House dust mite of the indoor environment is one of the most important causes of allergic asthma and rhinitis. It has been known that more than 70% of Korean children and about 50% of adult with the respiratory allergy are sensitive to house dust mite. The purpose of our study is to find out the relationship between the concentration of formaldehyde (HCHO)/PM10 and the number of house dust mite in the indoor environment. In this study, sampling sites were education, social and dwelling facilities. We inquire the questionnaire of the resident on the indoor air quality in all sampling sites. At the same time, we measured the concentration of formaldeh yde(HCHO)/PM10 as well as house dust mites. it was complained by 20% respondents that the indoor air quality was bad and by 10% that the atopy symptom was evident. When a certain amount of house dust mites were detected, the contents of PM10 were observed high and that of HCHO low. However when the house dust mites were not detected, the concentration of PM10 was low and that of HCHO high. From our results, it is concluded that the indoor air quality (i.e. conc. of PM10/HCHO) is quite related to the contents of house dust mites supporting the fact that the symptom of atopy and asthma is due to these small organisms.

This study was undertaken to determine the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the indoor air between houses of atopy, asthma patients and new houses. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in the indoor and outdoor air of normal houses were measured as 92.6 and 72.5 ㎍/㎥, respectively. TVOCs in the indoor and outdoor air of atopy patient's houses were 152 and 42.1 ㎍/㎥. TVOCs in the indoor and outdoor air of asthma patient's houses was 165 and 50.1 ㎍/㎥. TVOCs in the indoor and outdoor air of new houses was 158 and 78.3 ㎍/㎥. It was found that the concentrations of VOCs were higher in the indoor air of atopy, asthma patient's and new houses than the normal houses. This suggests that the concentration of VOCs can influence atopy and asthma.