If you live with a dog, you’re not simply acquiring muddy paw marks and an enthusiastic tail – you’re also welcoming a distinct type of indoor atmosphere.
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have quantified, for the first time, the gases, particles and microorganisms dogs introduce into our living spaces, and how they disperse them.
During experiments conducted in an environmental chamber at EPFL’s Fribourg facility, scientists examined groups of large dogs (including a Mastiff, a Tibetan Mastiff, and a Newfoundland) alongside a group of small dogs (Chihuahuas).
They discovered that a large dog at rest exhales roughly the same quantity of carbon dioxide as an adult human and produces similar concentrations of ammonia, a gas generated when proteins decompose and which emanates from skin and breath.
However, the genuine disruption concerns particles. Through performing typical canine activities – shaking after a snooze, scratching an irritation, receiving affection – our four-legged companions release substantial quantities of dust, pollen, plant fragments and microorganisms that accumulate on floors and furnishings.
During experiments, large dogs discharged two to four times more microorganisms than a human occupying the same space.
Dogs also function as miniature carriers, transporting biological matter from the park or street into the home on their fur and paws, subsequently distributing it as they roam about.
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A more diverse array of everyday microbes indoors may, in fact, support the immune system, particularly in youngsters, according to earlier research, so the microbial variety that accompanies a family dog could be one reason why children who are raised with pets occasionally experience fewer allergies.
Ozone entering from outside reacts with oils present on skin and fur, producing new airborne substances such as aldehydes and ketones. Humans generate a skin lipid known as squalene that’s particularly reactive.
Dogs don’t produce squalene themselves but we deposit skin residues on their fur when we stroke them, and those residues can still react.
Nevertheless, on average, the dogs produced approximately 40% fewer of these ozone-reaction products than humans did under the same conditions.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
