A FUNGAL ABATEMENT PROJECT IN AN OFFICE LOCATED IN ARID SOUTHWESTERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES

摘要

A single-story office building located in arid southwestern United States underwent a large-scale fungal abatement due to moisture infiltration and fungal contamination in the exterior wall system. Containment areas were built up and various microbiological samplings (baseline, during abatement, and clearance) were conducted with diverse sample types: culturable and non-culturable air samples, contact plates, and swab samples. Throughout the abatement periods, outdoor airborne fungal/spore levels were 10~2 - 10~3 CFU/m~3 and 10~3 - 10~4 spores/m~3. Cladosporium dominated outdoor fungal flora. Elevated fungal levels (10~7 spores/m~3 and 10~5 CFU/m~3) were detected during abatement activities with Penicillium as the predominant fungi followed by Aspergillus. Spores of Stachybotrys chartarum were also detected during abatement from non-culturable method. Results from clearance samples showed significant mean fungal level reduction on aboveground surface samples. Airborne fungal/spore levels returned to baseline levels with Cladosporium as the predominant fungal genus.