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An analysis of the exposure time to very high concentrations of Cladosporium conidia in the air of an urban site

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Abstract

Cladosporium spp. is a ubiquitous mould present both in indoor and outdoor environments and affecting a wide array of substrates. It is considered to be the second most important fungal aeroallergen in countries of temperate climates, after Alternaria species. In order to establish the time of exposure to very high concentrations of Cladosporium conidia by sensitised individuals, a 5-year study was undertaken in the UK in a densely populated area using a volumetric air sampler. Weather data, comprised air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed were collected simultaneously. Cladosporium showed a mono-modal pattern with the majority of conidia observed between 09:30 and 19:00 as indicated by descriptive statistics and multivariate regression tree analysis. On the other hand, circular statistics showed that the maximum hourly concentrations were found within 1.5-h window before 09:30. The highest conidia concentrations were observed when dry conditions occurred (40–55%). The maximum temperature associated with peak concentrations was oscillating within the range of 20–25 °C. All findings were confirmed using Kruskal–Wallis, Friedman and sign tests.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the University of Worcester and conducted within the framework of the doctoral studies of the author. Special thanks go to two anonymous reviewers, Dr. Andrew M. Reynolds and Mr. Muralitharan Suppiah for the manuscript evaluation and valuable suggestions.

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  1. Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, UK

    Magdalena Sadyś

  2. Rothamsted Research, West Common, AL5 2JQ, Harpenden, UK

    Magdalena Sadyś

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  1. Magdalena Sadyś
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Correspondence to Magdalena Sadyś.

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Sadyś, M. An analysis of the exposure time to very high concentrations of Cladosporium conidia in the air of an urban site. Aerobiologia 33, 327–337 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-017-9472-8

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