Comparative Study of Airborne Fungi at Arctic Stations Near Water Area of the Northern Sea Route

Abstract

Аim. Main goal is the study of the microscopic fungi composition in the air of Arctic stations located along the Northern Sea Route. Methods. The study of aeromycota was carried out at 30 Arctic polar stations. The state of the Arctic territories was assessed in accordance with the methodology approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. Air sampling in living and working zones was carried out with a PU-1B aspirator. Microorganisms were precipitated from air (volume of 250-1 000 l) on agar medium. The identification of micromycetes was carried out on the basis of cultural and morphological features as well as using molecular methods. The isolates of the dominant species were tested for their ability to grow at a temperature of 37 °C (potential virulence). Results. In total, 40 species of micromycetes were found in the air environment of the Arctic stations. Most of them belonged to anamorphic fungi of ascomycete affinity. A significant part of the identified fungi (65%) are the human pathogens (group IV pathogenicity in SP 1.3.2322-08). The highest diversity of fungi (20 species) was noted in the aeromycota of Tiksi. The number of microscopic fungi in the air of all the investigated Arctic stations was moderate and varied from several colony forming units (CFU) to 254 CFU per 1 m3 of air. The largest number of micromycetes in the air of living spaces (more than 200 CFU per 1 m3 of air) was recorded on the islands of Vize and Troynoy (the archipelago of Izvestia CIK). The minimum number of micromycetes was in the air of small (both island and continental) polar stations, regardless of their location. Conclusion. The composition of the aeromycota of Arctic polar stations was characterized by the dominance of fungi associated with anthropogenic habitats. The obtained data indicate the need to control the number of potential human pathogens and allergenic fungi found in the areas of Arctic settlements.

Culturable Microorganisms of Aerosols Sampled during Aircraft Sounding of the Atmosphere over the Russian Arctic Seas

“…An increase in the concentration of fungi of the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, and others in Arctic aerosols growing at 37 • C is associated with their possible pathogenicity for humans [26], which requires control of the concentration and composition of atmospheric mycota to prevent possible fungal infections. The work presented in [57] showed that the majority of the mycobiota in the studied air samples consisted of biodegraders of various materials and conditional human pathogens. The dominant species and their uneven distribution in the air of residential and work premises and in adjacent areas were identified.…”