Abstract
ABSTRACTAmbient particles comprise approximately 25% of fungal spores, which cause adverse health outcomes such as respiratory diseases, allergy, and infection. In this study, we investigated temporal variations and distributions of ambient fungal spores in an urban area of the Taipei metropolis for over 1 year. A Burkard 7-day volumetric spore trap was used to collect air samples. Samples collected daily were stained, counted, and identified on the basis of morphological characteristics. The associations between fungal spores and environmental parameters were then evaluated through multiple regression analysis. Daily monitoring data revealed a large variation in fungal spore concentrations. Specifically, fungal spores peaked during summer months (June–August) and declined during winter months (December–early March); moreover, the average concentration of total fungal spores was 3,607.97 ± 3,181.81 spores m–3. Ascospores were the most prevalent taxon that was recovered from the samples, followed by basidiospores, Aspergillus/Penicillium, and Cladosporium. Multiple regression analysis revealed that meteorological parameters were the main predictors of fungal concentrations. Temperature, wind speed, and humidity were consistently correlated with total fungi and major fungal taxa, and sunlight had a negative association with ascospores. Among the atmospheric pollutants, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm (PM10) and ozone were positively associated with fungal spores. Carbon monoxide (CO) at lag day 1 had a negative association with basidiospores. This is the first study to characterize daily concentrations and determinants of ambient fungal spores in an urban area of Taipei metropolis. The obtained data can be used to evaluate the health impact of fungal spore exposure on the residents of the Taipei metropolitan area.
Highlights
Airborne bioparticles have attracted considerable attention because of their potency in causing various adverse health outcomes (Burge and Rogers, 2000; Burge, 2001; Bush and Portnoy, 2001; Atkinson et al, 2006; Harley et al, 2009; Rimac et al, 2010; Knutsen et al, 2012)
In Tainan, Cladosporium was the most prevalent fungi (Wu et al, 2004). These results indicate the spatial variation in fungal spores: fungal spores in Hualien and Tainan generally originate from natural sources through local climate conditions, whereas the spores in the Taipei metropolis mainly originate from the nearby residential areas and human activities
By monitoring daily fungal spore concentrations in an urban area of the Taipei metropolis, we demonstrated temporal variation in fungal spores over 1 year
Summary
Airborne bioparticles have attracted considerable attention because of their potency in causing various adverse health outcomes (e.g., allergic respiratory and skin diseases, asthma, and infection) (Burge and Rogers, 2000; Burge, 2001; Bush and Portnoy, 2001; Atkinson et al, 2006; Harley et al, 2009; Rimac et al, 2010; Knutsen et al, 2012). Ambient fungal spore distributions have been investigated in many countries These data provide information on temporal variation (i.e., daily, diurnal, and seasonal variations) In the United States, the concentrations of ambient fungal spores and other aeroallergens (e.g., grass, weed, and pollen) are provided by the National Allergy Bureau of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology on a daily basis as open access data on the Internet, which can be used as a guideline by the residents in the monitored areas, the susceptible group, for avoiding or minimizing exposure (National Allergy Bureau, 2015). To investigate understand the current temporal variation in fungal spores and their relationship with other environmental parameters, we monitored daily concentrations of fungal spores in an urban area in the Taipei metropolis for over 1 year at a fixed site-monitoring location
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