Abstract
Background: Fungi are among the most important microorganisms in the air. The air conditioner (cooler) in a car can be an important reservoir for infectious agents, especially fungal species. The present study aimed to measure the fungal contamination in the air flowing out of air conditioners. Objective: In this study 138 cars including 69 Iranian-made cars and 69 cars made by foreign companies were examined. Methods: The plating technique was used. In this study, in each car, 2 plates were placed for 5 minutes when the air conditioner was on and also 2 plates were placed for 5 minutes when the air conditioner was off. Results: A total of 2442 colonies were isolated. The most common isolated fungi were Cladosporium spp. (25.55%), Penicillium spp. (6.14%) and Aspergillus niger (3.03%). The highest number of isolated fungal elements was observed in the Iranian-made cars during summer season (P-value<0.05). Furthermore, the growth rate of colonies on the plates placed on the front and rear seats of cars did not vary considerably (P-value > 0.05). Conclusion: Air conditioners of Iranian-made cars can be an important source for fungal transmission to the human respiratory system that is important, especially in susceptible people to allergic diseases and patients with immunodeficiency.
Highlights
The air we breathe is composed of millions, even billions of microscopic bioaerosols
Air conditioners of Iranian-made cars can be an important source for fungal transmission to the human respiratory system that is important, especially in susceptible people to allergic diseases and patients with immunodeficiency
Of the 552 plates placed inside the cars when the air conditioners were on and off, a total of 2442 colonies related to 27 fungal genera or species were isolated
Summary
The air we breathe is composed of millions, even billions of microscopic bioaerosols. The spores of Cladosporium spp. are biological air pollutants that pose a threat to human health They irritate the respiratory tracts and contain numerous proteins that cause inhalant allergies [16]. Filters are installed in the air outlet to prevent the flow of a large volume of pollutants into the car [8, 9] These filters have to be examined and replaced regularly at the recommended intervals because fungal spores settle in them and enter the cabin environment once the air conditioner is turned on [10]. Since car air conditioners (coolers) are an important source of contamination from fungal spores, we decided to measure the fungal contamination and identify the fungal agents in the air flowing out of these. The present study aimed to measure the fungal contamination in the air flowing out of air conditioners
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