Skip to main content
Log in

Concentration and distribution characteristics of airborne fungi in indoor and outdoor air of Tehran subway stations

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Aerobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concentration and distribution characteristics of airborne fungi were investigated in indoor and outdoor air of two metro stations (Imam Khomeini and Sadeghiyeh stations) in Tehran subway. Samples were taken from indoor air at each station from platform and ticket office area also from adjacent outdoor air of each station. Indoor sampling was conducted for two types of trains, old and new. The concentration of airborne fungi ranged from 21 CFU/m3 at the outdoor air of Imam Khomeini station to 1,402 CFU/m3 in the air samples collected from the platform of this station. Results showed that airborne fungi concentrations at indoor air were higher than the outdoor air (p < 0.05), and fungal levels significantly correlated with the number of passengers (p < 0.05; r = 0.68) and RH % (p < 0.05; r = 0.43). Sixteen genera of fungi were isolated in all sampled environments. The predominant genera identified in indoor and outdoor air were Penicillium spp. (34.88 % of total airborne fungi) and Alternaria spp. (29.33 % of total airborne fungi), respectively. The results of this study showed that the indoor air quality in subway is worse than the outdoor air.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aarnio, P., Yli-Tuomi, T., Kousa, A., Makela, T., Hirsikko, A., Hameri, K., et al. (2005). The concentrations and composition of and exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) in the Helsinki subway system. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 5059–5066.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Awad, A. H. A. (2002). Environmental study in subway metro stations in Cairo, Egypt. Journal of Occupational Health, 44, 112–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayanbimpe, G. M., Wapwera, S. D., & Kuchin, D. (2010). Indoor air mycoflora of residential dwellings in Jos metropolis. African Health Sciences, 10, 172–176.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aydogdu, H., Asan, A., Otkun, M. T., & Ture, M. (2005). Monitoring of fungi and bacteria in the indoor air of primary schools in Edirne city, Turkey. Indoor and Built Environment, 14, 411–425.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bogomolova, E., & Kirtsideli, I. (2009). Airborne fungi in four stations of the St. Petersburg Underground railway system. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 63, 156–160.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burge, H. A., Pierson, D. L., Groves, T. O., Strawn, K. F., & Mishra, S. K. (2000). Dynamics of airborne fungal populations in a large office building. Current Microbiology, 40, 10–16.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buttner, M. P., & Stetzenbach, L. D. (1993). Monitoring airborne fungal spores in an experimental indoor environment to evaluate sampling methods and the effects of human activity on air sampling. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 59, 219–226.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carmichael, J. W., Kendrick, W. B., Conners, I. L., & Sigler, L. (1980). Genera of hyphomycetes. Alberta: University of Alberta Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, L. Y., Chan, C. Y., & Qin, Y. (1999). The effect of commuting microenvironment on commuter exposures to vehicular emission in Hong Kong. Atmospheric Environment, 33, 1777–1787.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, L. Y., Lau, W. L., Zou, S. C., Cao, Z. X., & Lai, S. C. (2002). Exposure level of carbon monoxide and respirable suspended particulate in public transportation modes while commuting in urban area of Guangzhou, China. Atmospheric Environment, 36, 5831–5840.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chao, H. J., Schwartz, J., Milton, D. K., & Burge, H. A. (2002). Populations and determinants of airborne fungi in large office buildings. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110, 777–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y. P., Cui, Y., & Dong, J. G. (2010). Variation of airborne bacteria and fungi at Emperor Qin’s Terra-Cotta Museum, Xi’an, China, during the “Oct. 1” Gold Week Period of 2006. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 17, 478–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chillrud, S. N., Grass, D., Ross, J. M., Coulibaly, D., Slavkovich, V., Epstein, D., et al. (2005). Steel dust in the New York City subway system as a source of manganese, chromium, and iron exposures for transit workers. Journal of Urban Health, 82, 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, J. H., Hee Min, K., & Paik, N. W. (2006). Temporal variation of airborne fungi concentrations and related factors in subway stations in Seoul, Korea. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 209, 249–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, L., Rea, W., Smith-Willis, P., Fenyves, E., & Pan, Y. (2006). Adverse health effects of outdoor air pollutants. Environment International, 32, 815–830.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fracchia, L., Pietronave, S., Rinaldi, M., & Martinotti, M. G. (2006). The assessment of airborne bacterial contamination in three composting plants revealed site-related biological hazard and seasonal variations. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 100, 973–984.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Furuya, K., Kudo, Y., Okinaga, K., Yamuki, M., Takahashi, S., Araki, Y., et al. (2001). Seasonal variation and their characterization of suspended particulate matter in the air of subway stations. Journal of Trace and Microprobe Techniques, 19, 469–485.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Perales, J. E., Colvile, R. N., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Fernández-Bremauntz, A., Gutiérrez-Avedoy, V. J., Páramo-Figueroa, V. H., et al. (2004). Commuters’ exposure to PM2.5, CO., and benzene in public transport in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. Atmospheric Environment, 38, 1219–1229.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gorny, R. L., Reponen, T., Willeke, K., Schmechel, D., Robine, E., Boissier, M., et al. (2002). Fungal fragments as indoor air biocontaminants. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 68, 3522–3531.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jo, W. K., & Seo, Y. J. (2005). Indoor and outdoor bioaerosol levels at recreation facilities, elementary schools, and homes. Chemosphere, 61, 1570–1579.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, C., & Johansson, P. Ã. (2003). Particulate matter in the underground of Stockholm. Atmospheric Environment, 37, 3–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, S., Hwang, H. J., Park, Y. M., Kim, H. K., & Ro, C. U. (2008). Chemical compositions of subway particles in Seoul, Korea determined by a quantitative single particle analysis. Environmental Science and Technology, 42, 9051–9057.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kawasaki, T., Kyotani, T., Ushiogi, T., Izumi, Y., Lee, H., & Hayakawa, T. (2010). Distribution and identification of airborne fungi in railway stations in Tokyo, Japan. Journal of Occupational Health, 52, 186–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. Y., Kim, Y. S., Kim, D., & Kim, H. T. (2011). Exposure level and distribution characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi in Seoul metropolitan subway stations. Industrial Health, 49, 242–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. Y., Park, J. B., Kim, C. N., & Lee, K. J. (2006). Distribution of airborne fungi, particulate matter and carbon dioxide in Seoul metropolitan subway stations. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 39, 325–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandal, J., & Brandl, H. (2011). Bioaerosols in indoor environment-a review with special reference to residential and occupational locations. Open Environmental and Biological Monitoring Journal, 4, 83–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naddafi, K., Jabbari, H., Hoseini, M., Nabizadeh, R., Rahbar, M., & Younesian, M. (2011). Investigation of indoor and outdoor air bacterial density in Tehran subway system. Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 8, 381–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasir, Z. A., & Colbeck, I. (2010). Assessment of bacterial and fungal aerosol in different residential settings. Water, Air, and Soil pollution, 211, 367–377.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Gomez-perales, J. E., & Colvile, R. N. (2007). Levels of particulate air pollution, its elemental composition, determinants and health effects in metro systems. Atmospheric Environment, 41, 7995–8006.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oppliger, A., Charriã¨re, N., Droz, P. O., & Rinsoz, T. (2008). Exposure to bioaerosols in poultry houses at different stages of fattening; use of real-time PCR for airborne bacterial quantification. Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 52, 405–412.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pitt, J. I., & Hocking, A. D. (1997). Fungi and food spoilage. London: Blackie Academic and Professional.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Samson, R. A., Hoekstra, E. S., Frisvad, J. C., & Filtenborg, O. (2000). Introduction to food and airborne fungi. Utrecht: CBS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, D., Dutta, B. K., & Singh, A. B. (2010). Exposure to indoor fungi in different working environments: a comparative study. Aerobiologi, 26, 327–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shiohara, N., Fernandez-Bremauntz, A. A., Blanco Jimenez, S., & Yanagisawa, Y. (2005). The commuters’ exposure to volatile chemicals and carcinogenic risk in Mexico City. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 3481–3489.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stryjakowska-Sekulska, M., Piotraszewska-Pajak, A., Szyszka, A., Nowicki, M., & Filipiak, M. (2007). Microbiological quality of indoor air in university rooms. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 16, 623–632.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velasco, E., Siegmann, P., & Siegmann, H. C. (2004). Exploratory study of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different environments of Mexico City. Atmospheric Environment, 38, 4957–4968.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wemedo, S. A., Ede, P. N., & Chuku, A. (2012). Interaction between building design and indoor airborne microbial load in Nigeria. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 5, 183–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to all staff of Health and Occupational Medical office of Tehran Metro Company for their supports throughout the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazem Naddafi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoseini, M., Jabbari, H., Naddafi, K. et al. Concentration and distribution characteristics of airborne fungi in indoor and outdoor air of Tehran subway stations. Aerobiologia 29, 355–363 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-012-9285-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-012-9285-8

Keywords

Navigation