Spectrum and concentration of culturable fungi in house dust from flats in Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Samples of house dust from 18 flats in Warsaw (Poland) were collected from five environments: floor, shelves with books, kitchen, bathroom, and bed. Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Alternaria were the most common genera identified in house dust samples. The highest culturable fungal concentrations were recorded in dust from shelves (median value 8.2 × 104 CFU/g of dust), and the least one from beds (median value 8.0 × 103 CFU/g of dust). Differences in CFUs between environments were statistically significant for Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria. Concentrations of Penicillium and Aspergillus were significantly higher in autumn than in spring, whereas that of Cladosporium was significantly lower in autumn than in spring. The efficiency of ventilation in the bathroom had a significant effect on Cladosporium counts. Certain relationships between the concentrations of culturable fungi and some customs of the occupants are discussed. © Taiwan Association for Aerosol Research.