Recommendations from the Students Attending TSTCto

TSTC Faculty

 

DRAFT – April 15, 2010

From: Lou JimenezPosition: Student Attending RecommendationDate: 15, April 2010

To: Texas State Technical CollegeReason: Issues on AllergensDate: 15, April 2010

TSTC Harlingen1902 North Loop 499Harlingen, Texas 78550 Phone: 1-800-852-8784

Enclosed is a recommendation to the facility and staff at TSTC on allegories awareness plus prevention. Understanding concerns of students and staff with allergies is a growing problem. This recommendation sole purpose is to bring awareness to the masses.

Abstract

The association between dust mites and atopic dermatitis has long been a contested issue in both dermatology and allergy/immunology. As AD continues to burden millions of individuals and even whole societies, classroom environments should change to end some of the burden. Furthermore, by making these changes, a message will be heard around universities about the importance of keeping classes clean for students. The time is now, to put together a system of cleansing which would help improve the classroom environment for each student at TSTC. With a cleaner and less dust free environment, students with allergies or those soon to have symptoms of allergies, will have less issues while attending class. The overall goal being to, always create a better leaning environment.

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Table of Contents

Abstract________________________________________________________________________________________________________pg iii

Executive Summary_________________________________________________________________________pg 5

INTRODUCTION ______________________________________________________________________________________________pg 5

A. ChallengesB. Recommendation Solutions

Promoting Dust Free Environment For Classrooms At TSTC_________________________________________ pg 6

Encouraging TSTC Faculty to become aware of dust pollutants ___________________________________ _ pg 6

1. Restoring the Clean New Look of the Past by Understanding 2. Helping Faculty Point Out Harmful Environments3. Helping Student With Allergies For The Future

Improving the air students breath and the classroom quality_____________________________________ _pg 7

Changing the way TSTC cleans up classes with computers___________________________________________pg 7

Recommendations For Reducing Mite And Allergen Levels In Classrooms______________________ _ pg 7

Why is this Important___________________________________________________________________________________ ___pg 8

Investigation________________________________________________________________________________________________pg 9

Study_________________________________________________________________________________________________________pg 9

CONCLUSION________________________________________________________________________________________________pg 10

REFERENCES_________________________________________________________________________________________________pg 11

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On April 15, 2010 for business writing in ENGL_2314, directions were given to student to make a recommendation, which could assist student while attending TSTC. The class was asked to write a recommendation for the betterment of TSTC future and recommend strategies to meet those recommendations. The concerned students were also asked to propose evaluation criteria to measure progress toward the recommendation goals and, most importantly, involve other students and faculty of TSTC in the process. The recommendations for the assignment are due to the professor by April 15, 2010.

INTRODUCTION

The report describes the evidence that avoidance of mite allergen can effectively reduce allergic symptoms. Classrooms with a mite allergen free environment can be helpful to student with allergies by working to reduce dust exposure in existing classrooms. Some knowledge of the biology of dust mites is essential to understand the basis of the recommendations for reducing mites and mite allergens in the classroom environment for students and to appreciate the difficulty of eliminating dust mites and mite allergens from classrooms. This recommendation reviews key aspects of the biology of dust mites, the properties of mite allergens, recommendations for reducing mite and mite allergen concentrations in the classrooms. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;107:S406-13.)

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The majority of the report addresses the challenges and recommended solutions for each of the following five key areas:

Promoting dust free environments for classrooms at TSTC Encouraging TSTC Faculty to become aware of dust pollutants Improving the air students breath and the classroom quality Changing the way TSTC cleans up classes with computers Recommendations For Reducing Mite And Allergen Levels In Classrooms

Major recommendations include:

A. Promoting Dust Free Environment For Classrooms At TSTC

TSTC must recognize and acknowledge the problems that dust can have for students and computer equipment.

Educate TSTC faculty and students about the issues. TSTC must lead by example. Address the Interrelationship between dust in our classrooms and allergies students have. Revitalize the cleanliness’ of the classrooms for TSTC

B. Encouraging TSTC Faculty to become aware of dust pollutants

1. Restoring the Clean New Look of the Past by Understanding

Understanding Dust Mites

Dust mites living in classrooms by the millions, eating dead skin and hair. The Fall and Winter months are a particular problem, because classrooms and the

concentrations of dust mites and their feces increases inside. Reducing dust mites and their allergen levels in classrooms because ambient RH is the key factor that

influences dust mite prevalence. A typical classroom can contain tens of thousands of dust mites.

Are Dust Mite Harmful

High levels of dust mites and their wastes can cause previously non-allergic people to develop an allergy. 

2. Helping Faculty Point Out Harmful Environments

Develop and adopt policies, tools and incentives to encourage clean classrooms and environmentally sound.

Establish more effort for resolving pollution problems and promoting air quality practices and cleaning techniques.

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3. Helping Student With Allergies For The Future

Preserving TSTC Diversity

Form a allergy awareness program Define and prioritize the elements of allergies Student or faculty could have. Establish permanent programs for inventory, assessment, research, monitoring, and

management of data and information on the classroom environment for students.

C. Improving the air students breath and the classroom quality

Reduce live mite populations Reduce mite allergen levels Reduce human exposure to both

D. Recommendations for Reducing Mite and Allergen Levels in Classrooms

Reduce temperature and humidity: Dust mites love warm, humid conditions, above 70 F (21 C) and 50% humidity; Temperature: Keep the thermostat in the classroom below 70 degrees.

Freezing and sunlight kills mites but does not remove their residue.  In addition to freezing temperatures and washing items in temperatures greater than 130 degrees F, extended exposure to sunlight, and low levels of humidity also destroy the mites.

Air Purifiers: While it is better to stop the dust mites at the source, reducing the dust levels in the air is a good secondary measure.

Air Filters: Clean or replace the air filters on your furnace or air conditioner at least once a month. Filters that are rated to trap allergens are obviously more effective than plain spun glass.

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Why is this Important

One of the most significant events in the history of allergic disease was the discovery by Voorhorst et al1 that dust mites are the main source of allergen in dust. They went on to give details of many features of the biology of mites and provided much of the hypothetical argument for current strategies used for the control of dust mites. In humid areas of the world, dust mites are ever- present, and up to 30% of the population has positive skin test reactions to at least one dust mite species. Sensitization to allergens derivative from dust mites is strongly associated with 3 diseases: asthma, perennial rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Evidence for the efficacy of prevention of dust mites and their allergens is clearly evident.

How many classes have you entered and noticed how dusty they where? Did you ever have to sit at a dusty computer? Did you ever find yourself to be sneezing a lot or have symptoms of itchy eyes? Do you think the classrooms at TSTC could be cleaned up a little better? Have you notice more sick people in your classes? Have you ever had to ask for your classroom to be cleaned? Do you think classes should be as clean as hospital? How often do you think your classroom gets cleaned? Have you ever notice student suffering from itchy eyes or sneezing a lot?

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Investigation

Much has been learned about dust mite allergens in the last 20 years. It is clear that mite bodies and mite feces are the sources of many allergens. The allergens associated with mite fecal matter are enzymes that come from the mite’s digestive tract. Possible sources of other allergens include enzymes associated with the molting process that occurs as mites change from one life stage to the next. Some allergens may be components of mite saliva that is left in the environment on food substrates where mites feed. Secretions from the supracoxal glands that are involved in the active uptake of water likely contain proteins, as well as sodium and potassium chloride. After death, soluble protein in body fluids may be released as the body disintegrates. Some proteins from all of these sources could be allergenic.

Study

The total of 37 children, with their age ranging between 1 and 5 years were adenoidectomized based on indications.Seasonal and perennial rhinitis were diagnosed in 91 (34.08%) and 176 patients (65.92%), respecttively (Graph) 1).Grass pollen (the most significant due to their crossreactivity) and weed pollen were dominant allergens in seasonal rhinitis, while mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) were predominant in the persistent rhinitis (Salib RJ).

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CONCLUSION

The valley is one of the humid areas of the world, dust mites are the single most important source of allergens in dust. Dust mite allergens are strongly associated with asthma, perennial rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Educating faculty on this topic and interventions to reduce mite populations and their allergens in the classroom can be worthwhile, especially when students suffer from moderate-to-severe symptoms. The closest attention should be given to reducing mites and allergens where there is the greatest exposure in computer labs. Other interventions should address control of mites and allergens in ceilings and furniture, but the advice needs to be tailored for the classroom environment. In this recommendation report, I will provide TSTC faculty the info needed to quickly understand the growing concerns. Please let me know if you have any question or concerns about this report or need further information. I may be reached at (555)363-0088 and Jim-Louie@hotmail.com.

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REFERENCES

1. Salib RJ, Drake-Lee A, Howarth PH. Allergic rhinitis: past, present and future. Clin Otolaryngol 2003;28(4):291-303.

2. Bouasquet J, Van Cauwenberge P, Khaltarev N, Ait-Khaled N, Annesi-Maesano J, Bachert C, Group AW.2001 Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;108:S147-S334.

3. Hewitt, C. R. A., A. P. Brown, B. J. Hart, and D. I. Pritchard. 1995. A major house dust mite allergen disrupts the immunoglobulin E network by selectively cleaving CD23: innate protection by antiproteases. J. Exp. Med. 182:1537–1544.

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