Allergenic fungal spores in the air of urban parks

Urban green spaces, especially urban parks, are essential for the proper functioning of cities, but they can be a serious source of airborne fungal spores. Aerobiological monitoring was carried out in urban parks of different typology to estimate the risk associated with fungal spores for citizens. Volumetric method was applied with the use of portable Burkard Sampler. In the air of the studied parks, the most dominant spores are strong allergenic or considered as potentially allergenic. Cladosporium spores were found in enormous concentrations in all studied parks, and it affected the low biodiversity of fungal spores in the parks. Compared to Cladosporium, concentrations of Alternaria spores in the air were several dozen times lower, but still a risk for people who are allergic. The fungal spores spectra and their seasonal occurrence in each park were similar. The highest similarities in the patterns of the season were found in the case of Cladosporium, Alternaria, Epicoccum, and the lowest in the case of Torula and Drechslera type. Due to the fact that allergy sufferers are most often polysensitized, the period when they should limit long visits in the urban parks is July–August, when the concentration of allergenic fungal spores of many taxa is the highest.

Evaluation of Air Sampling and Detection Methods to Quantify Airborne Ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Detection and quantification of airborne ascospores as a component of the Sclerotinia rot of carrot (SRC) forecast model is currently accomplished using the blue plate test (BPT), which uses Sclerotinia semiselective medium (SSM). A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed to reduce the time to specifically quantify ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from air samples collected using a Burkard Multi-Vial Cyclone Sampler. The qPCR assay was highly sensitive and detected DNA from 0.5 to 5 × 104 ascospores within a linear range (R2 = 0.99). The qPCR assay was used to quantify ascospores of S. sclerotiorum in air samples collected over three growing seasons. Initial SRC disease was observed 8 and 34 days following detection of 9.5 and 2 ascospores m–3 of air, respectively. Results from air samples collected using an Andersen N6 Sampler and the qPCR assay were compared with the BPT. Ascospore counts from a Burkard Sampler coupled with the qPCR assay and the BPT followed similar trends. In general, fewer ascospores were detected and bioaerosol sampling efficiency was low using an Anderson Sampler. Three days were required to confirm the number of ascospores using SSM in the BPT and with an Andersen Sampler, whereas results from a Burkard Sampler coupled with the qPCR assay can provide results within 5 h of air sampling. The choice of method will depend on the available resources.