Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fertile fungal spores collected on different faced surfaces in the atmosphere of Giza, Egypt

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

Abstract

A quantitative and qualitative survey was carried out for airborne fungus spores coming into contact with horizontally and vertically gravitation sampling oriented surfaces in the atmosphere of Giza city. Czapek Dox agar, malt extract agar, potato dextrose agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar Petri dishes were exposed monthly to the five oriented surfaces of a polystyrene cube, throughout a one-year period. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were observed between the total counts of caught airborne fungi contacting with the horizontal compared to other vertically oriented surfaces. Conversely, there were no significant differences observed between the total catch of airborne fungi using the various sampling media. The results revealed that vertical sampling provides valuable information that may be lost from horizontal sampling alone. A total of 5,053 colonies belonging to 40 fungal organisms were identified. Alternaria (24.26%), Aspergillus (19.2%), Cladosporium (14.5%) and Penicillium (11.43%) were the most predominant fungal genera. Collected fungi were grouped into high, medium, low and rare components depending upon their frequency in the studied atmosphere. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Penicillium were regularly found on all oriented surfaces. However, Arthrobotrys, Biospora, Chaetomium, Pleospora, Trichothecium and Verticillium were rarely found in the air. Positive and/or negative correlations were observed between the total fungal counts and the predominant fungal types with meteorological parameters during sampling days.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel Azeez, M. A. (1974). Studies on the microorganisms of Cairo atmosphere. M.Sc. thesis, Al Azhar Univ, Cairo, Egypt, 269 pp.

  • Abdel Hafez, S. I. I. (1984). Survey of airborne fungus spores at Taif, Saudi Arabia. Mycopathologia, 88, 39–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel Hameed, A. A. (2005). Vegetation: A source of airborne fungal biocontaminants. Aerobiologia, 21(1), 53–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel Wahid, O. A., Moustafa, A. F., & Moustafa, A. M. (1996). Fungal population in the atmosphere of Ismailia city. Aerobiologia, 12(1), 249–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, M. I., Salama, A.M., & Ali, J. M. (1976). Possible role of solar radiation on the viability of some air fungi in Egypt. Zentralblatt f ür Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygine. Zweite naturwissenschaftliche Abt.: Allgemeine, landwirtschaftliche und technische Mikrobiologie, 2, 131, 529–534.

  • Allitt, U. (2000). Airborne fungal spores and the thunderstorm of 24 June 1994. Aerobiologia, 16, 397–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al Suwaine, A. S., Hasnain, S. M., & Mahkali, A. H. (1999). Viable airborne fungi in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Aerobiologia, 15(2), 122–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asan, A., Sen, B., & Sarica, S. (2002). Airborne fungi in urban air of Edirne city, Turkey. Biologia, Bratislava, 57(1):59–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asan, A., Iihan, S., Sen, B., Erkara, I. P., Filik, C., Cabuk, A., Demirel, R., Ture, M., Okten, S. S., & Tokur, S. (2004). Airborne fungi and actinomycetes concentrations in the air of Eskisehir city (Turkey). Indoor and Built Environment, 13, 63–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandyopadhyay, R., Mughogho, L. K., & Satyanarayana, M. V. (1991). Occurrence of airborne spores of fungi causing grain mould over a sorghum crop. Mycological Research, 95(11), 1315–1320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, H. L. (1972). Illustrated genera of imperfect fungi. Burgess Publishing Company, Minneapolis, Minn, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, P. A., & Willeke, K. (1993). In K. Willeke & P. A. Baron (Eds.), Aerosol measurement: principles, techniques and applications (pp 8–22). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

  • Burge, H. A., & Rogers, C. A. (2000). Outdoor allergens. Environ. Environmental Health Perspectives, 108, 653–659.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cariňanos, P., Galan, C., Alcazar, P., & Dominguez, E. (1999). Diurnal variation of biological and non-biological particles in the atmosphere of Cordoba, Spain. Aerobiologia, 15, 177–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chitaley, S. D., & Bajaj, A. (1974). Air spores of Nagpur at high altitude II. The Botanique Nagpur, 5, 42–52 (Nagpur).

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Giorgio, C., Krempff, A., Guiraud, H., Binder, P., Tiret, C., & Dumenil, G. (1996). Atmospheric pollution by airborne microorganisms in the city of Marseilles. Atmospheric Environment, 30(10), 155–160.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dransfield, M. (1966). The fungal air spora at Samaru, Northern-Nigeria. Transactions of the British Mycological Society, 49, 121–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, M. B. (1971). Dematiaceous hyphomycetes. The Western Press Ltd: London and Reading commonwealth Mycological Institute Kew, Surrey, UK, 608 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etzel, R. A., Montana, E., & Sorenson, W. G., Kullman, G. J., Allan, T. A., & Dearborn, D. G. (1998). Acute pulmonary hemorrhage in infants associated with exposure to Stachybotrys atra and other fungi. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 152, 757–762.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, P. H. (1973). The microbiology of the atmosphere (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley and Sons, 377 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, S. (1963). Statistical methods and geographer (1st ed.). Longmans: London, pp. 121–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrero, B. (1997). Weekly variation of fungal colonies in the atmosphere of Valencia (Spain) throughout the year 1992. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 7, 611–618.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hjelmroos, M. (1993). Relation between airborne fungal spore presence and weather variables. Cladosporium and Alternaria. Grana, 32, 40–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H. J. (1969). Aspergilli in the air-spora at Cambridge. Transactions of the British Mycological Society, 52, 153–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johanning, E., Biagini, R., Hull, D., Morey, P., Jarvis, B., & Landsbergis, P. (1996). Health and immunology study following exposure to toxigenic fungi (Stachybotrys chartarum) in water damaged office environment. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 68, 207–218.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kowalski, W. J. (2000). Indoor mold growth: Health hazards and remediation. The Pennsylvania State Univ, Dept. of Architectural Engineering. Sept. 2000-HVAC-Heating/Piping/Air Conditioning Engineering.

  • Lacey, M. E. (1962). The summer air spora at two contrasting adjacent rural sites. Journal of General Microbiology, 29, 485.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lacey, J. (1981). The aerobiology of conidial fungi. In G. T. Cole, & B. Kendrick (Eds.), Biology of conidial fungi, Vol. 1. NY: Academic press, pp. 373–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levetin, E., & Horner, W. E. (2002). Fungal aerobiology: Exposure and measurement. In M. Breitenbach, R. Crameri, & S. B. Lahrer, (Eds.), Fungal Allergy and Pathogenicity 81. Chem Immunol: Karger Basel, pp. 10–27.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Levetin, E., & Horowitz, L. (1978). A one year survey of the airborne moulds of Tulsa, Oklahoma: Outdoor survey. Annals of Allergy, 41, 21–24.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leznicka, S., Strzelczyk, A., & Wandrychowska, D. (1988). Removing of fungal stains from stone-works. In IV International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation Stone, Vol. 2, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 12–14 September 1988, Torun, pp. 102–110.

  • Madelin, T. M. (1994). Fungal aerosols—a review. Journal of Aerosol Science, 25, 1405–1412.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marchisio, V. F., Airaudi, D., & Barchi, C. (1997). One year monitoring of the airborne fungal community in a suburb of Turin (Italy) and assessment of its functional relations with the environment. Mycological Research, 101, 821–828.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May, E., Lewis, F. J., Pereira, S., Taylor, S., Seaward, M. R. D., & Allsopp, D. (1993). Microbial deterioration of building stone—a review. Biodeter. Abstr, 7, 109–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moubasher, A. H., & Moustafa, A. F. (1974). Airborne fungi at Assuit, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Botany, 17, 135–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moubasher, A. H., Abdel Fattah, H. M., & Swellim, M. A. (1981). Studies on airborne fungi at Qena. 1. Seasonal fluctuations. Zeitschrift für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, 21, 247–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moustafa, A. F. & Kamel, S. M. (1976). A study of fungal spore population in the atmosphere of Kuwait. Mycopathologia, 59, 29–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pasanen, A. L., Pasanen, P., Jantunen, M. J., & Kalliokoski, P. (1991). Significance of air humidity and air velocity for fungal spore release in the air. Atmospheric Environment, 25A(2), 459–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelczar, M. J., Chan, E. C. S., & Krieg, N. R. (1993). Microbiology: Concepts and applications. International Ed. P 796. New York: Mc Graw Hill Inc., 966 p.

  • Raper, K. B., & Fennell, D. L. (1965). The genus Aspergillus. Baltimore, USA: The Williams and Wilkins Comp, 686 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reponen, T., Willeke, K., Grinshpun, S., & Nevalanen, A. (2001). Biological particle sampling. In P. Baron, & K. Willeke, (Eds.), Aerosol measurement, principles, techniques and applications (2nd ed.). Willey Interscience, A Johan Willey and Sons Inc Publication: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simeray, J., Mandin, D., & Chaumont, J. P. (1997). An aeromycological study of sawmills: Effects of type of installation and timber on mycoflora and inhalation hazards for workers. International Biodeterioration & Biodegredation, 40, 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su, H. J., Wu, P. C., Chen, H. L, Lee, F. C., & Lin, L. L. (2001). Exposure assessment of indoor allergens endotoxin and airborne fungi for homes in Southern Taiwan. Environmental Research, 85, 135–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi, T. (1997). Airborne fungal colony-forming units in outdoor and indoor environments in Yokohama, Japan. Mycopathologia, 139(1), 23–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tee, R. D., Gordon, J., & Taylor, A. J. (1987). Cross-reactivity between antigens fungal extracts studied by RAST inhibition and immunoblot technique. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 79, 627–633.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Urzi, C., De-Leo, F., Paola, S., & Criseo, G. (2001). Airborne fungal spores colonizing marbles exposed in the terrace of Messina Museum, Sicily. Aerobiologia, 17, 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Youssef, A. Y., & Al Din, A. K. (1988). Airspores of opportunistic fungi in the atmosphere of Cairo, Egypt. Grana, 27, 89–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge the many contributions of Dr. Christopher F. Green, University of Cincinnati, Shawn G. Gibbs, University of Texas and Dr. Khalf M., National Research Center.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Pollution Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

    A. A. Abdel Hameed & M. I. Khoder

  2. Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

    A. A. Emad

Authors
  1. A. A. Abdel Hameed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. I. Khoder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. A. Emad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. A. Abdel Hameed.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abdel Hameed, A.A., Khoder, M.I. & Emad, A.A. Fertile fungal spores collected on different faced surfaces in the atmosphere of Giza, Egypt. Aerobiologia 23, 47–57 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-007-9048-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-007-9048-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation