Levels of fungi growing on insulation within air-handling units (AHUs) in an office building and levels of airborne fungi within AHUs were measured before the use of germicidal UV light and again after 4 months of operation. The fungal levels following UV operation were significantly lower than the levels in control AHUs.

Fungi grown in pure cultures produce DNA- or RNA-containing particles smaller than spore size (<1.5 microm). High exposures to fungi and bacteria are observed at biofuel plants. Airborne cultivable bacteria are often described to be present in clusters or associated with larger particles with an aerodynamic diameter (d(ae)) of 2-8 microm. In this study, we investigate whether airborne fungal co...

This study quantified the levels of airborne microorganisms in six swine farms with more than 10,000 pigs in subtropical Taiwan. We evaluated breeding, growing, and finishing stalls, which were primarily open-air buildings, as well as partially enclosed farrowing and nursery piggeries. Airborne culturable bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi were placed on appropriate media by using an a...

Introduction The air of animal houses contains bioaerosols like viruses bacteria, fungi, endotoxins and allergens that present a health risk for humans and animals [1]. Airborne pathogen bacteria, fungi that cause allergies and endotoxins were detected in poultry houses [2]. The spreading of bioaerosol emissions from poultry houses is less understood and therefore it is difficult to estimate th...

It has been known for centuries that microorganisms are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, where they are capable of long-distance dispersal. Likewise, it is well-established that these airborne bacteria and fungi can have myriad effects on human health, as well as the health of plants and livestock. However, we have a limited understanding of how these airborne communities vary across different geo...

INTRODUCTION In order to assess the relationship between the concentrations of airborne fungi and particles, particle counting was combined with fungal air sampling in several rooms of a hospital. METHODS Concentrations of ≥0.5μm particles (P05) and ≥1μm particles (P1) were measured using a particle counter; fungal air sampling was performed with volumetric air samplers, which impacted air on...

UNLABELLED Given that epiphytic microbes are often found in large population sizes on plants, we tested the hypothesis that plants are quantitatively important local sources of airborne microorganisms. The abundance of microbial communities, determined by quantifying bacterial 16S RNA genes and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, in air collected directly above vegetation was 2...

Pathogens and other symbiotic fungi that infect above-ground plant parts commonly disperse as airborne spores. Here we present diel patterns of the density of airborne fungal spores in the canopy and understory of a tropical rain forest. Spores were 52-fold more abundant in the understory than in the canopy. Additionally, spores were 5to 35-fold more abundant at night than during the day, assoc...

BACKGROUND Pathogenic and allergenic bacteria and fungi within the indoors can bring detrimental health effects on the occupants. We previously studied the bacterial communities found in households located throughout Hong Kong as well as the skin surfaces of the occupants. As a complementary study, here, we investigated the fungal communities (mycobiome) in the same residences and occupants and...