Bacterial and fungal aerosol in indoor environment in Upper Silesia, Poland
Introduction
Bioaerosols are artificially generated or naturally occurring particles of biological origin suspended in the air. Viable particles can exist in the airborne state as single cells or as clumps of microorganisms as small as 1–10 μm in size, and non-viable bioaerosol particles cover a wide size range. The definition of bioaerosols generally includes those bioaerosols which have combined with non-bioaerosols (rafting). Many indoor bioaerosols originate outdoors but specific bioaerosol sources may develop due to microbial growth in a building's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. An important source of airborne bacteria in the indoor environment is the occupant. Recently new sources of bioaerosols have appeared in commercial and other laboratories through the introduction of biotechnology, with the utilization of microorganisms to produce useful pharmaceutical products, enzymes and food substitutes (Lacey and Dutkiewicz, 1994).
Airborne bacteria and fungi can be the cause of a variety of infectious diseases as well as allergic and toxic effects. Epidemiological investigations have shown that the “sick-building syndrome” and hypersensitivity diseases (for example, humidifier fever or asthma) are often associated with exposure to large concentrations of airborne microbes (ACGIH, 1989; Dales et al., 1991; Husman et al., 1993).
Infectious and non-infectious diseases caused by inhalation of different bioaerosols depend not only on the biological properties and chemical composition of these bioaerosols but also on the number inhaled and the site of their deposition in the respiratory system. Because the deposition site of particles is directly related to the aerodynamic diameter of the particle, the health effect of bioaerosols depends highly on their physical properties and especially their size distribution. Particles larger than 10 μm have a low probability of entering and traversing the nasal region of the respiratory naseo-pharyngeal tract. Bioaerosols 5–10 μm in aerodynamic diameter are mainly deposited in the upper respiratory system and can cause, for example, allergic rhinitis. Particles smaller than 5 μm, the so-called respirable fraction, are able to penetrate into the alveoli and can lead to allergic alveolitis and other serious illnesses (Lacey and Crook, 1988; Chatigny and Macher, 1989; Burge, 1990; Owen et al., 1992; Seltzer, 1995).
The aim of this study was to characterize the indoor bioaerosols (bacteria and fungi) in Upper Silesia to guide future determination of some criteria for assessing Silesian indoor air quality. This region is an extensively urbanized and industrialized province in southern Poland where coal mining and metallurgy are still major industrial activities. Previous studies have shown that the dominant tropospheric particles in this region are created by inefficient coal combustion (Pastuszka et al., 1989, Pastuszka et al., 1993; Pastuszka and Okada, 1995) and that these particles are fundamentally different from typical coal fly ash spheres (Rietmeijer and Janeczek, 1997). This highly polluted outdoor air is (excluding cigarette smoking) the main source of particulate matter in the indoor environment of Upper Silesia (Pastuszka et al., 1996). Because bacteria and other bioaerosols may attach to other particles (“rafting”) and be transported with them (Owen et al., 1992; Nevalainen et al., 1993; Chanda, 1996), it follows that in air with high concentrations of particulates, the typical size distribution of bioaerosols can be changed resulting in altered size distributions of respirable bacteria and other bioaerosols.
Section snippets
Methods
Measurements were carried out in 1996–1998 in 70 dwellings, mostly flats in 4–10 storey buildings, classified with and without mold problems. Candidates for moldy homes were identified from clinical records at the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, for patients reporting a wide variety of asthma symptoms (e.g., cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness), who declared that they live in moldy homes. These homes were then inspected for the presence of mold, and
Results and discussion
The concentrations of bacterial and fungal aerosols in the outdoor environment are shown in Table 1 while the indoor data are presented in Table 2 (fungi) and 3 (bacteria). The results show that in the outdoor environment the concentrations of bacteria and fungi are similar and depend strongly on season. Outdoor bacterial and fungal concentrations in summer are an order of magnitude higher than winter (Table 1).
Because there was no seasonal difference in bacterial concentration in the indoor
Summary and conclusions
In Upper Silesia the typical concentration level of bacterial aerosol in homes is 103 CFU m−3. The level of the indoor fungal aerosol in this region in healthy homes is 10–102 CFU m−3 in winter and 10–103 CFU m−3 in summer. Generally, in moldy homes the concentration of airborne fungi is elevated, reaching 104 CFU m−3 in some dwellings.
Respirable bacteria represent 50% of the total, and respirable fungi represent 70 and 80% of the total in summer and winter, respectively. This relationship
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Dr. Rafał Górny, Mrs. Gabriela Scigała and Mrs. Beata Łudzen-Izbińska, IOMEH, Sosnowiec, Poland, for skilful assistance. We also express our gratitude to Dr. Marek Rakowski, IOMEH, for constructive comments and discussions. The stay of J.S. Pastuszka at the University of California Davis was supported by The Kosciuszko Foundation, New York, NY.
References (55)
- et al.
Wind tunnel measurements of the resuspension of ideal particles
Atmospheric Environment
(1982) - et al.
Microflora and acarofauna of bed dust from homes in Upper Silesia
Poland. Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
(1996) - et al.
Seasonal fungus prevalance inside and outside of domestic environments in the subtropical climate
Atmospheric Environment
(1994) - et al.
Bioaerosols and occupational lung disease
Journal of Aerosol Science
(1994) - et al.
Microbiological indoor air quality in subtropical areas
Environment International
(1993) - et al.
The indoor air quality in Finish homes with mold problem
Environment International
(1991) - et al.
Performance of bioaerosol samplers: collection characteristics and sampler design considerations
Atmospheric Environment
(1992) - et al.
Airborne particle sizes and sources found in indoor air
Atmospheric Environment
(1992) - et al.
Particulate pollution level in Katowice, a highly industrialized Polish city
Atmospheric Environment
(1993) - et al.
Preliminary studies of elemental carbon mass size distribution in Katowice
Journal of Aerosol Science
(1989)
Features of atmospheric aerosol particles in Katowice
Poland. The Science of the Total Environment
An analytical electron microscope study of airborne industrial particles in Sosnowiec
Poland. Atmospheric Environment
A volumetric study of winter fungus prevalence in the air of midwest homes
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
The role of electrostatics in spore liberation by Drechslera turcica
Mycologia
Urban living as a risk factor for atopic sensitization in Swedish schoolchildren
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
Bioaerosols: prevalence and health effects in the indoor environment
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Implications of aerobiology in respiratory allergy
Annals of Agricultural Environmental Medicine
Respiratory health effects of home dampness and molds amond children
American Journal of Epidemiology
Bioaerosol concentrations in noncomplaint, complaint and intervention homes in the Midwest
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
Mould allergy in schoolchildren in relation to airborne fungi and residential characteristics in homes and schools in northern Norway
Indoor Air
Bacteria and fungi in organic dust as potential health hazard
Annals of Agricultural Environmental Medicine
Cited by (287)
Impacts of dust storms on indoor and outdoor bioaerosol concentration in the Sistan region of Iran
2023, Journal of Building EngineeringOn-site investigation of the concentrations and size distributions of bioaerosols in the underground garages
2023, Atmospheric Pollution ResearchDistribution characteristics and potential risks of bacterial aerosol in waste transfer station
2023, Journal of Environmental ManagementAbundance and diversity of bioaerosols in laboratories: emission factors, potential control measures, and possible health threats
2023, Bioaerosols Emission from Anthropogenic Sources: Influencing Factors, Microbial Diversity, Epidemiological Threats, and Control ApproachesHealth impacts of an extreme dust event: a case and risk assessment study on airborne bacteria in Beijing, China
2024, Environmental Sciences Europe