On-site investigation of the concentration and size distribution characteristics of airborne fungi in a university library

Abstract

It is important to investigate fungal air quality in libraries because they represent a complex indoor environment. The aim of the study was to quantitatively investigate airborne fungal contamination levels based on field measurements in autumn and winter in four selected library rooms (compact stack, lending room, reading room, study room) in a university library building, as well as the effects of several factors on the culturability of airborne fungi. Airborne fungal levels varied by room, with the highest fungal levels in the reading room (634 ± 275 CFU/m3) and the lowest in the lending room (486 ± 177 CFU/m3). Airborne fungal concentrations were significantly different with seasonal variation (p < 0.05) for all rooms except for the reading room. The size distribution analysis showed that the most airborne fungi were 1.1–3.2 μm in size; based on the schematic diagram of the human respiratory system, more than 80% of airborne fungi could be deposited in the lower respiratory tract (0.65–4.7 μm). Indoor/outdoor airborne fungal concentration ratios were below 1.0 for all four rooms during autumn and winter, showing that outdoor fungi are the main source of indoor fungi. Pearson correlations showed that the fungal concentration was significantly positively correlated with both temperature (r = 0.531, p < 0.05) and relative humidity (r = 0.555, p < 0.05). Indoor temperature, indoor relative humidity and number of open windows significantly positively affected airborne fungal concentration in a multiple linear regression model (p < 0.05). This paper provides fundamental data on fungal contamination that can help experts in indoor air quality to develop guidelines for airborne fungi in libraries and create a safe environment for library patrons and staff.