A hygrothermal model for predicting house dust mite response to environmental conditions in dwellings.

House-dust mite antigens are a major contributor to allergic sensitisation. Since temperatureand humidity are crucial to house-dust mite physiology, there is considerable interest inreducing mite populations by controlling the indoor environment. A multidisciplinary team ofbuilding scientists and entomologists has been formed to develop a prototype hydrothermalmodel that simulates the dynamic interaction between the mites micro-environment withinbedding and the room environment, based on laboratory tests and field study measurements.Combined with a dynamic model of mite physiology, this can be used to predict mite responseto changes, e.g. in building fabric, the heating/ventilation regime or occupant behaviour. Inthis way the most effective and applicable measures for mite control can be determined. Themodel will be developed for potential use by practitioners as a simplified predictive tool.