Airborne alternaria spores in four monitoring stations from Romania in 2005

Abstract

A study of the aerobiology of fungal spores is of direct relevance to the medical community due to their role in respiratory diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The spores of the mitosporic-fungi Alternaria and Cladosporium are some of the most abundant allergens world-wide and the prevalence of allergical reactions to them shows great interregional variations. Alternaria species are parasites or saprophytes on plants and are widely distributed. Alternaria alternata is considered to be one of the most important aeroallergens. Because of its importance to human health, many studies have examined Alternaria and in conjunction with other fungal spores or with pollen The aim of our study was to determine the concentrations of Alternaria spores in four urban areas in Romania: Braşov, Bucureşti, Craiova and Timişoara. This investigation is the first for România. The sites differed in habitat characteristics, such as urbanisation level, vegetation and microclimate. In this study, a volumetric method and a Lanzoni sampler were used. The daily and maximum hourly concentrations in spores/m3 of Alternaria were recorded. The spore is present in large numbers throughout the summer. The higher fungal spore concentrations occur in Craiova. The recorded levels of airborne spores in Bucureşti and Craiova were close the concentrations that are accepted as threshold levels for provocation of clinical responses. The Alternaria conidia is a large spore which is easy to identify, perhaps daily spore concentrations should be made more readily available to clinicians and the general public in the România.