Bacterial diversity (16S rRNA gene) in participant collected household vacuum dust from homes across two bioclimatic regions (UK and Greece), with associated participant questionnaire and trace element data. (NERC Grant NE/T004401/1)

The <250um fraction of 28 household vacuum dust samples were extracted using high throughput isolation of microbial genomic DNA (21 samples from a national campaign within the UK and 7 samples from Greece, providing samples from two contrasting bioclimatic zones). Both positive and negative reagent controls were included to ensure sterility throughout the processing and sequencing steps, and a randomly selected sample was run in triplicate (DSUK179). These data (raw fastq files: Target_gene 16S and Target_subfragment V4) are available from the European Nucleotide Archive via the study accession PRJEB46920 with individual sample accession numbers ERX6130460 to ERX6130493; https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB46920). A wide range of anthropogenic factors are likely to affect the indoor microbiome and to capture some of this heterogeneity participants were asked to complete a questionnaire. In addition, trace element data were generated using an X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry on the <250um sieved fraction of the household vacuum dust. Sample location data are provided at town/city, Country level. Indoor dust serves as a reservoir for environmental exposure to microbial communities, many of which are benign, some are beneficial, whilst some exhibit pathogenicity. Whilst non-occupational exposure to a range of trace elements and organic contaminants in house dust are a known risk factor for a range of diseases and poor health outcomes, we know far less about the microbial communities associated with our indoor home environments, and their interaction/impacts on human health. Our knowledge of indoor residential bacterial biodiversity, biogeography and their associated drivers are still poorly understood. The data were collected to improve our understanding of the home microbiome.