Atmospheric concentrations of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Ganoderma and Didymella spores monitored in Cork (Ireland) and Worcester (England) during the summer of 2010

Abstract

This study represents the first international intercomparison of fungal spore observations since 1990, focusing on atmospheric concentrations of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Ganoderma and Didymella spores. The campaigns were performed at sites located in Cork (Ireland) and Worcester (England) during summer 2010. Observations were made using Hirsttype volumetric spore traps and corresponding optical identification at the genus level by microscope. The measurements at both sites (including meteorological parameters) were compared and contrasted. The relationships between the fungal spore concentrations with selected meteorological parameters were investigated using statistical methods and multivariate regression trees (MRT). The results showed high correlations between the two sites with respect to daily variations. Statistically significant higher spore concentrations for Alternaria, Cladosporium and Ganoderma were monitored at the Worcester site. This result was most likely due to the differences in precipitation and local fungal spore sources at the two sites. Alternaria and Cladosporium reached their maxima a month earlier in Cork than in Worcester, and Didymella with Ganoderma peaked simultaneously with similar diurnal trends found for all the investigated spore types. MRT analysis helped to determine threshold values of the meteorological parameters that exerted most influence on the presence of spores: they were found to vary at the two sites. Our results suggest that the aeromycological profile is quite uniform over the British Isles, but a description of bioaerosols with respect to overall load and daily concentration can be quite diverse although the geographical difference between sites is relatively small. These variations in the concentrations therefore need to be explored at the national level.

Dynamics (seasonal and intra-diurnal) of air-borne fungal spore population of Doha area, Qatar

“…Similar to our findings, Cladosporium and Alternaria were found to have a positive correlation with temperature but a negative correlation with relative humidity (Recio et al, 2012;O'Connor et al, 2014). The spores of Cladosporium are considered dry air spores, thus the midday weather conditions when the temperature is relatively high and relative humidity decreases make it optimum for the dispersion of Cladosporium spores (Elvira , 2001).…”

“…Recio et al (2012) concluded from their study that the highest correlation coefficients in term of maximum, mean and minimum temperature to be for Alternaria accordingly they recommended to predict the concentration of Alternaria spores as a function of temperature. It was demonstrated that the maximum release of Ganoderma spores occurred when the humidity increased and temperature diminished (O'Connor et al, 2014). Similarly, Calderon et al (1995) concluded that the release of basidiospores are negatively correlated with temperature and declines at higher temperature more than 27 0 C.…”

Ambient Fungal Spore Concentration in a Subtropical Metropolis: Temporal Distributions and Meteorological Determinants

“…Temperature, RH, rainfall, and dew point were all positively associated with the concentrations of fungal spores by up to lag day 1. Similar results have been reported in many studies in various geographical areas worldwide (Sousa et al, 2008;Ho et al, 2005;Quintero et al, 2010;Grinn-Gofroń et al, 2011;O'Connor et al, 2014). These relationships are most likely a result of the growth requirement of fungi through either a direct or indirect effect on water availability (a w ) (Burge and Otten, 1999).…”

First fungal spore calendar of the middle-west of the Iberian Peninsula

“…information of only those spores with allergenic and/or phytopathogenic interest (O'Connor et al 2014;Pyrri and Kapnasaki-Gotsi 2015). The reason for that is the time commitment required and the difficulty of identifying fungal spores by non-viable methods as Hernández already observed.…”