engleski

Seasonal variations of airborne, dustborne and foodborne fungi in flooded and unflooded area in Croatia

The purpose of this study was to investigate post-flood mycological patterns in Gunja compared to an unaffected area (Gornji Stupnik) in Croatia and to compare qualitative and quantitative composition in repaired and unrepaired houses in flooded area in winter and summer sampling period. During 2016 in each sampling period twenty indoor airsamples (IAS), five outdoor airsamples (ODAS) and ten dust samples (DS) were taken at five repaired (RH) and five unrepaired houses (UNRH) in Gunja, five control houses in Gornji Stupnik (SH) and ten IAS and two DS in the elementary schools in Gunja (ESG) and Gornji Stupnik (ESS) Additionally, food samples (FS) were collected in both Gunja (FSG, N=10) and Stupnik (FSS, N=5). Dichloran 18%- Glycerol Agar (DG-18) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA) were used for AS, while for DS and FS Dichlorane Rose-Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar (DRBC) and DG-18 were used. Similar patterns of aeromycota were observed in both sampling periods at the locations specified, while the concentrations of airborne fungi were significantly higher in summer period than in winter period, as well as in flooded compared to control area. The highest concentrations of aeromycota were measured in UNRH (IAS and ODAS). Penicillium, Cladosporium and Aspergillus (sections Aspergillus, Versicolores, Circumdati, Nigri) genera were prevailing although in EES Rhizopus sp. were frequently isolated. Aspergilli from the section Versicolores were less common in UNRH compared to RH and SH. Concentration of fungi was significantly higher in DS from Gunja compared to control area. In winter period the highest concentrations were observed in RH while in summer period they were higher in UNRH. Although the composition of dustmycota corresponded to aeromycota, Aspergilli (Versicolores) were more frequent in DS. Higher concentrations of fungi were observed in FSS than in FSG in winter while they were similar in summer. Fusarium spp. were the dominating species in both sampling periods. The most frequent Aspergilli were those assigned to the section Aspergillus both in FSG and FSS followed by those from the section Flavi, Circumdati and Nigri, especially in summer period. Significantly higher concentrations of airborne and dustborne fungi in flood affected compared to control area increase the health risk for humans due to inhalatory exposure to potential mycotoxin producers. These results underline the issue of yet unrepaired houses in flood affected area as these represent the significant source of secondary and tertiary colonizers. Acknowledgements: This work has been fully supported by Croatian Scientific Foundation under the project MycotoxA (IP-09- 2014-5982)

airborne, dustborne and foodborne fungi ; Aspergilli ; flooded area

This work has been fully supported by Croatian Scientific Foundation under the project MycotoxA (IP-09-2014-5982)