thatSupella (S.) longipalpa,Periplaneta (P.) australasiae, andBlattella (B.) germanicawere dominant in homes. On average,P. australasiaefeces had a higher level but greater variation of endotoxins.B. germanicafeces had the highest levels of allergens measured. Depending on environmental bacterial load and the type of cockroaches present, cockroach endotoxins in the environment may vary greatly. Cockroaches directly contribute to indoor endotoxins rather than just being a sign of poor hygiene. The type and extent of cockroach infestation should be taken into consideration when assessing and remediating indoor endotoxin contamination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. laikaman@hkbu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Ka Man
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000382:microbiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005243:Feces; D006723:Hong Kong; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D004731:Endotoxins
keywords: cockroaches; endotoxins; environmental assessment; indoor hygiene