Allergen Reduction in Carpets: Airmid Healthgroup Presents Research at AAAAI 2013
Airmid Healthgroup presented original field study data on allergen reduction in carpets at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) — one of the world’s leading scientific forums for allergy, asthma, and immunology research. The findings demonstrated that professional hot water extraction cleaning can reduce indoor allergen and microbial levels significantly, providing manufacturers and cleaning service providers with independently validated data to support performance claims.
About the AAAAI 2013 Annual Meeting
The AAAAI Annual Meeting, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio from 22–26 February 2013, brought together leading experts in allergy, asthma, and immunology from around the world. With more than 800 abstracts presented across the conference, it provided one of the most significant platforms in the field for sharing cutting-edge findings in respiratory health, immunology, and environmental allergen exposure.
Airmid Healthgroup contributed original research to the scientific programme, presenting findings focused on reducing allergens and microbes in the residential indoor environment — an area of increasing clinical and commercial relevance as the evidence base for IAQ interventions continues to develop.
Field study: allergen reduction in carpets using hot water extraction
Airmid researchers presented a study titled “Reduction of Domestic Allergen Levels in Carpets and Soft Furnishings in US Homes Using a Proprietary Hot Water Extraction Cleaning Process” (Mitchell et al., 2013). The study measured allergen and microbial levels in air and on surfaces in 20 homes across Ohio before and after professional steam cleaning, with carpet samples subsequently transported to Airmid’s environmental testing chambers for further analysis.
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Key findings
97%
Reduction in surface allergens
Post hot water extraction cleaning
67%
Decrease in airborne cat allergens
Measured in treated homes
90%
Reduction in carpet surface bacteria
Confirmed in laboratory analysis
55%
Drop in airborne mould levels
Post-cleaning environmental testing
Post-cleaning carpet samples were transported to Airmid’s state-of-the-art environmental testing chambers for further analysis, providing laboratory confirmation of the field study results and establishing a rigorous, independently validated evidence base for allergen reduction claims.
Notable research from AAAAI 2013
Beyond presenting our own research, the Airmid team attended sessions covering emerging trends in indoor air quality and allergen exposure. Three studies from the 2013 programme are particularly relevant to our work in environmental allergen testing:
24-Hour Personal Exposure to House Dust Mite Allergens
Tovey et al., JACI 131: AB141 (2013)
This study found that daytime allergen exposure contributes more to total allergen load than time spent in bed — a finding that broadens the clinical relevance of allergen reduction beyond bedding encasements to flooring, soft furnishings, and wider domestic environments.
Surface Dust in Classrooms as Allergen Sources
Kanchongkittiphon, JACI 131: AB140 (2013)
Desktop and tabletop surfaces in schools were identified as significant sources of allergen exposure for children — reinforcing the importance of surface allergen testing beyond residential settings.
Airmid’s ongoing commitment to indoor allergen research
The 2013 AAAAI meeting also included the First Annual Race for Allergy & Asthma Research — a 5K run/walk at HemisFair Park raising funds for the ARTrust (Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Education and Research Trust), whose mission is to advance education and develop better treatments for allergic and immunologic diseases.
Our participation in the 2013 AAAAI Annual Meeting followed Airmid’s involvement in both the 2012 AAAAI and ACAAI conferences, and reflects our ongoing commitment to contributing original science to the global allergen research community. Our work supports healthier indoor environments through validated testing of carpets, flooring, and cleaning technologies — and provides the independently verified data that manufacturers and retailers need to make meaningful, substantiated product claims.
Airmid Healthgroup · Field & Laboratory Testing
Validate your flooring or cleaning product claims
Whether you manufacture flooring, carpets, or professional cleaning systems, we provide the independent field and laboratory testing to substantiate your IAQ and allergen reduction claims.
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References
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- Fox, M., Mernagh, C., Fallon, J., et al (2013). Reduction of Domestic Allergen Levels in Carpets and Soft Furnishings in US Homes Using a Proprietary Hot Water Extraction Cleaning Process. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 131: AB77.
View full text → - Tovey, E. et al. (2013). Most House Dust Mite Aeroallergen Exposure Occurs During the Day, Not in Bed. JACI, 131: AB141.
- Kanchongkittiphon, W. (2013). Allergen Exposure on Table and Desk Surfaces in Schools. JACI, 131: AB140
- Mehrotra, N. & Dimov, V. (2013). Tweeting the Meeting: Investigating Twitter Activity at the 2012 AAAAI Conference. JACI, 131: AB34.
- Fox, M., Mernagh, C., Fallon, J., et al (2013). Reduction of Domestic Allergen Levels in Carpets and Soft Furnishings in US Homes Using a Proprietary Hot Water Extraction Cleaning Process. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 131: AB77.
