Abstract
Ambient fungal spores within the atmosphere can contribute to a range of negative human, animal and plant health conditions and diseases. However, trends in fungal spore seasonality, species prevalence, and geographical origin have been significantly understudied in Ireland. Previously unpublished data from the late 1970s have recently been collected and analysed to establish historical fungal spore trends/characteristics for Dublin. Historical spore concentrations were largely dominated by Alternaria, Ascospores, Basidiospores, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Erysiphe and Rusts. The main fungal spore season for Dublin commenced in April with the fructification of Scopulariopsis and Ganoderma. However, the vast majority of other spore types did not reach peak spore release until late summer. The correlation between ambient spore concentration, and meteorological parameters was examined using Multivariable Regression Tree (MRT) analysis. The notable correlations found for fungal spore concentrations tended to involve temperature-based parameters. The use of a non-parametric wind regression was also employed to determine the potential geographical origin of ambient fungal spores. The impact of wind direction, and high windspeed on fungal spores was established, ultimately highlighting the importance of studying and monitoring fungal spores within Ireland, rather than attempting to rely on data from other regions, as most fungal spores collected in Dublin appeared to originate from within the island.
Highlights
Airborne fungal spores are endemic in the atmosphere throughout the entire year [1,2].The importance of carrying out investigations into fungal spores and their impact upon the environment stems from their known negative impacts upon both flora and fauna
This study aimed to explain the severe decrease in allergenic reactions reported by locals in the summer of 1978 and looked to see if common fungal spore types had similar seasonalities to known pollens, by monitoring their concentrations during this time
Given the prevalence of grassland in Ireland, this is not an unexpected finding. It is evident from the findings of this study that the ambient concentrations of fungal spores in Dublin are dominated by allergenic spore types, with Cladosporium and Alternaria being the two allergenic spores most commonly identified
Summary
Airborne fungal spores are endemic in the atmosphere throughout the entire year [1,2].The importance of carrying out investigations into fungal spores and their impact upon the environment stems from their known negative impacts upon both flora and fauna. Specific taxa are known to cause respiratory allergy symptoms [3,4], asthma attacks, and even acute respiratory failure. Such symptoms have been misattributed to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus [5]. Such health concerns have been linked with impacting both occupational and residential environments, with the phrase “sick-building syndrome” being termed to describe the recent proliferation in the elevated incidence of respiratory diseases found among the occupants of human-constructed housing or work environments. Fungal spores are known for their pathogenic behaviours, resulting in diseases in crops [6] as well as in natural vegetation [7], leading to negative repercussions for both the economy and public health
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