• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.407-414
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to assess based on field investigation the distribution characteristics of airborne fungi in an area of Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Methods: Three sites, a living area, forest and traffic site, were selected for evaluation of monthly level of outdoor airborne fungi. An on-site survey was executed between January 2009 and December 2009. During the experimental period, air sampling was performed every month in the afternoon (2:00 pm-5:00 pm) using a cascade impactor. Results: Outdoor airborne fungi measured in Seoul, Korea over one year showed a concentration range from 850CFU $m^{-3}$ to 15,200CFU $m^{-3}$. The mean respirable fraction of outdoor airborne fungi was 67% compared to total concentration. Regardless of measurement site, there was no significant concentration difference in outdoor airborne fungi between periods of yellow dust and non-yellow dust (p>0.05). There was no significant correlation relationship between outdoor airborne fungi and atmospheric factors such as temperature and relative humidity. The predominant genera of airborne fungi identified were Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Paecilomyces and Penicillium. Conclusion: Monthly levels of outdoor airborne fungi were highest in April and November and lowest in August. In seasonal concentration distribution, the autumn showed the highest level of outdoor airborne fungi, followed by spring, summer and winter. In regional concentration distribution, the highest level of outdoor airborne fungi was generally found in the forest, followed by the living area and traffic site.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.438-446
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed in order to determine airborne fungi levels in homes and find related factors that may affect airborne fungi concentration. Methods: Fifty homes were study subjects for measuring airborne fungi. For sampling airborne fungi, the impaction method on agar plates was used and samples were counted as colony forming units per cubic meter of air ($CFU/m^3$). In addition, information regarding housing characteristics and atopic disease in each home were collected via questionnaire. Results: The geometric means (GM) of airborne fungi concentrations in fifty living rooms and bedrooms were 68.03 and 62.93 $CFU/m^3$, respectively. The GM of airborne fungi concentration in atopy homes was 78.42 $CFU/m^3$. This was higher than non-atopy homes' 54.34 $CFU/m^3$ (p-value=0.051). In the results of the multiple regression analysis, outdoor airborne fungal concentration proved a strong effective factor on indoor airborne fungal concentration. Also, construction year, floor area of house, indoor smoking and frequency of ventilation were factors that showed a significant association with indoor airborne fungi concentration. Conclusions: The results of this study show that some housing and living characteristics may affect the development and increase of airborne fungi. In addition, exposure to airborne fungi may be a risk factor for the prevalence of childhood atopic diseases.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.757-763
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• 2020

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of airborne fungi in public transportation from autumnl 2016 to summer 2017. Methods: This study measured the concentrations of airborne fungi on six subway lines and intercity buses in Seoul. Results: The concentration of fungi in the air in public transportation was found to be lower than the standard (500 CFU/㎥) for vulnerable group facilities among public use facities. In summer, the concentration of airborne fungi was relatively higher than in autumn. The concentrations of airborne fungi in subway (252.0 CFU/㎥) and train (45.1 CFU/㎥) were high tendency during non-rush hours in summer, while intercity bus was hightendency during rush hours in summer (111.9 CFU/㎥). The major types of airborne fungi in public transportation were Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Conclusions: The harmful airborne fungus were detected though they did not exceed the standard in all public transportation. As a result, further studies on the analysis of the distribution of airborne fungi by ventilation and the characterization of indoor environments are needed to propose effective management of airborne fungi in public transportation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.478-485
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• 2009

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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.465-471
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• 2015

Objectives: An objective of this study is to apply a thermal image camera which shows various color according to temperature of indoor surface for estimating concentration of airborne fungi. Materials and Methods: While wall temperature were monitored by applying the thermal image camera, airborne bacteria as well as air temperature and relative humidity have been measured in lecture room and toilet of university for seven months. Results: Based on the results obtained from this study, the ranges of temperature and airborne fungi concentration were $20{\sim}24^{\circ}C$ and $20{\sim}400cfu/m^3 $ for red image, $17.5{\sim}20^{\circ}C$ and $35{\sim}150cfu/m^3$ for orange image, $15.5{\sim}17.5^{\circ}C$ and $25{\sim}650cfu/m^3$ for sky-blue image, and $13.5{\sim}15.5^{\circ}C$ and $50{\sim}200cfu/m^3$ for blue image, respectively. The color of indoor surface taken shot by thermal image camera showed consistent trend with temperature of indoor surface. There is, however, little correlation between color of indoor surface and airborne fungi concentration(p>0.05). Among environmental factors, relative humidity in indoor air showed a significant relationship with airborne fungi concentration(p<0.05). Conclusions: The more measurement data for proving statistically an association between color of indoor surface and airborne fungi concentration should be provided to easily estimate indoor level of airborne fungi.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2006

The objective of this study is to provide fundamental data for pertinent management of indoor air quality through investigating the size-based characteristics of bioaerosol distributed in the general hospital. Measurement sites are main lobby, ICU, ward and laboratory and total five times were sampled with six-stage cascade impactor. Based on the result of this study, concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi were the highest in main lobby as followed by an order of ward, ICU and laboratory. Concentrations of airborne bacteria was generally higher than those of airborne fungi and the ratio of indoor and outdoor concentration of both exceeded 1.0 in all the measurement sites of the general hospital. The predominant genera of airborne bacteria identified in the general hospital were Staphylococcus spp.(50%), Micrococcus spp.(15-20%), Corynebacterium spp.(5-20%), and Bacillus spp.(5-15%). On the other hand, the predominant genera of airborne fungi identified in the general hospital were Cladosporium spp.(30%), Penicillium spp.(20-25%), Aspergillus spp.(15-20%), and Alternaria spp.(10-20%). In regard to size distribution of bioaerosol, the detection rate was generally highest on 5 stage($1.1-2.1{\mu}m$) for airborne bacteria and on 1 stage(>$7.0{\mu}m$) for airborne fungi. Cleanliness of facilities in the general hospital and condition of HVAC system should be monitored regularly to prevent indoor air contamination by airborne microorganisms.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.36-45
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• 2006

The aim of this study is to examine size-based concentration and genera of airborne fungi distributed in public facilities such as hospital, kindergarten, day-care center and postpartum nurse center and to provide fundamental data in order to prevent respiratory diseases caused by exposure to airborne fungi. Culturable total and respirable concentrations of airborne fungi averaged to $382\;cfu/m^3\;and\;292\;cfu/m^3$ in hospital, $536\;cfu/m^3\;and\;347\;cfu/m^3$ in kindergarten, $334\;cfu/m^3\;and\;266\;cfu/m^3$ in day-care center, and $371\;cfu/m^3\;and\;289\;cfu/m^3$ in postpartum nurse center, respectively. The ratio of respirable to total concentration of airborne fungi in the investigated public facilities was ranged from $55\%\;to\;70\%$ but there was no significant difference among them (p>0.05). The mean I/O ratio of culturable total and respirable concentrations were 0.56 and 0.64 in hospital, 0.72 and 0.91 in kindergarten, 0.33 and 0.45 in day-care center, and 0.63 and 0.73 in postpartum nurse center, respectively. Indoor concentration of airborne fungi did not correlated significantly with indoor temperature and relative humidity (p>0.05) but had a significant positive correlation with $CO_2$ concentration (p<0.01) and surrounding condition (p<0.05). Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp., and Aspergillus spp. were estimated to over $95\%$ of total airborne fungi identified in the investigated public facilities.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.325-330
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• 2006

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the level of airborne fungi and environmental factors in Seoul metropolitan subway stations and to provide fundamental data to protect the health of subway workers and passengers. Methods: The field survey was performed from November in 2004 to February in 2005. A total 22 subway stations located at Seoul subway lines 1-4 were randomly selected. The measurement points were subway workers' activity areas (station office, bedroom, ticket office and driver's seat) and the passengers' activity areas (station precincts, inside train and platform). Air sampling for collecting airborne fungi was carried out using a one-stage cascade impactor. The PM and CO2 were measured using an electronic direct recorder and detecting tube, respectively. Results: In the activity areas of the subway workers and passengers, the mean concentrations of airborne fungi were relatively higher in the workers' bedroom and station precinct whereas the concentration of particulate matter, $PM_{10}\;and\;PM_{2.5}$, were relatively higher in the platform, inside the train and driver's seat than in the other activity areas. There was no significant difference in the concentration of airborne fungi between the underground and ground activity areas of the subway. The mean $PM_{10}\;and\;PM_{2.5}$ concentration in the platform located at underground was significantly higher than that of the ground (p<0.05). Conclusions: The levels of airborne fungi in the Seoul subway line 1-4 were not serious enough to cause respiratory disease in subway workers and passengers. This indicates that there is little correlation between airborne fungi and particulate matter.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.77-85
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• 2007

Recently, there is increasing interest in indoor air pollution. Fungal spores are one of the pollutants that is the causes of hypersensitivity reactions, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis. This study was performed to assess the levels of fungi concentration in public facilities and airborne fungi were collected with the air sampler using DRBC(Dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol) agar. It was found that airborne fungi concentration were related to the humidity and the people movement. 10 genera of fungi was isolated and identified and the most common culturable fungi were Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Aspergillus.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.5 s.81
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• pp.440-448
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• 2004

Airborne bacteria, gram negative bacteria (GNB) and fungi were measured in 70 class of 17 kindergartens. The objective of this study is to identify the factors influencing airborne concentrations of bacteria, GNB and fungi using multiple regression analysis. The average concentrations of bacteria and fungi exceeded $1,000\;CFU/m^3$. The average of GNB was $3.7{\times}10^2\;CFU/m^3$. This results indicated that air of kindergartens was contaminated with microbes such as bacteria and fungi. ANOVA test found that the concentrations of bacteria, GNB and fungi were significantly different by the characteristics of weather (rain, after rain, sunny) sampling date (July, August, September and October), the location of sampling site (ground level and basement) and the location of toilet (inside class, nearby class and away class). Multiple regression tests concluded that sampling date, the scale of city where kindergartens are located, the location of sampling site and ventilation efficiency can significantly affect the airborne concentration of bacteria, GNB and fungi. Most of these factors could be related moisture. Environmental factors that can cause the increment of moisture should be controlled in order to reduce airborne concentration of bacteria, GNB and fungi. Legal actions concerning prohibition on the presence of toilet inside class and ventilation criteria should be taken.