Abstract
The disaster waste from the massive tsunami that occurred as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake, in March, 2011, was stacked at temporary storage sites managed by local authorities. In June, 2011, we have conducted a research at a high school in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, on flies and airborne microorganisms which were considered to have emerged from the debris in an adjacent temporary disaster waste storage site next to the school.
Of the 30 flies which were captured within the school premises, 17 were the indoor intrusive house fly (Muscoidea). Examination of the bacteria on the surface of the flies bodies was done and Escherichia coli was detected from 15 out of 30 individuals (50 %) whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected from 5 (17 %) and Salmonella enterica from 13 (43 %). Both the airborne bacterial and fungal concentrations of indoor were under the standard values of the Architectural Society of Japan, however, the outdoor airborne fungal concentration tended to be higher when closer to the debris storage site. Additionally, Alternaria and Eurotium which are important species as respiratory allergens, had higher outdoor concentrations compared to a normal environment in Japan.
