Abstract:
The aim of this investigation was to monitor the densities and
distribution of indoor airborne fungal spores that can cause an allergic
response in three educational institutions placed in different location of Iasi
City, Romania. Areas monitored were two lecture halls and one laboratory
from the university campus, one classroom from a primary school and one
from high school.
Air samples from all location were taken using the Koch
sedimentation method, which suppose that Petri dishes which contained
potato-dextrose-agar (PDA) and peptone-glucose-agar (PGA) media in three
different compositions (classic, with rose-bengal and with streptomycin) are
exposed to room air for a 5-min period. Samples were collected from April to
May 2009. A total of 333 microfungal colonies were counted on 90 plates.
Identification of these showed 11 genera and 10 colonies of indeterminate
spores from the indoor air samples. The identification of the fungi was made
according to their microscopic properties and through references.
The results showed that in all three locations were differences in the
distribution of fungal genera, but Penicillium, Cladosporium and Aspergillus
were the most prevalent fungal genera (43.8, 22.2 and 18.0% of the total,
respectively). Indoor concentration of fungal spores in the university
laboratory and high school classroom were found to be higher as the
international standards and has potential to develop adverse health effects to
the occupants
