CONCENTRATIONS OF AIRBORNE FUNGI IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH AND WITHOUT VISIBLE MOLD PROBLEMS

摘要

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the growth of mold indoors influences the concentration of fungal spores in the air as well as the variety of their species. Samples were collected from 66 households in Austria. Malt extract agar (MEA) and dichloran glycerol agar (DG18) plates were used as culture media. The total colony forming units (CFU) per m3 were determined. The fungal species were identified from the isolated colonies. The results show that in households visibly affected by mold, the median values were significantly higher than those of households without visible mold. These data showed that the extent of visible mold growth is significantly correlated with both concentration of fungal spores (p＜0.001) as well as the predominance of Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. (p＜0.001) in indoor air. The total fungal concentrations of Penicillium and Aspergillus in the air of households is recommended for assessing fungal exposure.