Indoor air quality in schools: exposure to fungal allergens

Abstract

This study examined indoor air quality within schools in Kansas City, Spokane, Santa Fe, and Orlando. Air sampling was undertaken with both Andersen Single Stage Samplers and Burkard Personal Air Samplers. The data show a wide range of indoor exposures ranging from less than 100 colony forming units (CFU/m3) for viable fungi and 100 spores/m3 for total spores in Spokane and Santa Fe to concentrations over 6000 CFU/m3 for viable fungi and 15 000 spores/m3 for total fungi in Orlando and Kansas City, respectively. In the majority of sites the indoor airspora reflected the outdoor taxa with Cladosporium the most abundant genus identified; however, several indoor locations had elevated levels of Penicillium and Aspergillus indicating possible sources of indoor contamination. Airborne basidiospores and smut spores were also fairly abundant in the schools and were among the top five taxa identified. The data also indicated that the airborne concentrations vary significantly during the day and between classrooms within each school. Continued studies in schools are needed to fully assess both the exposure levels and the clinical significance to atopic children allergic to these spores. © 1995 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.