International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention ISSN (Online): 2319 – 6718, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 670X www.ijpsi.org Volume 2 Issue 2 ‖ February 2013 ‖ PP.01-04
Airborne fungal diversity of residential dwellings in Imphal, Manipur, India A. Premila Department of Botany, Standard College, Imphal, Manipur, India
ABSTRACT: A irb o rn e fu n g a l sp o re s co n st it u te o n e o f th e imp o r ta n t co mp o n en t s o f mic ro b ia l p o p u la t io n o f a mb ien t a i r. Ae ro my co l o g ica l s tu d y wa s co n d u cted fo r t wo yea r s (Ja n u a r y, 2 0 0 9 to Dece mb e r, 2 0 1 0 ) u sin g Ro to r o d a ir sa mp l er in th e in d o o r a i r o f ce rta in re sid en t ia l d we ll in g s i n I mp h a l We st Di st r ic t, Ma n ip u r, In d ia . Du rin g th e p re sen t in ve st ig a t io n , 2 9 fu n g a l typ e s we re d ete ct ed o f wh ich A sp e rg i ll i – Pen ic il li sp o re s co n t rib u ted h ig h e st co n cen t ra t io n . Ma x imu m co n cen t ra t io n o f fu n g a l sp o re s wa s o b se rved in th e mo n th o f Ju l y in 2 0 0 9 a n d S ep t e mb e r i n 2 0 1 0 wh i le m in i mu m co n cen t ra tio n wa s o b se rv ed in th e mo n th o f Ma rch in b o th yea r s . All e rg en ica ll y s ig n i fi c a n t fu n g a l sp o re s re sp o n sib le fo r se rio u s h ea lth h a za rd s w er e d et ected th ro u g h o u t th e in v es tig a tio n p e r io d . S ea so n a l va r ia t io n o f a i rb o rn e fu n g a l sp o r es wa s co rr ela ted w it h me teo ro lo g ica l p a ra m ete r s.
Keywords : A ll er g y, i n d oor a er ob i ol o gy, me te o rol o g ica l para m ete rs, s easo na l va r iat io n. I.
INTRODUCTION
It i s a we l l k no wn f ac t t hat i nd o o r air i s no t fre e fro m mi cro o r ga n is ms . I nd o o r aero b io lo g y d ea l s wi t h th e p r o b l e ms o f airb o rne mat eri al s l i ke a clo se s ys te m li k e b ui ld i n g , ho sp it al, g la s s ho u se, et c. S i nc e ma n y p eo p le sp e nd mo s t o f t he ir t i me i nd o o r s, th ere i s co n ti n uo u s co n tac t b et wee n a irb o r ne mi cro o r ga n i s ms a nd t he h u ma n o c c up yi n g th e i nd o o r e n vir o n me n t. F ur t her , h u ma n e xp o s u re to a irb o r ne micro o r g an i s ms ma y re s ul t in a vari et y o f i n fec tio u s d is ea se s, al ler g ic a n d irri ta n t r esp o n se s, re s p irato r y p ro b l e ms and h yp er se n s it i vi t y r ea ctio n s [ 1 ,2 ] . M a n y wo r k er s rep o r ted t h at i nd o o r air wi t h n at ur al ve n ti la tio n to t h e a mb i en t at mo sp he re co nt ai n sea so na ll y o cc ur ri n g p o lle n gra i n s and fu n ga l sp o r e s[ 3 ,4 ] . Sp o r e co nc e ntr at io n i n t h e air i ncr ea se s wi t h h u m an ac ti v it y wi t h i n th e b u ild i n g s s uc h a s s we ep i n g , b ed ma ki n g and b ui ld i n g rep air i n g wo r ks[5 ]. F u n ga l air sp o ra o f r es id e n tia l d wel li n g wa s rep o r ted b y ma n y wo r ke rs [6 - 1 1 ]. In h al atio n o f airb o r ne fu n ga l sp o r es ca us e s r esp ir a to r y d i so r d ers, a ll er gic d is ea se s s uc h a s a st h ma a nd sea so n al al ler ge n ic r hi ni ti e s[ 1 , 6 ] . I n M a nip ur , S i n g h a nd hi s co - wo rke rs are ac ti v el y en g a ged i n t h e f ield o f aer o b io lo g y u si n g var i o u s te c h niq ue s wi t h re fere nce to a ir sp o ra in s id e b a k er y, ho ste l k itc h e n, sa w mi l l, r ice mi l l, l ib rar y, r ic e grai n s s to re c u m sal e s ho p s, co ws h ed , e tc. b e sid es a ir sp o ra o f fie ld cro p s [1 2 -1 4 ]. So far , no wo r k ha s b ee n d o ne o n t he f u n g al air s p o r a o f r e sid e nt ial d we l li n g s o f I mp h al. I n t he li g ht o f t h e ab o ve fa ct s, t h e p r e se n t i n ve st i ga tio n wa s u nd ert a k en to d et ect t he c o mp o ne n t s o f fu n g al air sp o ra, t he ir sea so na l var ia tio n s a nd p o s s ib le so urc es fro m t h e i nd o o r air o f re sid e n ti al d wel li n g s i n I mp ha l W e st Di s tr i ct, Ma n ip ur, I nd ia.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mo n ito r i n g o f i nd o o r f u n ga l a ir sp o ra wa s c arri ed o ut i n t hr ee d we ll i n g ho u se s at I mp h al fo r t wo co n sec ut i ve year s (J a n uar y, 2 0 0 9 to Dec e mb er , 2 0 1 0 ) b y e mp lo yi n g T ila k ’s ro to r o d air sa m p ler . Transparent cellotape was applied to the rods of the sampler, trimmed back to the width of the rods and coated with vaseline. T he s a mp l er wa s o p era ted at we e k l y i nt er va ls t wi ce a d a y ( 9 .3 0 to 1 0 a. m. a n d 4 .3 0 to 5 p . m. ) by keeping at a height of 1 metre above ground level. Slides were prepared using glycerine jelly mountant and scanned regularly. The spore count was multiplied by the conversion factor, 5. T he sp o re s so trap p ed we re id e n ti f ied b as ed o n mo r p ho lo gi ca l c har ac ter s, vi s u al id e nt i fica ti o n b y co mp ar iso n wi t h re fere nc e sl id e s, p ub l i s hed li ter at ure s a nd c ul t ure p la te id e n ti fi cat io ns [ 2 ,1 5 ,1 6 ] . www.ijpsi.org
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