Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air

AbstractThe conservation actions towards artworks holding a common patrimony for the community are of primary importance, but also those related to their "container" as museums, libraries or archives are to consider. Fungal spores and bacteria carried by air flows to the artwork surface can colonize it causing biodeterioration through physical and/or chemical alterations of the materials with the irreversible loss of their value. The quality control of the indoor air surrounding the historic building is essential, as well as for the protection and conservation of the artwork, also for the protection of the health of operators and visitors. The aim of this study was to monitor airborne fungal particles, through volumetric spore traps, for improving the knowledge about the conservation and protection of artworks in the museum environment analysing the principal relationships between indoor environmental conditions and potentially biodeteriogen fungal spore growth. The evidence of no significant relationships between spore concentrations and environmental conditions recorded inside the different expositive rooms testified the regular and correct maintenance of the air conditioning system inside the considered building (National Gallery of Umbria, central Italy). Moreover, in a specific museum room a significant spore concentration decreasing trend was recorded mainly due to a structural modification in the same building.

Download Full-text

Teaching the Microscopy of Indoor Air Quality - Lessons and Implications for the Future of the Science

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927600028452 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (S2) ◽

pp. 476-477

Author(s):

John Shane

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Indoor Air Quality ◽

Indoor Air ◽

Fungal Spores ◽

Fungal Spore ◽

The United States ◽

Spores And Pollen ◽

The People ◽

Proper Training ◽

The Common

Indoor air quality concerns are becoming increasingly important in the United States as a result of a greater awareness of the harm fungi can cause to structures and the people living in those structures. By making our homes and offices more energy efficient and by making heating and ventilation systems more complex we have also created some indoor air quality problems.Microscopical indoor air investigations are growing rapidly as evidenced by the number of asbestos and other labs getting into the fungal spore identification business. Many companies are growing by 20% a month and cannot find enough qualified microscopists to perform the identification of the fungi..There is a real need to revitalize the teaching of light microscopy to solve indoor air problems. Fungal spores and pollen are the common culprits that cause indoor air quality problems that can be studied with the light microscope. with proper training, an indoor air quality investigator can make better use of their elegant analytical tool, viz.

Download Full-text

Fungal Fragments as Indoor Air Biocontaminants

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.68.7.3522-3531.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 68 (7) ◽

pp. 3522-3531 ◽

Cited By ~ 231

Author(s):

Rafał L. Górny ◽

Tiina Reponen ◽

Klaus Willeke ◽

Detlef Schmechel ◽

Enric Robine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Indoor Air ◽

Scientific Explanation ◽

Fungal Spore ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Release Mechanism ◽

Air Velocity ◽

Fungal Propagules ◽

Optical Particle Counter ◽

Common Antigens ◽

Human Health Effects

ABSTRACT The aerosolization process of fungal propagules of three species (Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium melinii, and Cladosporium cladosporioides) was studied by using a newly designed and constructed aerosolization chamber. We discovered that fungal fragments are aerosolized simultaneously with spores from contaminated agar and ceiling tile surfaces. Concentration measurements with an optical particle counter showed that the fragments are released in higher numbers (up to 320 times) than the spores. The release of fungal propagules varied depending on the fungal species, the air velocity above the contaminated surface, and the texture and vibration of the contaminated material. In contrast to spores, the release of fragments from smooth surfaces was not affected by air velocity, indicating a different release mechanism. Correlation analysis showed that the number of released fragments cannot be predicted on the basis of the number of spores. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with monoclonal antibodies produced against Aspergillus and Penicillium fungal species showed that fragments and spores share common antigens, which not only confirmed the fungal origin of the fragments but also established their potential biological relevance. The considerable immunological reactivity, the high number, and the small particle size of the fungal fragments may contribute to human health effects that have been detected in buildings with mold problems but had no scientific explanation until now. This study suggests that future fungal spore investigations in buildings with mold problems should include the quantitation of fungal fragments.

Download Full-text

Fungal microcolonies on indoor surfaces — an explanation for the base-level fungal spore counts in indoor air

Atmospheric Environment Part B Urban Atmosphere ◽

10.1016/0957-1272(92)90043-r ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 117-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

A.-L. Pasanen ◽

H. Heinonen-Tanski ◽

P. Kalliokoski ◽

M.J. Jantunen

Keyword(s):

Indoor Air ◽

Fungal Spore ◽

Base Level

Download Full-text

Pollen and Fungal Spores Evaluation in Relation to Occupants and Microclimate in Indoor Workplaces

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13063154 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 3154 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria Concetta D’Ovidio ◽

Simona Di Renzi ◽

Pasquale Capone ◽

Armando Pelliccioni

Keyword(s):

Indoor Air ◽

Air Conditioning ◽

Fungal Spores ◽

Working Hours ◽

Fungal Spore ◽

Aerobiological Monitoring ◽

Additional Information ◽

Protection Strategies ◽

Occupational Allergies

Indoor air quality depends on many internal or external factors mutually interacting in a dynamic and complex system, which also includes indoor workplaces, where subjects are exposed to many pollutants, including biocontaminants such as pollen and fungal spores. In this context, the occupants interact actively with their environment through actions, modifying indoor environmental conditions to achieve their own thermal comfort. Actions such as opening/closing doors and windows and turning on/off air conditioning could have effects on workers’ health. The present study explored the contribution of human occupants to pollen and fungal spore levels in indoor workplaces, combining aerobiological, microclimate, and worker monitoring during summer and winter campaigns. We evaluated the overall time spent by the workers in the office, the workers’ actions regarding non-working days and working days, and non-working hours and working hours, during two campaigns of pollen and fungal spore monitoring. Our results showed that the biocontaminant values depend on many mutually interacting factors; hence, the role of all of the factors involved should be investigated. In this regard, aerobiological monitoring should be a valid tool for the management of occupational allergies, providing additional information to improve occupational health protection strategies.

Download Full-text