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Open research questions in Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

340 gap statements mined from Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,388 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The relationship between indoor airborne bacterial communities and lung health is unclear. Prior studies on the association between indoor bacterial diversity and respiratory health are inconsistent.

    Indoor airborne bacterial communities and adult lung health: A cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Given that autistic pupils spend significant time in schools, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is critical for their well‐being and learning outcomes yet remains underexplored.

    Assessing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Challenges in Autism Schools: Insights From Saudi Arabia′s Eastern Region · 2026 · DOI

  • Consumer volatile chemical products (VCPs) are widely used indoors, yet their formulation‐specific volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions remain poorly characterized.

    Volatile Organic Compound Emissions and Key Drivers of Acute Inhalation Risk and Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation From Consumer Volatile Chemical Products · 2026 · DOI

  • However, over the past few years, several reports from UK governmental and scientific committees acknowledge the lack of data on indoor pollution in British dwellings, leading to an increase in studies on this topic led by several universities using differing protocols.

    INdoor Home Air Level Exploration (INHALE) Study: Protocol to Monitor Indoor Pollution in British Dwellings · 2025 · DOI

  • Although sampling times are limited to 10 min, the known proximation for the volume of air sampled allows quantitative estimates to be predicted; this may be helpful for meteorologists creating atmospheric models as data regarding atmospheric fungal spores is lacking.

    A Novel Drone Sampling Method for Lower Atmospheric Fungal Spores · 2025 · DOI

  • Future studies could explore whether this strategy is suitable for characterizing the toxicokinetics of other compounds in this class.

    Toxicokinetic Characterization of MDM Hydantoin via Stable Metabolite DMH: Population Modeling for Predicting Dermal Formaldehyde Formation · 2025 · DOI

  • There are obvious health and academic performance benefits to improved IAQ, ventilation and thermal comfort in educational environments, but their associations and causal pathways are not yet fully understood.

    Impact of Indoor Air Quality, Including Thermal Conditions, in Educational Buildings on Health, Wellbeing, and Performance: A Scoping Review · 2025 · DOI

  • Strategies like broadened HVAC setpoints and nighttime ventilation offer energy‐saving potential without compromising sleep quality, but empirical support is sparse.

    Exploring the Interconnection of Sleep Quality, Indoor Environmental Factors, and Energy Efficiency: Strategies for Sustainable Sleep Environments · 2025 · DOI

  • Mechanical ventilation (MV) systems are commonly used to improve IAQ and occupant comfort, especially in airtight homes, yet their effectiveness in humid winter conditions remains underexplored.

    Effects of Positive Pressure Ventilation System on Indoor Particulate Matter Concentrations in a Subtropical Climate · 2025 · DOI

  • This dominance driven primarily by incense emissions underscores the need for further investigation into the long‐term health risks associated with chronic DEP inhalation.

    Incense and Candle Burning: A Major Source of Phthalate Exposure in Indoor Environments · 2025 · DOI

  • Most of the found studies focus on warm and humid climates, leaving gaps in the understanding of IAQ issues in other, colder climate regions. Cost-effective solutions, such as natural ventilation and adaptive architectural design, show promise, but empirical testing is lacking, especially in diverse geographical contexts.

    A Review of Indoor Air Quality in Social Housing Across Low- and Middle-Income Countries · 2025 · DOI

  • The behavior of polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG), the causative agent of many humidifier‐induced lung diseases, is not well known because of its various oligomer structures and analytical difficulties.

    Characterization of Polyhexamethylene Guanidine Oligomers in Solutions and Aerosols Emitted during Humidifier Use · 2024 · DOI

  • Evidence regarding the association between indoor illuminance and respiratory allergic symptoms in children remains limited, and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood.

    Associations Between Residential Indoor Environmental Indicators and Respiratory Allergic Symptoms Among Children in Shenzhen, China · 2026 · DOI

  • No consistent distance-dependent gradient was observed across the active-burning sites, indicating that distance from the combustion area alone was insufficient to characterize spatial patterns in bacterial concentrations.

    Beyond smoke: culturable airborne bacteria associated with informal waste burning in peri-urban South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • Older adults face compounded indoor exposure risk due to age‐associated immune decline, higher rates of chronic respiratory disease, and disproportionate time spent at home, yet their residential environments remain understudied.

    Fungal Matters: ITS Sequencing Supports the Need for Regional Fungal Baselines for ERMI and Identifies WHO Fungal Priority Pathogen Taxa in Homes of Older Adults Receiving Home‐ and Community‐Based Services · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus more on the deposition and activity of atmospheric microorganisms in natural environments and develop a comprehensive database of source Author contributions.

    Exometabolomic exploration of culturable airborne microorganisms from an urban atmosphere · 2025 · DOI

  • Furthermore, the influence of various meteorological factors and components of air pollution on the results remains unknown. Further targeted investigation into this phenomenon is warranted for future research endeavors.

    Effects of Short-Term Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposure on Nasal Microbiome in Young Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • It is hoped that the outcomes of this workshop will act as a toolkit and platform for others to address the remaining key gaps in knowledge identified during this multidisciplinary exercise.

    Promoting global collaboration to improve bioaerosol exposure assessment and understanding of associated health impacts: outcomes from a series of workshops · 2025 · DOI

  • Indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has garnered considerable attention, but its extent in hotel environments remains underexplored.

    Indoor Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, and Formaldehyde) and Associated Health Risk in Hotels of Hunan, China · 2025 · DOI

  • Flexible polyurethane (PU) materials find extensive use in upholstery, mattresses, and automobiles, yet the molecular background of their odor is still inadequately understood.

    Odor‐Active Compounds in Flexible Polyurethane Materials · 2024 · DOI

  • The cross-sectional design captures perception at discrete time points and does not account for longitudinal acclimatization, cumulative heat exposure, or seasonal variability.

    Occupational thermal exposure and perceived thermal load in naturally ventilated polyhouses: a field-based exposure-modeling study under dry-humid conditions · 2026 · DOI

  • Consensus guidelines regarding how to perform and interpret Aspergillus hospital outbreak investigations are currently sparse and linked to air sampling.

    Environmental and Phylogenetic Investigations of Aspergillus flavus Outbreak Linked to Contaminated Building Materials, Denmark, 2025 · 2026 · DOI

  • Vertical green living walls offer a promising, sustainable, and nature‐based solution; however, their performance varies widely across different conditions, and their maintenance remains complex, posing barriers that limit their widespread adoption.

    VertINGreen : A Practical Application for Planning and Monitoring Indoor Vertical Green Living Walls Based on Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Models · 2026 · DOI

  • Associations between symptoms and exposure to abandoned wells and indoor VOCs were inconclusive, as the small sample limited the ability to detect an effect.

    Investigating the Impacts of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells on Indoor Air Quality and Health Symptoms in Ontario, Canada: A Pilot Study · 2026 · DOI

  • By addressing PM exposure during teaching periods and evaluating the effects of mitigation measures, built characteristics, and environmental factors within primary school settings in Cyprus, this study fills critical gaps in understanding particulate exposure in educational environments.

    Air Quality in Primary School Classrooms: Associations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 Levels With Outdoor and Built Environment Characteristics · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

Most recent work

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This page shows what the Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 7.9M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The relationship between indoor airborne bacterial communities and lung health is unclear (“Indoor airborne bacterial communities and adult lung health: A cross-sectional…”, 2026); (2) Given that autistic pupils spend significant time in schools, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is critical for their well‐being and learning outcomes yet remains underexplored (“Assessing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Challenges in Autism Schools:…”, 2026); (3) Evidence regarding the association between indoor illuminance and respiratory allergic symptoms in children remains limited, and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood (“Associations Between Residential Indoor Environmental Indicators and…”, 2026); (4) Older adults face compounded indoor exposure risk due to age‐associated immune decline, higher rates of chronic respiratory disease, and disproportionate time spent at home, yet their residential environments remain understudied (“Fungal Matters: ITS Sequencing Supports the Need for Regional Fungal Baselines…”, 2026); (5) Future studies could explore whether this strategy is suitable for characterizing the toxicokinetics of other compounds in this class (“Toxicokinetic Characterization of MDM Hydantoin via Stable Metabolite DMH:…”, 2025). 340 gap statements have been mined from Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,388 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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