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Study on the relationship between the concentration and type of fungal bio-aerosols at indoor and outdoor air in the Children’s Medical Center, Tehran, Iran

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 191, Article number: 48 (2019) Cite this article

Abstract

Fungal bio-aerosols are of concern due to their adverse health effects, especially in indoor environments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the concentration and type of fungal bio-aerosols in the indoor and outdoor of Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. In the present descriptive-analytical study, the fungal bio-aerosols’ concentrations in both indoor and outdoor of the hospital air were measured. The measurements were carried out by the Anderson method using a Quick Take 30 pump at 28.3 L min−1 and 2.5 min sampling that was placed on a Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol. The average concentrations of total fungal bio-aerosols in the hospital indoor and outdoor air were 40.48 and 119.6 CFU/m3, respectively. Onco-hematology and bone marrow transplantation wards were the most and least contaminated units, respectively (11.09 CFU/m3 vs 1.47 CFU/m3). The most common fungi isolated from the indoor environment were Penicillium spp. (45.86%) which was followed by Cladosporium spp. (31.92%), Aspergillus section Nigri (6.26%), sterilized mycelia (5.05%), and Aspergillus section Flavi (2.83%). Cladosporium spp. (61.10 CFU/m3) and Penicillium spp. (18.56 CFU/m3) had the highest mean concentrations in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. The indoor-to-outdoor ratio of fungal aerosols was < 1 at most sampling sites, indicating that the indoor fungal bio-aerosols may have originated from the outdoor environment.

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Acknowledgments

This article is a part of a research project performed in the Alborz University of Medical Sciences. The authors of the article are sincerely thankful for the material and spiritual supports of the university vice chancellor for the implementation of the plan.

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Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Sedighe Karimpour Roshan & Hatam Godini

  2. Department of Environmental Health, School of health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Sedighe Karimpour Roshan & Hatam Godini

  3. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Bahram Nikmanesh

  4. Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Heidar Bakhshi

  5. Immunology, Asthma & Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Arezoo Charsizadeh

Authors
  1. Sedighe Karimpour Roshan
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  2. Hatam Godini
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  3. Bahram Nikmanesh
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  4. Heidar Bakhshi
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  5. Arezoo Charsizadeh
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Contributions

In this research, colleagues played the following role: Hatam Godini designed and completed the experiments. Data collection and analysis and writing of the article were carried out by Sedighe Karimpour Roshan and Hatam Godini. Isolation and identification of fungi bio-aerosol were conducted by Bahram Nikmanesh, Heidar Bakhshi, and Arezoo Charsizadeh.

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Correspondence to Hatam Godini.

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Karimpour Roshan, S., Godini, H., Nikmanesh, B. et al. Study on the relationship between the concentration and type of fungal bio-aerosols at indoor and outdoor air in the Children’s Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 191, 48 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-7183-4

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Keywords

  • Bio-aerosol concentration
  • Fungi
  • Hospital indoor air
  • Outdoor air
  • I/O ratio