Explore Science through Carleton’s popular Science Cafe series! All are welcome at these entertaining and informative public presentations. The next cafe features Professor David Miller discussing indoor allergens and how to reduce exposure.

Abstract: In less than one generation, the percentage of time spent indoors has greatly increased. There are Canadian data spanning 40 years. In Canada, between 1975 and 1995, children spent 20% more time indoors and in transit and from 1995-2015, a further 15% more time indoors is being spent indoors compared to 1995.
We are not alone in our homes. Aside from the microbes and insects we (and our pets) bring indoors, there is a whole (new) ecology of mites, insects, bacteria, and fungi that live with us. Over the past 8 years, I have been part of a team developing clinical practice parameters from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). These help allergy doctors advise their patients with allergens that occur mainly indoors (furry pets, rodents, cockroaches, dust mites, fungi). There are a number of common sense things that that can be done to reduce exposure to these allergy/asthma triggers.