Estimation of fungal contamination and mycotoxin production at workplaces in composting plants, tanneries, archives and libraries

Gutarowska, Beata; Skóra, Justyna; Stępień, Łukasz; Twarużek, Magdalena; Błajet-Kosicka, Anna; Otlewska, Anna; Grajewski, Jan

doi:10.3920/wmj2013.1640

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Also in the authors' own study, moulds belonging to Aspergillus genus made up a significant percentage of the identified fungi, including A. fumigatus, which was observed in over a half of the isolates of this type. The fungi belonging to Aspergillus genus might present a significant threat to patients' health, especially those with impaired immunity, and particularly newborns [28,29,30]. They may also pose a threat to the staff working in these rooms because they are included in the group of 2 biological factors which may have negative effects on people exposed to them for prolonged periods [31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal contamination of ward furnishings and medical equipment used in the treatment and nursing of newborns

Gniadek

Białecka²,

Opach³

et al. 2020

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Introduction and objective. Newborn babies staying on hospital wards are likely to be colonized by microorganisms, including potentially pathogenic fungi. The aim of the study was to assess the mycological purity of hospital wards and medical equipment utilized in the treatment and nursing of newborns. Materials and method. The study was conducted in Neonatal High Dependency Units (NHDU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). 539 samples were collected from 24 different sources, 130 from ward furnishings and 289 from medical equipment. The study was carried out following the microbiology research methods for sample collection. Subsequently, the samples (swabs, water from incubators, washings from respirator tubes and nasal cannulas (nCPAP)) were cultivated on Sabouraud agar plates. The stamps were collected with the application of Count-Tact method. The samples were incubated at the temperature of 25+/-2 o C and the number of fungi assessed (cfu/cm-2 of the surface area). The species were identified based on their morphological and biochemical features. Results. Fungal growth was observed on 60% of samples collected from ward furnishings and 7% of samples collected from medical equipment. The average number of cfu/cm-2 ranged between 0-8.84 in the case of ward furnishings and between 0-1.22 cfu/cm-2 in the case of medical equipment. In 180 samples collected from the material which had direct contact with newborns no fungal growth was observed. Conclusions. The furnishings of the wards on which newborns were treated and nursed were contaminated with fungi to an extent which did not pose a threat to the life and health of the newborns. Medical equipment (respirators, incubators, nCPAP cannulas and masks) which came into direct contact with newborns was free from fungi.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal contamination of ward furnishings and medical equipment used in the treatment and nursing of newborns

Gniadek

Białecka²,

Opach³

et al. 2020

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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“…P. brevicompactum was mainly characterized by mycophenolic acid production, while typical metabolites were identified for P. chrysogenum, as chrysogin, roquefortine C and secalonic acid D (Fischer et al, 2000;Frisvad et al, 2004;Gutarowska et al, 2014;Nielsen, 2003), together with andrastin A and B, citreorosein, fulvic acid, neoxaline and oxaline, typically produced by other Penicillium spp. Laatsch, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal secondary metabolite analysis applied to Cultural Heritage: the case of a contaminated library in Venice

Micheluz

Sulyok²,

Manente

et al. 2016

WMJ

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The secondary metabolite production of several fungal strains of Aspergillus creber, Aspergillus jensenii, Aspergillus penicillioides, Aspergillus protuberus, Aspergillus vitricola, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Eurotium chevalieri, Eurotium halophilicum, Penicillium brevicompactum and Penicillium chrysogenum were characterised by liquid chromatography tamdem mass spectometry. All fungi were isolated from both air and book covers as well as from settled dust from a contaminated library in Venice (Italy). For A. creber and A. jensenii, we identified sterigmatocystin, methoxysterigmatocystin, versicolorin A and related precursors/side metabolites from the biosynthetic pathways. Deoxybrevianamid E, neoechinulin A, pseurotin A and D, and rugulusovin were principally detected from the strains of E. halophilicum, an emerging fungal species implicated in book contaminations in specific indoor niches. The analysis of settled dust showed a wide range of toxic or bioactive fungal metabolites. Forty-five different metabolites were identified in different concentrations; in particular, high amounts of asperglaucide, alamethicin, andrastin A, terrecyclic acid and neoechinulin A were detected. Also one bacterial metabolite, chloramphenicole was detected. This study increases the knowledge about metabolite production of several fungal species, as well as on the indoor presence of fungi that are not detected by aerobiological sampling. These results emphasise how routine dusting operations are necessary and essential in order to prevent further microbiological developments in library environments.

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“…The air samples were collected by means of the impaction method with a flow rate of 140 l/min onto malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05%), using the Millipore Air Tester (MerckMillipore, USA). The samplers were placed at a height of 0.6-1.5 m above the floor, several occupational settings [4]. Additionally, there is no classification that would consider, on the one hand, fungal ability to disseminate and, on the other, the principal intake routes from their spores and metabolites taking into account each occupational setting.…”

Section: Conventional Methodologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of surfaces for characterization of fungal burden – Does it matter?

Viegas¹,

Faria²,

Meneses³

et al. 2016

Int J Occup Med Environ Health

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Objectives: Mycological contamination of occupational environments can be a result of fungal spores' dispersion in the air and on surfaces. Therefore, it is very important to assess it in both types of the samples. In the present study we assessed fungal contamination in the air and in the surface samples to show relevance of surfaces sampling in complementing the results obtained in the air samples. Material and Methods: In total, 42 settings were assessed by the analysis of air and surfaces samples. The settings were divided into settings with a high fungal load (7 poultry farms and 7 pig farms, 3 cork industries, 3 waste management plants, 2 wastewater treatment plants and 1 horse stable) and a low fungal load (10 hospital canteens, 8 college canteens and 1 maternity hospital). In addition to culture-based methods, molecular tools were also applied to detect fungal burden in the settings with a higher fungal load. Results: From the 218 sampling sites, 140 (64.2%) presented different species in the examined surfaces when compared with the species identified in the air. A positive association in the high fungal load settings was found between the presence of different species in the air and surfaces. Wastewater treatment plants constituted the setting with the highest number of different species between the air and surface. Conclusions: We observed that surfaces sampling and application of molecular tools showed the same efficacy of species detection in high fungal load settings, corroborating the fact that surface sampling is crucial for a correct and complete analysis of occupational scenarios.

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Estimation of fungal contamination and mycotoxin production at workplaces in composting plants, tanneries, archives and libraries

Cited by 19 publications

References 37 publications

Fungal contamination of ward furnishings and medical equipment used in the treatment and nursing of newborns

Fungal contamination of ward furnishings and medical equipment used in the treatment and nursing of newborns

Fungal secondary metabolite analysis applied to Cultural Heritage: the case of a contaminated library in Venice

Analysis of surfaces for characterization of fungal burden – Does it matter?

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