Airborne fungi monitoring in Santiago, Chile

Type Journal Article - Aerobiologia
Title Airborne fungi monitoring in Santiago, Chile
Author(s)
Volume 17
Issue 2
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2001
Page numbers 137-142
URL http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1010833101583
Abstract
Fungal airborne spores were studied from September 1996throughout August 1997 in Santiago, Chile. Total concentrationsfluctuated between 308 and 10,334 spores/m3/day withan annual mean of 2,154 per m3, the highest dispersion beingduring April and May. Forty-five percent of total fungal content wasfound in autumn. Thirteen genera and 3 other spore types wereidentified. Cladosporium, the most abundant genera in ouratmosphere, contributed with 70.9% of the total fungi counts andreached an annual mean of 1,527 spores/m3/day, itshighest frequency being in autumn. Alternaria appeared as thesecond most frequent genera, with an annual mean of 40spores/m3/day, representing a 1.9% of theannual fungal catch. Altogether, Stemphylium, Torula, Epicoccum,Ganoderma, Helminthosporium, Chaetomiun, Pleospora and othersreached relative frequencies of 0.5% or less. It is concludedthat fungi are present in Santiago's atmosphere all year round, some ofthem with a clear seasonality.

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