Airborne fungal spores in the Campus of Anchieta (La Laguna, Tenerife/Canary Is.)

Abstract

A quantitative and qualitative study was carried out of the atmospheric fungal propagules in two university buildings in the Campus of Anchieta (La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) and in the outdoor atmosphere, in order to ascertain the most abundant fungi and the concentration of spores in the air, as possible sources of respiratory allergies caused by this type of aeroallergens. Sampling was carried out using two kinds of traps (Burkard Personal Culture Sampler and Burkard Personal Slide Sampler), as well as adhesive tape. Sample 1, indoor, identified between 650-320 CFUm-3 depending on the culture medium, with outdoor values between 670-440 CFU m-3; sample 2, recorded between 630-80 CFUm-3 inside and 580-300 CFUm-3 in the outdoor atmosphere. The most represented genera were Cladosporium and Penicillium, although the following were also identified: Agaricales, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis, Drechslera, Coprinus, Curvularia, Chaetomium, Exserohilum, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Leptosphaeria. Myxomycetes, Paecilomyces, Pleospora, Stemphylium, Tetraploa, Torula and Ulocladium.