Air fungal contamination in ten hospitals' food units from Lisbon

Abstract

A descriptive study was developed to monitor air fungal contamination in ten food units from hospitals. Fifty air samples of 250 litres were collected through impaction method. Samples were collected in food storage facilities, kitchen, food plating, canteen and also, outside premises, since this is the place regarded as reference. Simultaneously, environmental parameters were also monitored, including temperature and relative humidity through the equipment Babouc, LSI Sistems and according to the International Standard ISO 7726. Thirty two species of fungi were identified in air, being the 2 genera most commonly found Penicillium sp. (43, 6%) and Cladosporium sp. (23, 2%). Regarding yeasts, only Rhodotorula sp. (84,2%) and Trichosporon sp. (15,8%) were isolated. There was coincidence between prevailing genera in interior and outside premises, however all ten food units presented fungal species different from the ones isolated from outside. Nine from the ten food units presented Aspergillus species, such as A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. versicolor, A. candidus, A. fumigatus, A. niger and A. niveus. There was no significant relation (p>0,05) between fungal contamination, temperature and relative humidity. © 2011 WIT Press.