Preliminary assessment of microbial contamination in urban and rural homes of elementary school children

Rising concern - Microbial contamination in indoor environments poses significant health risks for children, who spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Immune development - Children are particularly susceptible to microbial exposure due to their developing immune systems. Environmental deifferences - Higher pollution and denser indoor spaces in urban areas may lead to different microbial growth than in rural settings with surrounding vegetation. Key patterns - Children's primary microbial exposure occurs at home or school, underscoring the need to assess residential contamination to prevent harmful exposure.