Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of the predicting variables for daily and weekly fluctuations of two airborne fungal spores: Alternaria and Cladosporium

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Alternaria and Cladosporium are two fungal taxa whose spores (conidia) are included frequently in aerobiological studies of outdoor environments. Both spore types are present in the atmosphere of Malaga (Spain) throughout almost the entire year, although they reach their highest concentrations during spring and autumn. To establish predicting variables for daily and weekly fluctuations, Spearman’s correlations and stepwise multiple regressions between spore concentrations (measured using a volumetric 7-day recorder) and meteorological variables were made with results obtained for both spore types in 1996 and 1997. Correlations and regressions were also made between the different taxa and their concentrations in different years. Significant and positive correlation coefficients were always obtained between spore concentrations of both taxa, followed by temperature, their concentrations in different years, sunshine hours and relative humidity (this last in a negative sense). For the two spore types we obtained higher correlation and regression coefficients using weekly data. We showed different regression models using weekly values. From the results and a practical point of view, it was concluded that weekly values of the atmospheric concentration of Alternaria spores can be predicted from the maximum temperature expected and its concentrations in the years sampled. As regards the atmospheric concentration of Cladoposrium spores, the weekly values can be predicted based on the concentration of Alternaria spores, thus saving the time and effort that would otherwise be employed in counting them by optical microscopy.

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
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Al-Suwaine A, Bahkali A, Hasnain S (1999) Seasonal incidence of airborne fungal allergens in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mycopathologia 145:15–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burch M, Levetin E (2002) Effects of meteorological conditions on spore plumes. Int J Biometeorol 46:107–117

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burge HA (1985) Fungus allergens. Clin Rev Allerg 3:319–329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caldeón C, Lacey J, McCartney A, Rosas I (1997) Influence of urban climate upon distribution of airborne Deuteromycete spore concentrations in Mexico City. Int J Biometeorol 40:71–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez A, Sabariego S, Gutiérrez M, Cervigón P (2006) Study of airborne fungal spores in Madrid, Spain. Aerobiologia 22:135–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Docampo S (2008) Estudio aerobiológico de la atmósfera de la costa oriental de Málaga (sur de España) e incidencia de las esporas fúngicas en el interior de la Cueva de Nerja. Dissertation, University of Malaga

  • Docampo S, Trigo MM, Recio M, Melgar M, García-Sánchez J, Cabezudo B (2011) Fungal spore content of the atmosphere of the cave of Nerja (southern Spain): diversity and origin. Sci Total Environ 409:835–843. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.10.048

    Google Scholar 

  • Elvira MLB (2001) Caracterización aeropalinológica del bioaerosol atmosférico de la ciudad de Cartagena. Dissertation, Polytechnical University of Cartagena

  • Fernández D, Valencia R, 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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galán C, Cariñanos P, Alcázar P, Domínguez-Vilches E (2007) Spanish Aerobiology Network (REA): management and quality manual. Publications Services of the University of Cordoba

  • Herrero B, Fombella-Blanco MA, Fernández González D, Valencia RM (1996) The role of meteorological factors in determining the annual variation of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores in the atmosphere of Palencia, 1990–1992. Int J Biometeorol 39:139–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirst JM (1952) An automatic spore trap. Ann Appl Biol 39:257–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iglesias I, Rodríguez-Rajo J, Méndez J (2007) Evaluation of the different Alternaria prediction models on a potato crop in A Limia (NW of Spain). Aerobiologia 2:27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Infante F, Alba F, Caño M, Castro A, Domínguez E, Méndez J, Vega A (1999a) A comparative study of the incidence of Alternaria conidia in the atmosphere of five spanish cities. Polen 10:7–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Infante F, Castro A, Domínguez E, Guardia A, Méndez J, Sabariego S, Vega A (1999b) A comparative study of the incidence of Cladosporium conidia in the atmosphere of five spanish cities. Polen 10:17–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurup VP, Shen HD, Vijay H (2002) Immunobiology of fungal allergens. Int Arch Allergy Imm 129:181–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levetin E (1995) Fungi. In: Burge HA (ed) Bioaerosols. Lewis, Boca Raton, pp 87–120

  • Limpert E, Burke J, Galán C, Trigo MM, West J, Stahel WA (2008) Data, not only in aerobiology: how normal is the normal distribution? Aerobiologia 24:121–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martín Andrés A, Luna del Castillo J (1994) Bioestadística para las Ciencias de la Salud. Norma, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Mediavilla A, Angulo J, Infante F, Comtois P, Domínguez E (1998) Statistical modeling of the presence of two conidial types of Cladosporium in the atmosphere of Cordoba, Spain. Aerobiologia 14:229–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morales J (2004) Estudio aerobiológico de las esporas de hongos en la atmósfera de sevilla y su relación con las variables climáticas. Dissertation, University of Seville

  • Munuera M, Carrión JS (1995) Daily variations of Alternaria spores in the city of Murcia (semi-arid southeastern Spain). Int J Biometeorol 38:176–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pasanen A, Pasanen P, Jantunen MJ, Kalliokoski P (1991) Significance of air humidity and air velocity for fungal spore release into the air. Atmos Environ 25:459–462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quirce Gancedo S (2006) Asma. In: Alergológica 2005 (ed) Factores epidemiológicos, clínicos y socioeconómicos de las enfermedades alérgicas en España en 2005. SEAIC & Schering-Plough, Madrid. ISBN 84-7989-428-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Recio M (1995) Análisis polínico de la atmósfera de Málaga (1991–1994). Relación con los parámetros meteorológicos. Dissertation, University of Malaga

  • Recio M, Cabezudo B, Trigo MM, Toro FJ (1996) Olea europaea pollen in the atmosphere of Malaga (S. Spain) and its relationship with meteorological parameters. Grana 35:308–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recio M, Cabezudo B, Trigo MM, Toro FJ (1998) Pollen calendar of Malaga (southern Spain) 1991–1995. Aerobiologia 14:101–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recio M, Trigo MM, Docampo S, Cabezudo B (2002) Modelos predictivos para las concentraciones diarias del polen de Olea y gramíneas en Málaga. Abstract of the XIV Simposium of APLE, Salamanca, 29

    Google Scholar 

  • Recio M, Rodríguez-Rajo FJ, Jato MV, Trigo MM, Cabezudo B (2009) The effect of recent climatic trends on Urticaceae pollination in two bioclimatically different areas in the Iberian Pennisula: Malaga and Vigo. Clim Chang 97:215–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recio M, Docampo S, García-Sánchez J, Trigo MM, Melgar M, Cabezudo B (2010) Influence of temperature, rainfall and winds trends on grass pollination in Malaga (western Mediterranean coast). Agric For Meteorol 150:931–940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reponen T, Willeke K, Ulevicius V, Reponen A, Grinshpun SA (1996) Effect of relative humidity on the aerodynamic diameter and respiratory deposition of fungal spores. Atmos Environ 30:3967–3974

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reponen T, Grinshpun SA, Conwell KL, Wiest J, Anderson M (2001) Aerodinamics versus physical size of spores: Measurement and implication for respiratory deposition. Grana 40:119–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resano A, Sanz ML, Oehling A (1998) Sensitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium in asthmatic patients and its in vitro diagnostic confirmation. J Invest Allerg Clin 8:353–358

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rubio M, Ochando E (1995) Alergologica. Factores epidemiológicos clínicos y socioeconómicos de las enfermedades alérgicas en España. SEAIC and ALK Abelló, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • 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). Int J Biometeorol 44:1–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spieksma FTM (1995) Outdoor atmospheric mould spores in Europe. XIV European Congress of Allergololy and Clinical Immunology, Madrid, pp 625–630

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomassetti B, Angelosante Bruno A, Pace L, Verdecchia M, Visconti G (2009) Prediction of Alternaria and Pleospora concentrations from the meteorological forecast and artificial neural network in L’Aquila, Abruzzo (Central Italy). Aerobiologia 25:127–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toro FJ, Recio M, Trigo MM, Cabezudo B (1998) Predictive models in aerobiology: data transformation. Aerobiologia 14:179–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Troutt C, Levetin E (2001) Correlations of spring spore concentrations and meteorological conditions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Int J Biometeorol 45:64–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge funding of this project by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AMB97-0457), the Junta de Andalucía Research Group RNM-115 and the help given to the Aerobiology Network of Andalusia (RAA) by the Consejería de Salud and Consejería de Educación of the Junta de Andalucía.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Campus of Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain

    Marta Recio, María del Mar Trigo, Silvia Docampo, Marta Melgar, José García-Sánchez, Lourdes Bootello & Baltasar Cabezudo

Authors
  1. Marta Recio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. María del Mar Trigo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Silvia Docampo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marta Melgar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. José García-Sánchez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lourdes Bootello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Baltasar Cabezudo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marta Recio.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Recio, M., del Mar Trigo, M., Docampo, S. et al. Analysis of the predicting variables for daily and weekly fluctuations of two airborne fungal spores: Alternaria and Cladosporium . Int J Biometeorol 56, 983–991 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0509-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0509-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation