scholarly journals Airborne fungi spores distribution in various locations in Lagos, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 192 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyinka Odebode ◽  
Adedotun Adekunle ◽  
Jason Stajich ◽  
Peter Adeonipekun
Keyword(s):  
Rhizopus Oryzae ◽  
Fusarium Verticillioides ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Agar Plate ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Penicillium Oxalicum ◽  
Aspergillus Sydowii ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Penicillium Pinophilum

AbstractExposure to outside air microorganisms especially fungi has been linked with illness such as allergic respiratory symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, and infection such as mycosis. Airborne fungal composition was sampled from five locations in Lagos State, Nigeria, between May 2014 and April 2016. Fungi spores were collected using the sedimentation plate method with the Petri dishes of dichloran-glycerol 18 (DG-18) and potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Fungi sporulated faster on DG-18 agar plate as compared with PDA. The abundances of fungal spores collected monthly at the locations varied. The most abundant spores came from the fungi were Aspergillus niger (14.47%), Aspergillus sydowii (10.37%), and Aspergillus flavus (7.93%). Additional species were present in the collections including Ascomycetes: Penicillium funiculosum (5.49%), Neurospora crassa (5.32%), Penicillium oxalicum (4.71%), Penicillium pinophilum (2.88%), Fusarium verticillioides (3.05%), Penicillium simplicissimum (1.83%), Aphaderanum sp. (0.22%), Curvularia sp. (0.22%), Aspergillus oryzae (0.22%), and Paecilomyces sp. (0.61%) and the Mucoromycotina Zygomycetes: Rhizopus oryzae (4.10%) and Mucor sp. (3.44%). Fungal concentrations were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) during the rainy season compared with the dry season. Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most predominant airborne fungal genera while Mucor, Alternaria, and Cladosporium were some of the least observed. Generally, abundance of fungi was significantly high during the wet season in all the studied locations.

scholarly journals First Speleomycological Study on the Occurrence of Psychrophilic and Psychrotolerant Aeromycota in the Brestovská Cave (Western Tatras Mts., Slovakia) and First Reports for Some Species at Underground Sites

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Rafał Ogórek ◽  
Mateusz Speruda ◽  
Justyna Borzęcka ◽  
Agata Piecuch ◽  
Magdalena Cal
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Biological Material ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Cold Adapted ◽  
First Report

Most underground ecosystems are heterotrophic, fungi in these objects are dispersed in the air in the form of spores, and they may be potentially hazardous to mammals. Research in underground sites has focused on mesophilic airborne fungi and only a few concerned cold-adapted species. Therefore, the goal of our research was the first report of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant aeromycota in the Brestovská Cave using culture-based techniques with genetic and phenotypic identification. Plates with PDA medium containing sampled biological material were incubated at 8 ± 0.5 °C. The density of mycobiota inside the cave ranged from 37.4 to 71 CFU 1 m−3 of air and 63.3 CFU 1 m−3 of air outside the cave. Thus, the level of fungal spores did not exceed the standards for the mycological quality of the air. A total of 18 species were isolated during the study, and some species may be potentially dangerous to people with weakened immune system. All fungal species were present inside the cave and only seven of them were outside. Cladosporium cladosporioides dominated in the external air samples and Mortierella parvispora was cultured most frequently from internal air samples. To our knowledge, this is the first discovery of the fungal species such as Coniothyrium pyrinum, Cystobasidium laryngis, Filobasidium wieringae, Leucosporidium drummii, M. parvispora, Mrakia blollopis, Nakazawaea holstii, and Vishniacozyma victoriae in the air inside the underground sites. Moreover, C. pyrinum, C. laryngis, L. drummii, M. blollopis, and N. holstii have never been detected in any component of the underground ecosystems. There are possible reasons explaining the detection of those species, but global warming is the most likely.

scholarly journals Diversity, Concentration and Dynamics of Culturable Fungal Bioaerosols at Doha, Qatar

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Raghdaa K. Fayad ◽  
Roda F. Al-Thani ◽  
Fatima A. Al-Naemi ◽  
Mohammed H. Abu-Dieyeh
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Gravimetric Method ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Colony Count ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Future Work

This research was conducted to investigate the dynamics of airborne fungi using viable culture collection and in respect to different abiotic variables, including seasonal and intra-diurnal variations. A gravimetric method was used to sample airborne fungal deposition on potato dextrose agar plates on alternate days, for a year between April 2015 to March 2016. From 176 settle plate exposures, a total of 1197 mould and 283 yeast colony-forming units (CFU), 21 genera and 62 species were retrieved. The highest fungal spore count was recorded in February 2016, whereas the lowest count occurred in August 2015. The main constituents of the fungal airspora were attributed to Cladosporium (60.2%), Aspergillus (10.4%), Fusarium (9.4%), Alternaria (8.5%), and Ganoderma spp. (2.3%). Temperature was negatively correlated with total colony count (r = −0.231, p ≤ 0.05) or species richness (r = −0.267, p ≤ 0.001), while wind speed was positively correlated with total colony count (r = 0.484, p ≤ 0.001) or species richness (r = 0.257, p ≤ −0.001). The highest dispersal of fungal spores was obtained at 18:00, whereas the lowest fungal spores release was recorded at 00:00 (midnight). There were no significant differences in species composition and richness of the airborne fungal population between two study sites, the Industrial area and Qatar University Campus. The count of Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. were significantly higher at the Industrial area site, which corresponds to a higher CO2 level than the Qatar University site. This study lays the foundation for future work to assess the implications of such aeromycological data on public health.

scholarly journals Airborne fungi in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

2002 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 269-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelina MEZZARI ◽  
Christiano PERIN ◽  
Sidnei Alves SANTOS JÚNIOR ◽  
Luiz Antonio Guerra BERND
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Rio Grande Do Sul ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Rotorod Sampler ◽  
Electric Engine ◽  
The City ◽  
Allergic Manifestations

Knowledge of anemophilous fungi in a given city or region is important for the ecological diagnosis and specific treatment of allergic manifestations induced by inhaled allergens. In order to diagnose the presence of anemophilous fungi, several qualitative and quantitative techniques are used depending on the study place. This study of fungal air spores was performed with a Rotorod Sampler®, an equipment which samples the air through a plastic rod attached to an electric engine that makes it spin fast enough to collect the particles in the air. The samples were collected once a week during 24 hours using the standard cycle of the manufacturers. A total of 52 samples were obtained from April 2000 through March 2001. The results revealed prevalence of ascosporos (50.49%), Cladosporium (17.86%), Aspergillus/Penicillium (15.03%), basidiosporos (3.84%), rusts (3.82%), and Helminthosporium (2.49%), and a lesser frequency of Botrytis (1.22%), Alternaria (1.19%), smuts (0.90%), Curvularia (0.87%), Nigrospora (0.61%), and Fusarium (0.08%). Also, 1.59% of the spores detected here could not be identified by the systematic key used. More fungal spores were observed during the summer than during the autumn.

scholarly journals Analysis of culturable airborne fungi in outdoor environments in Tianjin, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumna Nageen ◽  
Michael Dare Asemoloye ◽  
Sergei Põlme ◽  
Xiao Wang ◽  
Shihan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Outdoor Environments

Abstract Background Fungal spores dispersed in the atmosphere may become cause of different pathological conditions and allergies for human beings. A number of studies have been performed to analyze the diversity of airborne fungi in different environments worldwide, and in particular in many urban areas in China. We investigated, for the first time, the diversity, concentration and distribution of airborne fungi in Tianjin city. We sampled 8 outdoor environments, using open plate method, during a whole winter season. Isolated fungi were identified by morphological and molecular analysis. Environmental factors which could influence the airborne fungi concentration (temperature, humidity, wind speed, and air pressure) were monitored and analyzed. The effect of different urban site functions (busy areas with high traffic flow and commercial activities vs. green areas) on airborne fungal diversity was also analyzed. Results A total of 560 fungal strains, belonging to 110 species and 49 genera of Ascomycota (80 %), Basidiomycota (18 %), and Mucoromycota (2 %) were isolated in this study. The dominant fungal genus was Alternaria (22 %), followed by Cladosporium (18.4 %), Naganishia (14.1 %), Fusarium (5.9 %), Phoma (4.11 %), and Didymella (4.8 %). A fungal concentration ranging from 0 to 3224.13 CFU m− 3 was recorded during the whole study. Permutational multivariate analysis showed that the month was the most influential factor for airborne fungal community structure, probably because it can be regarded as a proxy of environmental variables, followed by wind speed. The two analyzed environments (busy vs. green) had no detectable effect on the air fungal community, which could be related to the relatively small size of parks in Tianjin and/or to the study season. Conclusions Our study shed light on the highly diverse community of airborne fungi characterizing the outdoor environments of Tianjin, and clarified the role that different environmental factors played in shaping the analyzed fungal community. The dominant presence of fungi with potential hazardous effect on human health, such as Alternaria, Cladosporium and Naganishia, deserves further attention. Our results may represent a valuable source of information for air quality monitoring, microbial pollution control, and airborne diseases prevention.

Occupational aflatoxin exposure among feed mill workers in Nigeria

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Oluwafemi ◽  
T. Odebiyi ◽  
A. Kolapo
Keyword(s):  
Aflatoxin B1 ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Aflatoxin B2 ◽  
Aspergillus Candidus ◽  
Feed Mill

There are indications that significant levels of mycotoxins may be absorbed from inhaled fungal spores. The problem is likely to be most serious with aflatoxins. Indoor airborne fungi in three feed mills in south-western Nigeria were assayed using Sabouraud dextrose agar and coconut agar medium. Fungi isolated include Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus terreus with incidence rates of 61, 15, 12, 5, 5 and 2%, respectively. Amount and type of aflatoxins produced in Sabouraud dextrose broth by aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus isolated at the three mills were strain dependent. Exposure of feed mill workers to aflatoxins was assessed by HPLC analysis of blood samples. Subjects from different occupational groups served as a control group. The mean concentrations of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in blood samples of the feed mill workers varied from 73.4-189.2, <0.1-0.5, 0.3-1.9 and <0.1-3.4 ng/ml, respectively. There was a significant difiference between the mills regarding blood aflatoxin levels of the workers; poorly ventilated mills resulted in higher blood aflatoxin B1 levels. Aflatoxin B1 was not detected in the blood samples of the control group; mean concentrations of aflatoxin B2, G1 and G2 detected in this group varied from <0.1-0.3, 0.4-1.5 and <0.1-0.3 ng/ml, respectively. Results from the present study showed that ventilation of feed mills is an important issue that should be considered to lower the risk of aflatoxin exposure among feed mill workers.

An Assessement of the Air Quality in Apple Warehouses : New Record of Aspergillus Europaeus, Aspergillus Pulverulentus, Penicillium Allii and Penicllium Sumatraense as Decay Agents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa SMIRI ◽  
Amina KHEIREDDINE ◽  
Rania Hammami ◽  
Mustapha ROUISSI ◽  
Eduardo Antonio Espeso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Penicillium Expansum ◽  
Phenotypic Characterization ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Gravity Settling

Abstract Airborne fungi are one of the major components of aeromycobiota known to produce several fungal diseases in fruits. Their presence in indoor environment of warehouses may limit the storage period of apples. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of airborne fungal spores were conducted using gravity settling techniques to detect fungal airspora present in the atmosphere of two apple warehouses in Tunisia. In this study, 375 fungal isolates were obtained and purified. Phylogenetic analysis of Calmodulin, beta-tubulin and ITS regions coupled with phenotypic characterization helped to identify fifteen fungal species. Penicillium exhibited the highest diversity with ten species detected (Penicillium expansum, Penicillium allii, Penicillium polonicum, Penicillium solitum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium steckii, Penicillium viridicatum, Penicillium sumatraense, Penicillium italicum and Penicillium citrinum), followed by four species of Aspergillus genus (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus pulverulentus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus europaeus) and Alternaria alternata. In vivo experiments confirmed the pathogenicity of thirteen species at room temperature and under cold-storage conditions. Among them, A. europaeus, A. pulverulentus, P. allii and P. Sumatraense were described for the first time as pathogenic on apples. The present study identified the major airborne fungi associated with postharvest rot in apple storage facilities in Tunisia and may help in efficient control of post-harvest and storage fruit diseases.

scholarly journals Ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol as tracers for biogenic aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 829-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Burshtein ◽  
N. Lang-Yona ◽  
Y. Rudich
Keyword(s):  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Biogenic Aerosols ◽  
Chemical Biomarkers

Abstract. Aerosols containing biological components can have a significant effect on human health by causing primarily irritation, infection and allergies. Specifically, airborne fungi can cause a wide array of adverse responses in humans depending on the type and quantity present. In this study we used chemical biomarkers for analyzing fungi-containing aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean region during the year 2009 in order to quantify annual fungal abundances. The prime marker for fungi used in this study was ergosterol, and its concentrations were compared with those of mannitol and arabitol which were recently suggested to also correlate with fungal spores concentrations (Bauer et al., 2008a). Back trajectory analysis, inorganic ions, humidity and temperature were used in an attempt to identify sources as well as the dependence on seasonal and environmental conditions. We found that the ambient concentrations of ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol range between 0 and 2.73 ng m−3, 1.85 and 58.27 ng m−3, 5.57 and 138.03 ng m−3, respectively. The highest levels for all biomarkers were during the autumn, probably from local terrestrial sources, as deduced from the inorganic ions and back trajectory analysis. Significant correlations were observed between arabitol and mannitol during the entire year except for the winter months. Both sugars correlated with ergosterol only during the spring and autumn. We conclude that mannitol and arabitol might not be specific biomarkers for fungi and that the observed correlations during spring and autumn may be attributed to high levels of vegetation during spring blossoms and autumn decomposing.

Functional and causal relationships between indoor and outdoor airborne fungi

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
De-Wei Li ◽  
Bryce Kendrick
Keyword(s):  
Path Analysis ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Airborne Spores ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Fungal Propagules ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

From May to October, relationships of total numbers of airborne fungal propagules between indoor and outdoor sampling sites were very strong, particularly for Alternaria and Leptosphaeria, while that for unidentified ascospores was positive but to a lesser degree. Indoor and outdoor counts of Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Ganoderma, unidentified spores, hyphal fragments, and biodiversity (total number of fungal genera) were also significantly positively related. There appeared to be no functional relationship between Aspergillus/Penicillium conidia in indoor and outdoor air. From November to April, indoor and outdoor counts of Alternaria, Ganoderma, and hyphal fragments displayed negative relationships, but there was a positive correlation for Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Leptosphaeria, unidentified ascospores, total fungal spores, unidentified spores, and biodiversity. Once again, no functional relationship was detected between Aspergillus/Penicillium indoors and outdoors. The functional relationships of airborne fungi with indoor environmental factors are examined and discussed. A lack of causal relationships, as detected by path analysis, indicates that airborne spores of Alternaria, Leptosphaeria, unidentified ascospores, Coprinus, and Ganoderma came mainly from outdoor sources. All path models fitted this hypothesis well, except for Aspergillus/Penicillium. On the other hand, path analysis suggested that there were probably indoor sources of Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Aspergillus/Penicillium, unidentified basidiospores, and unidentified spores. Most of the models explained a large proportion of variance of indoor airborne fungi. Keywords: airborne fungal spores, redundancy analysis, path analysis.

scholarly journals Mycoflora, Mycotoxin Contamination and Proximate Mineral Composition of Smoke-Dried Frog (Aubria sp.) (Konko) Sold in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bukola Adebayo-Tayo ◽  
Folahanmi Adeyemi ◽  
Olubusola Odeniyi ◽  
Kayode Olaseinde
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Composition ◽  
Aspergillus Flavus ◽  
Fusarium Verticillioides ◽  
Penicillium Oxalicum ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Aspergillus Tamarii ◽  
Mycotoxin Contamination ◽  
Cu Content ◽  
Cladosporium Sphaerospermum ◽  
Mycotoxigenic Fungi

Mycoflora, mycotoxin contamination and proximate mineral composition of smoked-dried frog (Aubria sp.) samples purchased from different markets in Ibadan, Oyo State were investigated. A total of 20 composite samples made up of 120 smoked-dried frog samples were collected. The total fungi count ranged from 1.0 x103 – 8.0 x 103 cfu/g. A total of 70 fungal strains including: Alternaria sp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tamarii, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Fusarium compacticum, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium sacchari, Fusarium solani, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium oxalicum, Trichoderma viridae and Rhizophus sp. were isolated from the samples. All the samples were contaminated with aflatoxin and 70% were contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON). The total Aflatoxin and DON in the two sampling ranged from 5.06h – 9.17a ppb, 1.86h – 5.58a ppb and 0.00 – 0.96 ppm and 0.00 – 0.09 ppm. The levels of mycotoxins contamination were within the maximum limit permitted. The Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium spp. were able to produce aflatoxin and DON which ranged from 1.65 – 3.56 ppb and 0.05 – 0.19 ppm. The percentage crude protein, K, Ca and Fe content in the samples ranged from 40.79j – 53.93a, 217.85 – 1235.83 mg/100 g, 4201 – 437.25 mg/100 g and 431.75 – 1065.0 mg/100 g. The moisture content ranged from 11.58h – 16.31a. The Cd, Zn and Cu content ranged from 0.00 – 0.22 mg/100 g, 9.43 – 5.20 mg/100 g and 7.05 – 18.58 mg/100 g. The presence of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxin levels in the dried frog samples is of public health concern and proper attention is needed for the control of quality and adequate preservation before sales and consumption.

scholarly journals Spores of most common airborne fungi reveal no ice nucleation activity

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 10125-10141 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Pummer ◽  
L. Atanasova ◽  
H. Bauer ◽  
J. Bernardi ◽  
I. S. Druzhinina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
Freezing Stress ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Biological Aerosols ◽  
Subzero Temperatures ◽  
Immersion Freezing ◽  
Ice Nucleation Activity ◽  
First Time

Abstract. Fungal spores are ubiquitous biological aerosols, which are considered to show ice nucleation (IN) activity. In this study the respective IN activity was tested in oil emulsion in the immersion freezing mode. The focus was laid on species of economical, ecological or sanitary significance. For the first time, not only common moulds, but also edible mushrooms (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes) were investigated, as they contribute massively to the total amount of fungal spores in the atmosphere. Only Fusarium avenaceum showed freezing events at low subzero-temperatures, while the other investigated fungal spores showed no significant IN activity. Furthermore, we selected a set of fungal strains from different sites and exposed them to occasional freezing stress during cultivation. Although the total protein expression was altered by this treatment, it had no significant impact on the IN activity.

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