Fungal spore air pollution in selected environments in Nairobi, Kenya
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Date
2024-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
Fungal spores constitute major bioaerosols and are important indicators of bio-pollution. The
rural–urban migration has increased human activity, causing air pollution concerns globally.
This study explored the seasonal load, distribution, and diversity of fungal spores at different
strategic sites in Nairobi, Kenya. The fungal air spores were systematically collected from
markets, roads, and recreational, and dumping sites within Nairobi City County. Briefly,
Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) plates were exposed on site for 5 minutes, and transported
for incubation at 28°C for 7 days. Temperature, humidity, and wind speed data were recorded
using the AccuWeather mobile app. Fungal cultures were identified using standard macro and
micro-phenotypic features. The relationship between the fungal concentration and meteorological parameters was analyzed using multiple regression and PNiger. The wet season had
the highest number of fungal spores (5318.88 CFU m− 3
) compared to the dry season (1929.58
CFU m− 3
.) We identified 502 isolates across two seasons; 16 genera and 38 species comprising
Ascomycota 426 (89.31%), Basidiomycota 21 (4.40%), Deuteromycota 17 (3.56%), Muromycota
7(1.47%) and Zycomycota 6(1.26%). The most isolated fungal genera included Candida
(17.13%), followed by Penicillium 66 (13.15%), Fusarium 62 (12.35%), Aspergillus 61 (12.15%)
and Cladosporium 60 (11.95%). Temperature, humidity and windspeed significantly affected
airborne fungal concentration (p = .000), (p = .0280) and (p = .000), respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the temperature negatively correlated with the fungal concentration significantly (p = .000), humidity positively correlated with the fungal concentration
significantly (p = .001), and wind speed negatively correlated with the fungal concentration
significantly (p = .000). Our findings highlight the significance of fungal air pollution and the
possible risks of human mycoses. The significance of fungal spore pollutants and human
mycoses to climate change needs to be explored.
Description
Article
Keywords
Citation
Kiprop, V., Nyamache, A. K., Njerwana, S., & Bii, C. C. (2024). Fungal spore air pollution in selected environments in Nairobi, Kenya. Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, 36(1), 2386168.