NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

October 8, 1998

[EDITORS: OCT. 11-17 HAS BEEN DECLARED BIOLOGICALS AWARENESS WEEK AS PART OF AN EPA AND USDA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, AND OCTOBER IS DESIGNATED AS INDOOR AIR QUALITY MONTH.]

These Microscopic Mites Might Make You Mighty Uncomfortable

If you wake up with a runny nose or watery, itchy eyes, you may think you have a cold. You actually may be suffering from irritations caused by dust mites, says Ken Hellevang, an engineer with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

"Dust mites are tiny creatures (too small to see) that feed on human skin cells that we shed each day," he says. "They prefer moist environments and soft textiles, including sheets and bedding, upholstery fabrics and carpeting."

To reduce exposure to dust mites, wash sheets in water that is 130 F or warmer at least weekly. Mattress pads and other bedding also should be washed in hot water, but probably do not need to be washed as frequently as sheets.

Hellevang says reducing the humidity in a house will also help reduce irritations caused by dust mites. Dust frequently with a damp cloth to remove dust, and change furnace filters frequently to keep dust levels down.

If allergies are a problem in a home, consider a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arrester) filter, he says. The vacuums are more expensive because they require a more powerful motor to move air through the filtering system, but they do remove as much as 99 percent of dust and dirt.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cleaning heating ducts in the home has little effect on dust mite populations and other biological hazards. "Typically the insides of those ducts are very dry and would not provide the kind of environment dust mites need to survive," Hellevang says. The EPA also says there's little evidence to suggest that air cleaning appliances remove biological contaminants from the air.

Oct. 11-17 is Biologicals Awareness Week as part of the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes Project, a cooperative effort of educators in each state, the U. S. Department of Agriculture and EPA. For more information on indoor air quality, go to the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes web site at http://www.montana.edu/wwwcxair. The web site also has links to other sites such as the American Lung Association and EPA.

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Source: Ken Hellevang (701) 231-7243

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629