1. Airborne Fungi Survey of Some Residences in Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Author
-
John Ruffin, Pamela Weber, Sumana Banerjee, and Umesh C. Banerjee
- Subjects
Fusarium ,Aspergillus ,biology ,Ecology ,fungi ,Aureobasidium ,Plant Science ,Fungus ,biology.organism_classification ,Alternaria ,Spore ,Horticulture ,Penicillium ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Cladosporium - Abstract
Gravity settling culture (GSC) plate collections of endogenous fungi were made at four homes in Durham, North Carolina. During frost-free periods (May-August), the most frequently isolated genera included Mucor, Cladosporium (Hormodendrum), Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Cunninghamella, Aureobasidium, Fusarium, Heterosporium, Amblyosporium, and other (unidentified) fungi. Higher numbers of mold isolates were associated with high shade and high levels of organic debris near the home and poor landscaping and landscape maintenance. Lower concentrations of mold isolates were associated with the presence of a central electrostatic filtration system and good compliance with dust controls. The viable mold spore levels were lower in homes where the electrostatic filtration unit was operated continuously rather than intermittently. These findings reflect the ease with which outdoor spore clouds may penetrate structures and obscure evidence of internal fungus source. The data also imply th...
- Published
- 1987
- Full Text
- View/download PDF