First Day of Summer

Whew!  It was a really hot and humid day in Nebraska today for the first day of summer and the national weather map looks like we were not alone.  As I drove my "Nanobug" (a 2003 yellow VW Beetle) into the garage after running some errands this afternoon, I thought about the Nanobug-Aspergillus fumigatus.  It's a fungus that looks like broccoli under the microscope.  

Now you are probably wondering about me, huh? .....well, here's the connection: When you run the air-conditioner in your car in the summer, and then shut it off - you trap moist air in the car's ventilation ducts.   Since bacteria and fungi grow best in warm dark moist places and since there are no filters on your car's ventilation system, when you turn the car and the A/C on next time you can be blowing a concentration of nanobugs right up your nose.  (If you are like me, in the summer you have those vents pointed right at your face to cool ‘ya down ASAP!)   Haven't you turned on the A/C in the car and smelled that musty odor?  Sometimes you sneeze and feel irritation in your nose when you turn on the A/C.  It is most likely Apergillus fumigatus & Friends in there stinkin' up the place!  Now Aspergillus fumigatus is found everywhere in the environment and doesn't usually cause an infection in normal healthy people.  However, it can cause a sinus infection in someone with a weakened immune system.  Regardless, I want to keep those nanobugs out of my nose! 

So here's how to spoil that nice habitat for Aspergillus and other molds and fungi in your car's air-conditioning system: When you get a few blocks from home, turn off the air-conditioner and let the fan run for a minute or two before shutting off the engine.  In this way you will get rid of a lot of the moisture in the ducts and reduce the problem. 

I think today is the longest day of the year -the summer solstice-with the most hours of sunlight.  Guess I will take advantage of that maximum sun time and take a walk this evening - then maybe sit on the porch and watch my neighbors put new siding on their house.  

This entry was posted on June 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am. RSS | Back to Blog Homepage.

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