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http://dx.doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2009.35.6.478

Assessment of Airborne Fungi Concentrations in Subway Stations in Seoul, Korea  

Cho, Jun-Ho (Public Health Adminstration, Hanyang Woman's University)
Paik, Nam-Won (Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
Publication Information
Journal of Environmental Health Sciences / v.35, no.6, 2009 , pp. 478-485 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study was performed to assess airborne fungi concentrations during fall in eight subway stations in Seoul, Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate appropriate culture media and evaluate factors affecting airborne fungi concentrations. Results indicated that airborne fungi concentrations showed log-normal distribution. Thus, geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) were calculated. The GM of airborne fungi concentrations cultured on malt extract agar (MEA) media was 466 $cfu/m^3$ (GSD 3.12; Range 113~4,172 $cfu/m^3$) and the GM of concentrations cultured on DG18 media was 242 $cfu/m^3$ (GSD 4.75; Range 49~6,093 $cfu/m^3$). Both of GM values exceeded 150 $cfu/m^3$, the guideline of World Health Organization (WHO). There was no significant difference between two fungi concentrations cultured on MEA and DG18 media, respectively. Two factors, such as relative humidity and depths of subway stations were significantly related to airborne fungi concentrations. It is recommended that special consideration should be given to deeper subway stations for improvement of indoor air quality.
Keywords
airborne fungi; subway station; MEA; DG18; relative humidity; depth;
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