Dynamics of airborne fungal populations in a large office building.

摘要

The increasing concern with bioaerosols in large office buildings prompted a prospective study of airborne fungal concentrations in a newly constructed building on the Texas Gulf coast, USA. Volumetric culture plate air samples were obtained on 14 occasions over the 18-month period immediately following building occupancy. On each sampling occasion, duplicate samples were collected from 3 sites on 3 floors of this 6-story building, and an outdoor sample. Fungal concentrations indoors were consistently below those outdoors, and no sample clearly indicated fungal contamination in the building, although visible growth appeared in the ventilation system during the course of the study. It is concluded that modern mechanically ventilated buildings prevent the intrusion of most of the outdoor fungal aerosol, and that even relatively extensive air sampling protocols may not sufficiently document the microbial status of buildings.