HUMIDITY

Background: Tear break up is an important indicator of tear film stability, representing the interval between a complete blink and the first appearance of a dry spot on the corneal surface. Humidity plays a crucial role in tear film dynamics. Increase humidity decelerate evaporative water loss from the tear film, increasing tear break up time (TBUT) and alleviate ocular discomfort. Objective: This study investigated the effect of increased humidity on tear breakup time (TBUT) amid fifty (50) participants attending University of Benin Optometry teaching clinic. Studies have shown that increased humidity leads to a significant increase in tear break up time (TBUT), resulting in increased ocular comfort. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effect of increased humidity on TBUT. Method: Close observation on fifty (50) participants with convenient sampling design. Data on age, gender was carried out, an ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was used to grade the participants into normal, mild, moderate and severe tear dry eye , they were then exposed to ideal humidity and increased humidity level, after 10 minutes of acclimatization in each humidity condition, non-invasive tear break up time (NITBUT) was measured in both conditions and findings were recorded. Result: Increase in humidity between 50% and 70% relative humidity (RH) were statistically significant (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes (r = 0.80-0.95), participants with normal, mild and severe ocular surface disorder index (OSDI) score all showed significant increase in tear break up time (TBUT) and increased ocular comfort. Conclusion: Result demonstrates that increase in humidity level markedly improved tear film stability from all groups regardless of age, gender, ocular surface health (normal or dry eye). The results of this study confirmed that humidity is a critical environmental factor that influences ocular surface health. The study also revealed that controlled increase in humidity level yielded statistically significant tear film stability (p<0.001) in all groups. KEYWORDS: relative humidity, tear break-up time, tear film stability, ocular health.

Background: Tear break up is an important indicator of tear film stability, representing the interval between a complete blink and the first appearance of a dry spot on the corneal surface. Humidity plays a crucial role in tear film dynamics. Increase humidity decelerate evaporative water loss from the tear film, increasing tear break up time (TBUT) and alleviate ocular discomfort. Objective: This study investigated the effect of increased humidity on tear breakup time (TBUT) amid fifty (50) participants attending University of Benin Optometry teaching clinic. Studies have shown that increased humidity leads to a significant increase in tear break up time (TBUT), resulting in increased ocular comfort. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effect of increased humidity on TBUT. Method: Close observation on fifty (50) participants with convenient sampling design. Data on age, gender was carried out, an ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was used to grade the participants into normal, mild, moderate and severe tear dry eye , they were then exposed to ideal humidity and increased humidity level, after 10 minutes of acclimatization in each humidity condition, non-invasive tear break up time (NITBUT) was measured in both conditions and findings were recorded. Result: Increase in humidity between 50% and 70% relative humidity (RH) were statistically significant (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes (r = 0.80-0.95), participants with normal, mild and severe ocular surface disorder index (OSDI) score all showed significant increase in tear break up time (TBUT) and increased ocular comfort. Conclusion: Result demonstrates that increase in humidity level markedly improved tear film stability from all groups regardless of age, gender, ocular surface health (normal or dry eye). The results of this study confirmed that humidity is a critical environmental factor that influences ocular surface health. The study also revealed that controlled increase in humidity level yielded statistically significant tear film stability (p<0.001) in all groups.

In the past, compact discs (also known as CDs) were the unchallenged leaders of the digital era, completely changing the way we stored and accessed information. CDs, which were created by Sony and Philips in the early 1980s, swiftly overtook cassette tapes as the most popular format for music delivery. This research project aims to study the impact of temperature and humidity at different ranges on the diversity and population of fungal species colonies dominating stored CD plates. For this research experiment, a total of Thirty-six (36) were purchased, out of which twelve CDs were opened, another twelve were closed by singularly sealing each CD in a regular CD storage nylon pack, and the last set of CDs was burnt (a process of storing information of various types, raw data documents to videos. Thermometers and hygrometers were used to track temperature and relative humidity, and for four weeks, conventional protocols were followed for fungal count and identification. According to the results, there is a weekly variation in temperature, but it usually stays between 30 and 37 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, relative humidity rose regularly in the various locations under study. Fungal counts of all CD plates studied increased with an increase in humidity with time. Fungal isolated from the studied CD plates were Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus arrhizus, Mucor mucedo, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium sp. Conclusively, relative humidity had a positive correlation with the fungal load of the studies CD plate, while temperature had little effect on fungal counts.