Microbiota associated with airborne particulate matter (PM) is an important indicator of indoor pollution as they can be pathogenic and cause serious health threats to the exposed occupants. Present study aimed to investigate the level of culturable microbes associated with PM and their toxicological characterization in urban and rural houses of Pune city. Highest concentration of bacterial aerosols observed to be associated with PM₁₀ size fraction in urban site (2136 ± 285 CFU/m³) whereas maximum fungal concentration has been measured in rural houses (1521 ± 302 CFU/m³). Predominantly found bacterial species were Bacillus sp., S. aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungal species were Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., and Penicillium sp. in both urban and rural residential premises. Concentration of endotoxin measured using the kinetic Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay exhibited that the level of endotoxin in both urban and rural sites are associated with household characteristics and the activities performed in indoor as well as outdoor. Cell free DTT assay confirmed the ability of these airborne microbes to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) varying along with the types of microorganisms. On exposure of A549 cells to airborne microbes, a significant decrease in cell viability was observed in terms of both necrosis and apoptosis pathway. Elevated production of nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines in epithelial cells and macrophages clearly suggest the inflammatory nature of these airborne microbes. Results derived from the present study demonstrated that the indoor air of urban and rural houses of Pune is contaminated in terms of microbial load. Therefore, attention should be paid to control the factors favoring the microbial growth in order to safeguard the health of exposed inhabitants.

Airborne fungal spores, a type of bioaerosols, are significant air pollutants. We conducted a study to determine the spatiotemporal distributions of ambient fungi in the Greater Taipei area and develop land use regression (LUR) models for total and major fungal taxa. Four seasonal sampling campaigns were conducted over a year at 44 representative sites. Multiple regressions were performed to construct the LUR models. Ascospores were the most prevalent category, followed by Aspergillus/Penicillium, basidiospores, and Cladosporium. The highest fungal concentrations were found in spring. According to the LUR models, higher concentrations of Aspergillus/Penicillium and basidiospores were respectively present in residential/commercial areas and in areas with shorter road lengths. Various meteorological factors, particulates with aerodynamic diameters of ≤10 μm, and elevation also had significant relationships with fungal concentrations. The LUR models developed in this study can be used to assess spatiotemporal fungal distribution in the Greater Taipei area.

The individual effects of biological constituents of particulate matter (PM) such as fungal spores, on lung function in children are not well known. This study investigated the seasonal short-term effect of daily variation in Alternaria and Cladosporium fungal spores on lung function in schoolchildren.This panel study evaluated 313 schoolchildren in informal settlements of the Western Cape of South Africa, exposed to spores of two commonly encountered fungi, Alternaria and Cladosporium species. The children provided forced-expiratory volume in 1-s (FEV₁) and peak-expiratory flow (PEF) measurements thrice daily for two consecutive school-weeks in summer and winter. Daily PM₁₀ levels, from a stationary ambient air quality monitor and fungal spore levels using spore traps were measured in each study area throughout the year. The effects of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores, on lung function were analysed for lag periods up to five-days, adjusting-for PM₁₀, other pollen exposures, study area, and other host and meteorological factors. Same-day exposure-response curves were computed for both fungal species.There was more variability in Alternaria spores level with noticeable peaks in summer. There were consistent lag-effects for Alternaria on PEF compared to Cladosporium, with the largest PEF deficit observed in winter (mean deficit: 13.78 L/min, 95%CI: 24.34 to −3.23 L/min) per 10spores/m³ increase in Alternaria spores on lag day-2. Although there were no observable lag-effects for Alternaria and Cladosporium on FEV₁, same-day effects of Cladosporium spores on FEV₁ was present across both seasons. Threshold effects of Alternaria on both PEF and FEV₁ deficits were apparent at levels of 100 spores/m³, but could not be explored for Cladosporium beyond the levels observed during the study.The study provides evidence for the independent effects of daily exposure to ambient fungal spores of Alternaria and Cladosporium on lung function deficits, more especially in winter for PEF.

Fungi are important compartments of microbial communities of mangroves. Their diversity might be influenced by their habitat environment. This study analyzed the distribution and function of fungal communities in the sediments and plant samples from mangrove ecosystem of the Maowei Sea area in Guangxi, China. The results showed that phytopathogenic fungi Cladosporium (17.00%) was mainly observed in the sediments from the protected zone, while endophytic fungi Alternaria (9.22%) and Acremonium (6.09%) were only observed in the sediments from wharf. The fungi in the sediments from village and park were mainly consisted of high-activity endophytes and fungi related to lignin-degrading, respectively. Acaulospora and Aspergillus with higher relative abundance discovered in plant tissues could help plant growth. Cirrenalia (37.66%) and Lignincola (26.73%) with high-activity for lignin-degrading were discovered in decayed leaves. The distribution and function of fungi were highly dependent on the environment settings, thus the fungi can be used as indicators for monitoring the environmental change of mangrove ecosystems.

Open landfilling is a common practice of waste dumping in developing countries, generating a range of environmental and public health hazards. In this study, we determined the distribution, composition and exposure risk of the size-segregated fungal and bacterial bioaerosols in an open landfill site in Dehradun, India. Bioaerosol and particulate matter (PM) measurements were carried out using a six-stage viable Andersen Cascade Impactor and a Wide Range Aerosol Spectrometer, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relation of bioaerosol concentration with meteorological parameters and PM. The mean concentration of fungal and bacterial aerosols was observed to be 4582.75 ± 1358.25 CFU/m3 and 3609.53 ± 1000.28 CFU/m3, respectively. The bioaerosol composition showed the predominance of potential pathogens including Aspergillus (25.42%), Penicillium (20.34%), Cladosporium (15.25%), Alternaria (13.56%); and gram-negative Bacillus (21.15%), Streptobacillus (17.31%), Coccus (13.46%). Also, an inhalation risk assessment was conducted for the age-specific predictions of bioaerosol and PM deposition in human airways using a multiple path particle dosimetry model. For bioaerosols, maximum submicron depositions in the pulmonary region were observed in adults, while for PM, in children and infants. Finally, to identify the bioaerosol exposure caused respiratory disorders, a questionnaire-based health survey was conducted among the exposed population around the landfill site. The chi-square test showed significantly higher respiratory complaints in females for cold, cough, chest pain and chest tightness than in males. This work highlights the role of bioaerosols and PM in human health disorders in occupational environments associated with waste management.

Exposure to bioaerosols in the air of hospitals is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects due to the presence of airborne microorganisms. Intensity and type of health effects depend on many factors such as the type, density, and diversity of bioaerosols in hospital environments. Therefore, identifying and determining their distribution in hospital environment contribute to reduce their adverse effects and maintain the physical health of patients and staff, as well as find the source of infections and possible allergies due to the presence of bioaerosols. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the type and concentration of the bacterial and fungal bioaerosols, and their distribution in the indoor and outdoor air of a teaching hospital to establish a reference for future studies or measures. The air samples were collected with a one-stage Anderson sampler and particle mass counter for a period of four months in the fall and winter of 2019. In total, 262 bacterial and fungal samples were collected from the air of the wards of Tohid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran. Antibiotic resistance test, bacterial identification by PCR method, and modeling the dispersion of concentrations of bio-aerosols were also conducted. In order to identify bacteria and fungi, some biochemical and molecular tests and microscopic and macroscopic characteristic methods were applied, respectively. The results showed that the highest and lowest densities of the bioaerosols were observed in lung and operating wards (336.67 and 15.25 CFU/m³). Moreover, the highest and least concentrations of particles were seen in the emergency and operating wards, respectively. The most common fungi isolated from the hospital air were Penicillium (24.7%), Cladosporium (23. 4%), Aspergillus niger (13.3%), and Aspergillus Flavus (11.4%). Furthermore, the highest concentration of the isolated bacterium was Staphylococcus hemolyticus (31.84%). Most bacteria showed the highest resistance to gentamicin. The overall average hospital air pollution to bioaerosols was slightly higher than the standards proposed by international organizations. Due to the high concentration of bioaerosols and particles in the studied hospital, providing suitable conditions such as temperature, humidity, proper ventilation, and intelligent air conditioning system using efficient ventilation systems, and restricting the entrance of wards can reduce airborne particles in hospital environment.

The possibility of superficial foot mycoses to spread through contaminated mosque carpets between worshipers imposes a great health burden and is never addressed in Riyadh, SA. We aimed to assess the prevalence of fungal infections, especially human dermatophytosis acquired from mosque carpets, in five different regions of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and establish a means of contamination control. A cross-sectional study of 100 mosques in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted, using a multistage random cluster sampling technique. The study included mosques that had an ablution area and regularly hosted five prayers a day. Sterile swabs were used for sampling, and the samples were transported to the laboratory for culture and analysis using a micro-scan system. A total of 199 (65%) samples contained several fungal species. Rhodotorula (74%), Cladosporium (47%), Bipolaris (46.6%), other yeasts (43.7%), Alternaria (40%), dematiaceous molds (34%), Curvularia (32.4%), and Candida (31%) were the most frequently isolated species. Species belonging to several other genera were also detected. This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of fungal organisms in mosque carpets in Riyadh, suggesting the need for implementing new strategies and laws to increase the level of hygiene awareness among worshipers and mosque caretakers to limit the spread of foot fungal infections.

Mangrove ecosystems are tropical environments that are characterized by the interaction between the land and the sea. As such, this ecosystem is vulnerable to oil spills. Here, we show a culture-independent survey of fungal communities that are found in the sediments of the following two mangroves that are located on the coast of Sao Paulo State (Brazil): (1) an oil-spill-affected mangrove and (2) a nearby unaffected mangrove. Samples were collected from each mangrove forest at three distinct locations (transect from sea to land), and the samples were analyzed by quantitative PCR and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-based PCR-DGGE analysis. The abundance of fungi was found to be higher in the oil-affected mangrove. Visual observation and correspondence analysis (CA) of the ITS-based PCR-DGGE profiles revealed differences in the fungal communities between the sampled areas. Remarkably, the oil-spilled area was quite distinct from the unaffected sampling areas. On the basis of the ITS sequences, fungi that are associated with the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota taxa were most common and belonged primarily to the genera Epicoccum, Nigrospora, and Cladosporium. Moreover, the Nigrospora fungal species were shown to be sensitive to oil, whereas a group that was described as “uncultured Basidiomycota” was found more frequently in oil-contaminated areas. Our results showed an increase in fungal abundance in the oil-polluted mangrove regions, and these data indicated potential fungal candidates for remediation of the oil-affected mangroves.

The study of the fungal community composition in house dust is useful to assess the accumulative exposure to fungi in indoor environments. The objective of this research was to characterize the fungal diversity of house dust and its association with the environmental conditions of bedrooms. For this, the dust was collected from 41 bedrooms of children between the ages of 8 and 9 with a family history of asthma, residents of Havana, Cuba. The fungal content of each sample was determined by two methods: plate culture with malt extract agar and by direct microscopy. An ecological analysis was carried out from the fungal diversity detected. To describe the factors associated with the fungi detected, bivariate logistic regression was used. Through direct microscopy, between 10 and 2311 fragments of hyphae and spores corresponding mainly to Cladosporium, Coprinus, Curvularia, Aspergillus/Penicillium, Xylariaceae, and Periconia were identified. Through the culture, 0–208 CFU were quantified, where Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium predominated. The culturability evidenced the differences between the quantification determined by both methods. A positive relationship was found between the type of cleaning of the furniture, the presence of trees in front of the bedroom, indoor relative humidity, indoor temperature, the presence of air conditioning, and natural ventilation with specific spore types and genera. The use of two different identification methods allowed to detect a greater fungal diversity in the residences evaluated. Monitoring the exposure to these fungal allergens in childhood can help to prevent sensitization in the allergic child, the development of asthma, and other respiratory diseases.

This article evaluates various extraction techniques’ suitability for soil mercury phytoavailable fraction assessment, including DGT method and extraction with microscopic filamentous fungi metabolites, MgCl₂, rainwater, and EDTA. After mercury extraction from contaminated soils by these techniques, the obtained data were compared to mercury accumulation by shoots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Comparison of these values showed that DGT method is able to separate soil mercury with the best agreement to total mercury concentration in shoots of barley. However, comparing mercury extraction efficiency of selected techniques to extraction efficiency of barley, statistical significance at 0.05 significance level was proved for fungal Cladosporium sp. and Alternaria alternata metabolites. Our results indicate that these extraction techniques are suitable for risk assessment of mercury phytoavailability in contaminated areas.