A year-round investigation of indoor airborne fungi in Croatia

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Title (croatian): Jednogodišnje istraživanje razine plijesni u zraku unutarnjih prostora
• Author: Daniela Jakšić Despot
• Author: Maja Šegvić Klarić
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry; (Department of microbiology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Pharmacy; Pharmacy

Abstract (english)

This study assessed the composition of aeromycota at a grain mill and four dwellings (two apartments and two basements) as well as in outdoor air during one year in Zagreb, Croatia. The incidence of Aspergilli from sections Flavi, Nigri, and Versicolores was also assessed. Airborne fungi were collected using an air-sampler and DG-18 agar plates. The average concentrations of airborne fungi in the grain mill ranged from 14,310 to 40,000 cfu m-3, which was above the hazardous level (104 cfu m-3), whereas the values statistically estimated using Feller’s correction were up to six times higher. Concentrations in the apartment (163-1244 cfu m-3) were lower than in outdoor air (286-2090 cfu m-3) and lower than in the basement (697-1203 cfu m-3), except in the warmer period of the year when they were similar. The most abundant species throughout the year were Cladosporium spp. (90-100 %), Penicillium spp. (40-100 %), and Alternaria spp. (10-100 %), which are common for temperate climates. Aspergilli from the Flavi (50-100 %) and Nigri (15-40 %) sections as well as A. ochraceus (15-60 %) and Eurotium spp. (85-100 %) were the most abundant at the grain mill and were rarely found in outdoor air. In the basement, Aspergilli (Versicolores) were more abundant than in the apartment. The excess of aeromycoparticles in the grain mill throughout the year may have represented a serious health risk to mill workers. This is the first Croatian one-year study of indoor airborne fungi in a grain mill and dwellings; however monitoring should continue over a longer period.

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj rada bio je ispitati varijacije učestalosti (%) i koncentracija (cfu m-3) plijesni u zraku mlina žitarica i četiriju stambenih prostora (dva stana i dva podruma) u odnosu na vanjski zrak tijekom jedne godine u Zagrebu (Hrvatska). Učestalost Aspergillus vrsta iz sekcija Flavi, Nigri i Versicolores također je ispitana. Plijesni iz zraka su uzorkovane pomoću uređaja Air-sampler MAS 100 Eco u kojem su postavljene DG-18-agarske ploče. Prosječna koncentracija aerogenih plijesni u mlinu bila je između 14.310 i 40.000 cfu m-3, što je veće od koncentracije (104 cfu m-3) koja se smatra opasnom za zdravlje. Procijenjene vrijednosti koncentracija plijesni u zraku mlina, dobivene Felerovom korekcijom, čak su šest puta veće od izmjerenih koncentracija. U stanovima (163-1244 cfu m-3) koncentracije aerogenih plijesni bile su manje nego u vanjskom zraku (286-2090 cfu m-3) i podrumima (697-1203 cfu m-3), izuzev u toplijim mjesecima kada su izmjerene vrijednosti bile slične. Tijekom godine dominirale su vrste iz rodova Cladosporium spp. (90-100 %), Penicillium spp. (40-100 %), i Alternaria spp. (10-100 %), koje su uobičajene u područjima s umjerenom klimom. Aspergile iz sekcija Flavi (50-100 %) i Nigri (15-40 %), A. ochraceus (15-60 %) i Eurotium spp. (85-100 %) dominirali su u zraku mlina, a u uzorcima vanjskog zraka rijetko su detektirane. Vrste Aspergillus iz sekcije Versicolores s većom učestalošću nađene u podrumima nego u stanovima. Veliko opterećenje mlina aerogenim plijesnima tijekom cijele godine može biti opasno za zdravlje radnika. Ujedno, ovo je prvo jednogodišnje ispitivanje sezonske varijabilnosti u sastavu plijesni u zraku mlina žitarica i stambenih prostora u Hrvatskoj. Međutim, monitoring treba nastaviti tijekom dužeg razdoblja.

• Keywords (english): Flavi; grain mill; Nigri; residential areas; Versicolores
• Keywords (croatian): Flavi; mlin; Nigri; stambeni objekti; Versicolores
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
• Numbering: vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 209-217
• p-ISSN: 0004-1254
• e-ISSN: 1848-6312
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-65-2014-2483
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:163:485177
• Publication: 2014-06-11
• Document URL: https://hrcak.srce.hr/122952
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2018-02-27 10:05:20