Airborne fungi in industrial environments--potential agents of respiratorydiseases.
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Institute of Botany, Zaliuju ezeru 49, LT-2021 Vilnius, Lithuania. lugauskas@botanika.lt
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2004;11(1):19-25
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ABSTRACT
Investigations on airborne fungi in a poultry house, a swinery, a feedpreparing and storing house, a grain mill, a wooden panel producing factory, and organic waste recyclingfacilities have been carried out in Lithuania. Low concentrations of fungal spores were detected in thewooden panel producing factory, the swinery, the feed preparing and storing house, and the poultry house;moderate concentrations were found in the organic waste recycling facilities; high concentrations wererevealed at the grain mill. Species of Aspergillus oryzae, A. nidulans, P. expansum, Penicillium olivinoviride,P. claviforme and Botryotrichum longibrachiatum prevailed in the poultry farm; Geotrichum candidum, Cladosporiumcladosporioides, C. herbarum, Penicillium viridicatum and P. fellutanum dominated in the swinery. Fungiof Penicillium viridicatum, P. expansum, Staphylotrichum coccosporum and Aspergillus oryzae prevailedin the feed preparing and storing house at the swinery. Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. herbarum, Penicilliumviridicatum and Geotrichum candidum prevailed in the grain mill. Fungi ascribed as Paecilomyces puntonii,Rhizopus nodosus and R. stolonifer dominated in the wooden panel producing factory. Species of Aspergillusraperi, P. paxilli, P. oxalicum, and Cladosporium herbarum prevailed at the organic waste recycling facilities.According to published data, the majority of the identified fungal species are characterized as allergenicand an exposure to their spores may provoke adverse health effects (such as allergic rhinitis, bronchialasthma or extrinsic allergic alveolitis) in susceptible individuals.