Chapter 6.1, Problem 46E

EXERCISES

Fungal growth Because of the time that many people indoor, there is a concern about the health risk exposed to harmful fungi that thrive in buildings. The risk appears to increase in damp environments. Researchers have discovered that by controlling both the temperature and the relative humidity in a building, the growth of the fungus A. versicolor can be limited. The relationship between temperature and relative humidity, which limits growth, can be described by

$\begin{array}{l}R(T)=-0.00007T^3+0.0401T^2-1.6572T+97.086,\\ 15\le T\le 46.\end{array}$

Where $R(T)$ is the relative humidity (in percent) and $T$ is the temperature (in degrees Celsius). Find the temperature at which the relative humidity is minimized. Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology.