Fungal spore concentrations in indoor and outdoor air in university libraries, and their variations in response to changes in meteorological variables.
The fungal spore concentration (FSC) in the air poses a risk for human health. This work studied the FSC in university libraries and how it is affected by environmental factors. A total of 347 samples were obtained using a Microbio MB2(®) Aerosol Sampler. The wind speed (WS), cross wind (CW), temperature (T), relative humidity (HR), barometric pressure (BP) and dew point (DP) were recorded using a Kestrel(®) 4500 weather station. The median indoor/outdoor FSC was 360/1230 CFU m(-3). FSC correlated inversely with BP, HR and DP; and positively with WS and CW; whereas T showed negative or positive correlation with FSC, depending on the region or sampling time. Eleven fungal genera were found and the dominant isolates were identified as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tamarii and Aspergillus oryzae. All fungi identified are known to be allergenic. It was concluded that environmental variables can influence the air FSC in different ways.
a Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas , Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa , Culiacán , México.
María Elena Báez
ME
Flores
Pável Gaxiola
PG
Medina
Sylvia Páz Díaz
SP
Camacho
Magdalena
M
de Jesús Uribe Beltrán
María del Carmen
Mdel C
De la Cruz Otero
Ignacio Osuna
IO
Ramírez
Martín Ernesto Tiznado
ME
Hernández
D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000502:physiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007990:Libraries / Q000592:standards; D008800:Mexico; D012621:Seasons; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D014495:Universities; D014887:Weather
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants
airborne fungal spores; bioaerosols; fungi and environmental variables; indoor and outdoor air; microbial air quality