Airborne fungi and human exposure in different areas of composting facilities

Abstract

Airborne fungi can pose serious health concerns in humans; however, the area-specific abundance and composition of airborne fungal microbiota discharged from composting facilities remain unclear. In the present study, we collected air samples from composting, packaging, office, and downwind areas of four commercial composting facilities. The characteristics of airborne fungi, including pathogen/allergen-containing genera, and their corresponding human exposure in different areas of composting facilities were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and ddPCR. High fungal concentrations and richness were detected in the air of the packaging area. In all four areas, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota were observed to be the primary fungal phyla, with Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus as the consistently dominant fungal genera. A large number of endemic airborne fungi were found in the composting and packaging areas, which also shared the most common airborne fungi as well as pathogen/allergen-containing genera. The packaging area contributed substantially to airborne fungi in the office and downwind areas. Area-specific human exposure to broad airborne fungal compositions was revealed, especially regarding the pathogen/allergen-containing genera. Current results provide valuable data for a comprehensive understanding of area-specific airborne fungi in composting facilities and highlight the importance of assessing the inhaled exposure to airborne fungi in evaluating their following health risks.