TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparisons of seasonal fungal prevalence in indoor and outdoor air and in house dusts of dwellings in one Northeast American county
AU - Ren, Ping
AU - Jankun, Thomas M.
AU - Leaderer, Brian P.
N1 - Funding Information:
1. Abbreviations: ACGIH, American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists; CFU/m3, colony forming units per cubic meter; CFU/g, colony forming units per gram; DG-18, dichloran-glycerol agar; MEA, malt extract agar; SBS, sick building syndrome. 2. Address all correspondence to: Ping Ren, PhD, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Room 400 LEPH, 60 College Street, P.O. Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520-8034. Tel.: (203)737-6020. Fax: (203)737-6023. E-mail: [email protected] Received 10 September 1998; accepted 1 April 1999. 1This publication was made possible by grant number ES/AI07456 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH.
PY - 1999/11
Y1 - 1999/11
N2 - Fungi cause allergies and many other adverse health effects. In this study, we characterized the nature and seasonal variation of fungi inside and outside homes in the Greater New Haven, Connecticut area. Three indoor air samples (in the living room, bedroom, and basement) and one outdoor sample were collected by the Burkard portable air sampler. House dust samples were collected in the living room by a vacuum cleaner. The mold concentrations varied widely from house to house in both indoor and outdoor air. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in concentration and type of fungi between living room and bedroom or by season was observed. Both concentration and type of fungi were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the basement than other indoor areas and outdoor air in winter. The type of fungi in living room, bedroom, and outdoor air were found to have significant changes among seasons, but there was no significant difference for the basement among seasons. Cladosporium spp. was dominant in both indoor and outdoor air in summer. Penicillium and Aspergillus were dominant in indoor air in winter, but neither was dominant in any season in outdoor air. The type of fungi and their concentrations in house dust samples were not representative of those isolated in indoor air. In dust samples, more Mucor, Wallemia, and Alternaria species, but less Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium species were found in all seasons. Air sampling in spring or fall in every suspected house is suggested for year-round fungal exposure assessment.
AB - Fungi cause allergies and many other adverse health effects. In this study, we characterized the nature and seasonal variation of fungi inside and outside homes in the Greater New Haven, Connecticut area. Three indoor air samples (in the living room, bedroom, and basement) and one outdoor sample were collected by the Burkard portable air sampler. House dust samples were collected in the living room by a vacuum cleaner. The mold concentrations varied widely from house to house in both indoor and outdoor air. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in concentration and type of fungi between living room and bedroom or by season was observed. Both concentration and type of fungi were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the basement than other indoor areas and outdoor air in winter. The type of fungi in living room, bedroom, and outdoor air were found to have significant changes among seasons, but there was no significant difference for the basement among seasons. Cladosporium spp. was dominant in both indoor and outdoor air in summer. Penicillium and Aspergillus were dominant in indoor air in winter, but neither was dominant in any season in outdoor air. The type of fungi and their concentrations in house dust samples were not representative of those isolated in indoor air. In dust samples, more Mucor, Wallemia, and Alternaria species, but less Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium species were found in all seasons. Air sampling in spring or fall in every suspected house is suggested for year-round fungal exposure assessment.
KW - House dust
KW - Indoor air
KW - Outdoor air
KW - Seasonal fungal prevalence
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M3 - Article
C2 - 10638841
AN - SCOPUS:0033397111
SN - 1053-4245
VL - 9
SP - 560
EP - 568
JO - Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology
IS - 6
ER -