RESEARCH PAPER
A year-round aeromycological study in Zagreb area, Croatia.
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Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Maja Segvić Klarić
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Schrottova 39, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2006;13(1):55–64
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ABSTRACT
A 1-year aeromycological study was conducted in the area of Zagreb, thecapital of Croatia, in order to establish seasonal variations in the composition and concentration ofaeromycota. Sampling was carried out at 3 locations: the city centre, the Pharmaceutical botanical gardenand the mountain of Medvednica, at regular intervals using the Mas 100 Eco Air-sampler with Sabouraud-dextroseagar. Airborne fungi peaked during spring and summer (110-284 cfu/m3), while lower levels were detectedin autumn and winter at each of the 3 sampling sites (6-128 cfu/m3). Significantly lower concentrationswere found in Medvednica region (p<0.01) during most sampling periods. Yeasts were present in higherconcentrations in autumn and winter (11-46 cfu/m3) than during spring and summer (9-11 cfu/m3) in thecity centre and botanical garden. In the Medvednica region, yeasts were found at significantly lowerconcentrations than at other locations only during the autumn and winter (1-16 cfu/m3). The dominantfungi contributing to these differences were species of Cladosporium, Penicillium and Alternaria. Thesegenera comprised between 30.4-79.5% of the samples. Other stable components of aeromycota were Fusarium, Aspergillus and sterile mycelia (11.1-44.0%). Total counts of airborne fungi as well as individual countsof Cladosporium and Alternaria showed significant positive correlations with temperature and solar radiation(p<0.05). Alternaria also showed a significant correlation with wind speeds while Cladosporium wasnegatively correlated with atmospheric pressure (p<0.05). Yeasts showed a significant positive correlationwith relative humidity, yet were negatively correlated with temperature and solar radiation in the citycentre and the botanical garden. In contrast, a significant positive correlation in the case of yeastswas observed in the Medvednica region with respect to temperature and solar radiation (p<0.05).