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Relationship Between Indoor and Outdoor Airborne Fungal Spores, Pollen, and (1→3)-β-D-Glucan in Homes Without Visible Mold Growth
Aerobiologia (2006)
  • Taekhee Lee, University of Cincinnati
  • Sergey A. Grinshpun, University of Cincinnati
  • Ki-Youn Kim, University of Cincinnati
  • Yulia Lossifova, University of Cincinnati
  • Atin Adhikari, Georgia Southern University
  • Tiina Reponen, University of Cincinnati
Abstract
In this exploratory study, indoor and outdoor airborne fungal spores, pollen, and (1→3)-β-D-glucan levels were determined through long-term sampling (24-h) using a Button Personal Inhalable Aerosol Sampler. The air samples were collected in five Cincinnati area homes that had no visible mold growth. The total count of fungal spores and pollen in the collected samples was conducted under the microscope and Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) chromogenic assay method was utilized for the determination of the (1→3)-β-D-glucan concentration. For the combined number concentration of fungal spores and pollen, the indoor and outdoor geometric mean values were 573 and 6,435 m−3, respectively, with a geometric mean of the Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratio of .09. The geometric means of indoor and outdoor (1→3)-β-D-glucan concentrations were .92 and 6.44 ng  m−3, respectively, with a geometric mean of the I/O ratio equal to .14. The I/O ratio of (1→3)-β-D-glucan concentration was found to be marginally greater than that calculated based on the combined number concentration of fungal spores and pollen. This suggests that (1→3)-β-D-glucan data are affected not only by intact spores and pollen grains but also by the airborne fragments of fungi, pollen, and plant material, which are ignored by traditional enumeration methodologies. Since the (1→3)-β-D-glucan level may elucidate the total exposure to fungal spores, pollen, and fungal fragments, its I/O ratio may be used as a risk marker for mold and pollen exposure in indoor environments.
Keywords
  • (1→3)-β-D-Glucan,
  • Aerobiology,
  • Aeromycology,
  • Aeropalynology,
  • Fungal spores,
  • Indoor,
  • Indoor Pollen
Publication Date
September, 2006
DOI
10.1007/s10453-006-9034-y
Citation Information
Taekhee Lee, Sergey A. Grinshpun, Ki-Youn Kim, Yulia Lossifova, et al.. "Relationship Between Indoor and Outdoor Airborne Fungal Spores, Pollen, and (1→3)-β-D-Glucan in Homes Without Visible Mold Growth" Aerobiologia Vol. 22 Iss. 3 (2006) p. 227 - 235 ISSN: 1573-3025
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/atin_adhikari/112/