Aerobiologia

, Volume 32, Issue 2, pp 317–333 | Cite as

First volumetric record of fungal spores in the atmosphere of Montevideo City, Uruguay: a 2-year survey

  • Ximena Martínez Blanco
  • Leticia Tejera
  • Ángeles Beri
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

In Uruguay, aeromycological studies are restricted to a gravimetric analysis performed from December 1942 to March 1944 in Montevideo where spores of Pucciniaceae, Alternaria and Helminthosporium were the only specimens identified. Daily monitoring of airborne fungal spores was carried out for the first time in Montevideo, from April 2012 to March 2014, using a Rotorod sampler in order to evaluate the seasonal variation and influence of meteorological parameters. A total of 548,309.68 spores/m3 were recorded which belong to anamorphs of Higher Fungi (69.18 %), Phyla Ascomycota (12.62 %), Basidiomycota (8.01 %), Oomycota (0.37 %) and Myxomycota (0.06 %). Airborne spores occurred in Montevideo throughout the whole year. However, a seasonal pattern was revealed, with the highest concentrations recorded in autumn and summer. The most abundant spore types were Cladosporium (53.22 %), Alternaria (6.62 %), Didymella Group (5.86 %), Leptosphaeria Group (4.37 %) and Coprinus (4.3 %). Temperature appeared to be the most influential meteorological factor correlating significantly and positively with total spore, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Didymella Group abundance. Relative humidity influenced positively total spore, Cladosporium and Didymella Group concentrations while a weak negative association was obtained for Alternaria. Wind speed correlated negatively with total spore, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Didymella Group. Precipitation showed a negative influence on Alternaria, while positive correlations were observed for Didymella Group. For the first time, fungal spores considered allergenic were recorded in Montevideo atmosphere and the risk of exposure would have been high from December to June. However, long-term sampling is needed to define seasonal prevalence patterns and the influence of meteorological conditions on spore abundance.

Keywords

Fungal spores Aerobiology Meteorological parameters Montevideo Uruguay 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

This study was performed with the financial support of Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica and Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación. We would like to thank Luciano Varela for helping with statistical analyses.

References

  1. Adhikari, A., Martuzevicius, D., Reponen, T., Grinshpun, S. A., Cho, S., Sivasubramania, S. K., et al. (2003). Performance of the button personal inhalable sampler for the measurement of outdoor aeroallergens. Atmospheric Environment, 37, 4723–4733.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Barnet, H. L., & Hunter, B. B. (1987). Illustrated genera of imperfect fungi. New York: MacMillan Publisher Co.Google Scholar
  3. Bassett, I. J., Crompton, C. W., & Parmelee, J. A. (1978). An atlas of airborne pollen grains and common fungus spores of Canada. Québec: Printing and Publishing Supply and Services Canada.Google Scholar
  4. Bernardi, E., Costa, E. L. G. D., & Nascimento, J. S. D. (2006). Fungos anemófilos e suas relações com fatores abióticos, na praia do Laranjal, Pelotas, RS. Revista de Biologia e Ciências da Terra, 6(1), 91–96.Google Scholar
  5. Bernardi, E., & Nascimento, J. S. D. (2005). Fungos anemófilos na praia do Laranjal, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Arquivos do Instituto Biológico, 72(1), 93–97.Google Scholar
  6. Bianchi, M. M., & Olabuenaga, S. E. (2006). A 3-year airborne pollen and fungal spores record in San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina. Aerobiologia, 22, 247–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Burge, H. A. (1985). Fungus allergens. Clinical Reviews in Allergy, 3, 319–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Burge, H. A. (1986). Some comments on the aerobiology of fungus spores. Grana, 25, 143–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Burge, H. A. (1992). Monitoring for airborne allergens. Annals of Allergy, 69, 9–18.Google Scholar
  10. Cabrera, A. L., & Willink, A. (1973). Biogeografía de América Latina. Washington D.C: Secretaría General de la OEA.Google Scholar
  11. Corden, J. M., & Millington, W. M. (1994). Didymella ascospores in Derby. Grana, 33, 104–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Corden, J. M., & Millington, W. M. (2001). The long-term trends and seasonal variation of the aeroallergen Alternaria in Derby, UK. Aerobiologia, 17, 127–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. De Antoni Zoppas, B. C., Valensia-Barrera, R. M., Vergamini Duso, S. M., & Fernández-González, D. (2006). Fungal spores prevalent in the aerosol of the city of Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, over a 2-year period (2001–2002). Aerobiologia, 22, 119–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Díez, A., Sabariego, S., Gutiérrez, M., & Cervigón, P. (2006). Study of airborne fungal spores in Madrid, Spain. Aerobiologia, 22, 135–142.Google Scholar
  15. Esquivel, P., Mangiaterra, M., Giusiano, G., & Sosa, M. (2003). Microhongos anemófilos en ambientes abiertos de dos ciudades del nordeste argentina. Boletín Micológico, 18, 21–28.Google Scholar
  16. Fernández, D., Valencia, R. M., Molnár, T., Vega, A., & Sagüés, E. (1998). Daily and seasonal variations of Alternaria and Cladosporium airborne spores in León (North-West, Spain). Aerobiologia, 14, 215–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Frankland, A. W., & Gregory, P. H. (1973). Allergenic and agricultural implications of airborne ascospore concentrations from a fungus, Didymella exitialis. Nature, 245, 336–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Friesen, T. L., De Wolf, E. D., & Francl, L. J. (2001). Source strength of wheat pathogens during combine harvest. Aerobiologia, 17, 293–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Gadekar, S. S. (2014). Diversity of fungal spores over Jowar Crop. International Journal of Life Sciences, 2(2), 155–159.Google Scholar
  20. Gambale, W. (1980). Ação de fatores abióticos sobre a dispersão aérea de fungos. Ph.D. thesis, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.Google Scholar
  21. Gambale, W., Purchio, A., & Croce, J. (1977). Flora fúngica anemófila da grande São Paulo. Revista de Microbiologia (Sao Paulo), 8(3), 74–79.Google Scholar
  22. Gambale, W., Purchio, A., & Paula, C. R. (1981). Periodicidade diária de fungos anemófilos na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. Revista de Microbiologia (Sao Paulo), 12(4), 176–181.Google Scholar
  23. Gonçalves, F. L. T., Bauer, H., Cardoso, M. R. A., Pukinskas, S., Matos, D., Melhem, M., & Puxbaum, H. (2010). Indoor and outdoor atmospheric fungal spores in the São Paulo metropolitan area (Brazil): species and numeric concentrations. International Journal of Biometeorology, 54, 347–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Gravesen, S. (1979). Fungi as a cause of allergic disease. Allergy, 34, 135–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Grinn-Gofroń, A. (2008). The variation in spore concentrations of selected fungal taxa associated with weather conditions in Szczecin, Poland, 2004–2006. Grana, 47, 139–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Grinn-Gofroń, A., & Mika, A. (2008). Selected airborne allergenic fungal spores and meteorological factors in Szczecin, Poland, 2004–2006. Aerobiologia, 24, 89–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Grinn-Gofroń, A., & Rapiejko, P. (2009). Occurrence of Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. spores in Western, Northern and Central-Eastern Poland in 2004–2006 and relation to some meteorological factors. Atmospheric Research, 93, 747–758.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Grinn-Gofroń, A., Strzelczak, A., & Wolski, T. (2011). The relationships between air pollutants, meteorological parameters and concentration of airborne fungal spores. Environmental Pollution, 159, 602–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Harries, M. G., Lacey, J., Tee, R. D., Cayley, C. R., & Newman Taylor, A. J. (1985). Didymella exitialis and late summer asthma. The Lancet, 1, 1063–1066.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Herrero, B., Fombella-Blanco, M. A., Fernández-González, D., & Valencia-Barrera, R. M. (1996). The role of meteorological factors in determining the annual variation of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores in the atmosphere of Palencia, 1990–1992. International Journal of Biometeorology, 39, 139–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Ho, H. M., Rao, C. Y., Hsu, H. H., Chiu, Y. H., Liu, C. M., & Chao, H. J. (2005). Characteristics and determinants of ambient fungal spores in Hualien, Taiwan. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 5839–5850.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Horner, W. E., Helbling, A., Salvaggio, J. E., & Lehrer, S. B. (1995). Fungal allergens. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 8(2), 161–179.Google Scholar
  33. Ibáñez, V., Rojas, G., & Roure, J. (2001). Airborne fungi monitoring in Santiago, Chile. Aerobiologia, 17, 137–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Iovannitti, C., & Tiraboschi, I. N. (1985). Hongos anemófilos de la ciudad de Plata y preparación de sus antígenos. Revista Argentina de Micología, 8(2), 6–12.Google Scholar
  35. Jones, A. M., & Harrison, Rm. (2004). The effects of meteorological factors on atmospheric bioaerosol concentrations—a review. Science of the Total Environment, 326, 151–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Nilsson, S. (1983). Atlas of airborne fungal spores in Europe. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
  37. Kasprzyk, I. (2008). Aeromycology—Main research fields of interest during the last 25 years. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 15, 1–7.Google Scholar
  38. Kasprzyk, I., & Worek, M. (2006). Airborne fungal spores in urban and rural environments in Poland. Aerobiologia, 22, 169–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Katial, R. K., Zhang, Y., Jones, R. H., & Dyer, P. D. (1997). Atmospheric mold spore counts in relation to meteorological parameters. International Journal of Biometeorology, 41, 17–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., & Rubel, F. (2006). World Map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 15, 259–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Lacey, M. E., & West, J. S. (2006). The air spora: A manual for catching and identifying airborne biological particles. Dordrecht: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Levetin, E., & Dorsey, K. (2006). Contribution of leaf surface fungi to the air spora. Aerobiologia, 22, 3–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Levetin, E., & Horner, E. (2002). Fungal aerobiology: Exposure and measurement. Fungal Allergy and Pathogenicity, 81, 10–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Lombardo, A. (1979). Los árboles cultivados en los paseos públicos. Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo: Montevideo.Google Scholar
  45. Lombardo, A. (1982). Flora Montevidensis, Tomo I. Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo: Montevideo.Google Scholar
  46. Lombardo, A. (1983). Flora Montevidensis, Tomo II. Gamopétalas. Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo: Montevideo.Google Scholar
  47. Lombardo, A. (1984). Flora Montevidensis, Tomo III. Monocotiledoneas. Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo: Montevideo.Google Scholar
  48. Mallo, A. C., Nitiu, D. S., & Gardella Sambeth, M. C. (2011). Airborne fungal spore content in the atmosphere of the city of La Plata, Argentina. Aerobiologia, 27, 77–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  49. Mangiaterra, M., Alonso, J. M., Medina, E., & Cerbera, L. (1993). Micoflora anemófila de la ciudad de Resistencia. Revista Argentina de Micología, 12(2), 10–16.Google Scholar
  50. Menezes, E. A., Trindade, E. C., Costa, M. M., Freire, C. C., Cavalcante, M. S., & Cunha, F. A. (2004). Airborne fungi isolated from Fortaleza city, State of Ceará, Brazil. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, 46(3), 133–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Mezzari, A., Perin, C., Júnior, S. A. S., & Bernd, L. A. G. (2002). Airborne fungi in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Revista de Associação Médica Brasileira, 44(5), 269–272.Google Scholar
  52. Mitakakis, T. Z., Ong, E. K., Stevens, A., Guest, D., & Knox, R. B. (1997). Incidence of Cladosporium, Alternaria and total fungal spores in the atmosphere of Melbourne, Australia, over three years. Aerobiologia, 13, 83–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  53. Munuera, M., Carrión, J. S., & Navarro, C. (2001). Airborne Alternaria spores in SE Spain (1993–98). Grana, 40, 111–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Nasser, S. M., & Pulimood, T. B. (2009). Allergens and thunderstorm asthma. Current allergy and Asthma Reports, 9(5), 384–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  55. Negrin, M. M., Del Panno, M. T., & Ronco, A. E. (2007). Study of bioaerosols and site influence in the La Plata area (Argentina) using conventional and DNA (fingerprint) based methods. Aerobiologia, 23, 249–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  56. Nitiu, N. S., Mallo, A. C., Gardella Sambeth, M. C., & Morbelli, M. A. (2010). Contribución a la identificación de esporas del reino Fungi en la atmósfera de La Plata, Argentina. Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica, 45(3–4), 301–308.Google Scholar
  57. O’Connor, D. J., Sadyś, M., Skjøth, C. A., Healy, D. A., Kennedy, R., & Sodeau, J. R. (2014). Atmospheric concentrations of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Ganoderma and Didymella spores monitored in Cork (Ireland) and Worcester (England) during the summer of 2010. Aerobiologia, 30, 397–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  58. Oliveira, M., Ribeiro, H., Delgado, J. L., & Abreu, I. (2009a). Seasonal and intradiurnal variation of allergenic fungal spores in urban and rural areas of the North of Portugal. Aerobiologia, 25, 85–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  59. Oliveira, M., Ribeiro, H., Delgado, J. L., & Abreu, I. (2009b). The effects of meteorological factors on airborne fungal spore concentration in two areas differing in urbanisation level. International Journal of Biometeorology, 53, 61–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  60. Pawsey, R. G., & Heath, L. A. F. (1964). An investigation of the spore population of the air at Nottingham. I. The results of Petri dish trapping over one year. Transactions ot the British Mycological Society, 47(3), 351–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  61. Purchio, A., Gambale, W., Paula, C. R., Ugoline, C., & Remie, C. A. (1984). Airborne fungi of Baixada Santista, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Revista de Microbiologia (Sao Paulo), 15, 258–265.Google Scholar
  62. Quiroga de Pascual, R. L., & Nobile, R. (1985). Incidencia de hongos ambientales durante un año en la ciudad de Córdoba. Revista Argentina de Micología, 8(1), 16–22.Google Scholar
  63. Recio, M., Trigo, M. M., Docampo, S., Melgar, M., García-Sánchez, J., Bootello, L., & Cabezudo, B. (2012). Analysis of the predicting variables for daily and weekly fluctuations of two airborne fungal spores: Alternaria and Cladosporium. International Journal of Biometeorology, 56(6), 983–991.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  64. Richardson, M. J. (1996). The occurrence of airborne Didymella spores in Edinburgh. Mycological Research, 100(2), 213–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  65. Rivera-Mariani, F. E., & Bolaños-Rosero, B. (2012). Allergenicity of airborne basidiospores and ascospores: Need for further studies. Aerobiologia, 28, 83–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  66. Rodriguez-Rajo, F. J., Iglesias, I., & Jato, V. (2005). Variation assessment of airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium spores at different bioclimatical conditions. Mycological Research, 109(4), 497–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  67. Sabariego, S., Díaz de la Guardia, C., & Alba, F. (2000). The effect of meteorological factors on the daily variation of airborne fungal spores in Granada (southern Spain). International Journal of Biometeorology, 44(1), 1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  68. Schoenlein-Crusius, I. H., Trufem, S. F. B., Grandi, R. A. P., Milanez, A. I., & Pires-Zottarelli, C. L. A. (2001). Airborne fungi in the region of Cubatão, São Paulo State, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 32, 61–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  69. Simeray, J., Chaumont, J. P., & Leger, D. (1993). Seasonal variations in the airborne fungal spore population of the east of France (Franche–Comte). Comparison between urban and rural environment during two years. Aerobiologia, 9, 201–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  70. Smith, E. G. (1990). Sampling and identifying allergenic pollens and molds. An illustrated identification manual for air samplers. Texas: Blewstone Press.Google Scholar
  71. Sousa, S. I. V., Martins, F. G., Pereira, M. C., Alvim-Ferraz, M. C. M., Ribeiro, H., Oliveira, M., & Abreu, I. (2008). Influence of atmospheric ozone, PM10 and meteorological factors on the concentration of airborne pollen and fungal spores. Atmospheric Environment, 42, 7452–7464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  72. Sreeramulu, T. (1958). Effect of mowing grass on the concentrations of certain constituents of the air spora. Current Science, 27(2), 61–63.Google Scholar
  73. Stȩpalska, D., Grinn-Gofroń, A., & Piotrowicz, K. (2012). Occurrence of Didymella ascospores in western and southern Poland in 2004–2006. Aerobiologia, 28(2), 153–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  74. Stȩpalska, D., & Wołek, J. (2005). Variation in fungal spore concentrations of selected taxa associated to weather conditions in Cracow, Poland, in 1997. Aerobiologia, 21, 43–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  75. Stȩpalska, D., & Wołek, J. (2009). Intradiurnal periodicity of fungal spore concentrations (Alternaria, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Didymella, Ganoderma) in Cracow, Poland. Aerobiologia, 25, 333–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  76. Sterling, M., Rogers, C., & Levetin, E. (1999). An evaluation of two methods used for microscopic analysis of airborne fungal spore particles from the Burkard spore trap. Aerobiologia, 15, 9–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  77. Targonski, P. V., Persky, V. W., & Ramekrishnan, V. (1995). Effect of environmental molds on risk of death from asthma during the pollen season. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 95, 955–961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  78. Távora, L. G., Gambale, W., Heins-Vaccari, E. M., Arriagada, G. L., Lacaz, C. S., Santos, C. R., & Levin, A. S. (2003). Comparative performance of two air samplers for monitoring airborne fungal propagules. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 36(5), 613–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  79. Tejera, L. (2002). Primer estudio aeropalinolólgico volumétrico para la ciudad de Montevideo. M.Sc. thesis, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.Google Scholar
  80. Tejera, L., & Beri, Á. (2003). Estudio aeropalinológico de la ciudad de Montevideo, R.O. del Uruguay. Análisis preliminar. Polen, 12, 107–115.Google Scholar
  81. Tejera, L., & Beri, Á. (2005). First volumetric airborne pollen sampling in Montevideo City, Uruguay. Aerobiologia, 21, 33–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  82. Troutt, C., & Levetin, E. (2001). Correlation of spring spore concentrations and meteorological conditions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. International Journal of Biometeorology, 45, 64–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  83. Vaz Ferreira, R. (1946). Los agentes de la polinosis. In B. Varela, R. Recarte, & A. Graña (Eds.), Alergia en la práctica clínica (pp. 314–398). Buenos Aires: Espasa-Calpe.Google Scholar
  84. Wahl, P. G., & Kersten, W. (1991). Fusarium and Didymella-neglected spores of the air. Aerobiologia, 7, 111–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  85. Wells, P. G., & Daborn, G. R. (1998). The Rio de la Plata. An environmental overview. An EcoPlata project background report. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ximena Martínez Blanco
    • 1
  • Leticia Tejera
    • 1
  • Ángeles Beri
    • 1
  1. 1.Instituto de Ciencias GeológicasFacultad de CienciasMontevideoUruguay

Personalised recommendations