• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제32권1호
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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.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제39권5호
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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.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권4호
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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.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제46권6호
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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.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제38권5호
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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.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.122-133
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• 2018

순천 선암사는 산림과 계곡으로 둘러싸여 가파른 지형에 위치하고 있으며 평지보다 온 습도는 높고 바람의 세기가 약하여 생물 피해가 우려되는 곳이다. 이에 계절마다 진균상 조사를 통해 실내 외 공기질에 분포하는 진균의 농도와 다양성을 조사하였다. 외부 공기질에 분포하는 진균의 농도는 봄($276CFU/m^3$)에 가장 높았고, 가을($196CFU/m^3$), 여름($128CFU/m^3$), 겨울($24CFU/m^3$) 순으로 감소하였다. 가장 하단에 위치한 지장전은 여름철에 $337.4CFU/m^3$, 가장 상단에 위치한 원통전은 가을철에는 $333.4CFU/m^3$의 가장 높은 농도를 나타냈다. 실내 외 공기질에서 부유균 농도의 차이가 컸던 계절은 여름철이었으며 $128CFU/m^3$인 외부보다 실내 공기질에 최소 0.5배에서 최대 3배 정도의 많은 진균이 부유하고 있었다. 부유 진균이 가장 많이 수집된 계절은 봄철이었지만 다양성은 여름과 가을철 공기질에서 더 높았는데 여름에는 28속 45종, 가을에는 25속 47종의 진균이 확인되었다. 특히, 가을철에는 모든 조사 지점에서 부유 진균의 분포도가 가장 높았는데 그 중에서 자낭균이 86%를 차지하였고 Cladosporium속이 우점하였다. Penicillim속은16종이 검출되어 종다양성이 가장 높았고 야외보다는 여름과 가을, 겨울철의 실내 공기질에 주로 분포하였다.

• 한국환경보건학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경보건학회 2003년도 Challenges and Achievements in Environmental Health
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• pp.181-182
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• 2003

Our study from Feburary to March, 2003, were done in university office A and B, located in Seoul. This study was carried out to investigate the reduction of the airborne fungi before and after we activate the air cleaner which using ionization. And the method of assessment was done by the CAMNEA method. The result was as follows. 1. In the research office A, the concentration of the airborne fungi was 18(${\pm}$11.3) CFU/㎥ before the ionizing air cleaner system was turned on: whereas three days after this result the concentration decreased to less than 1 CFU/㎥. 2. In the laboratory office B, the concentration was 210.6(${\pm}$5.3) CFU/㎥ before using the air cleaner and was decreased to 32.2(t 10.3) CFU/㎥ after using the air cleaner. The remediation rate in the experiment was 85 percentile,

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.335-342
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• 2007

The objective of the study is to investigate the distribution patterns of airborne bacteria and fungi in the feedstuff manufacture factory. The mean levels of airborne bacteria and fungi in the feedstuff manufacture factory were $113({\pm}18)cfu/m^3$ and $89({\pm}5)cfu/m^3$ for pelleting process and $198({\pm}5)cfu/m^3$ and $124({\pm}12)cfu/m^3$ for powdering process, respectively. The percentage of respirable and total concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi in the feedstuff manufacture factory ranged from 60% to 90% and were higher in pelleting process than powdering process. The ratio of indoor and outdoor airborne microorganism exceeded 1.0 regardless of types of feedstuff manufacture process. Based on the result of the study, there would be an association between environmental factors such as relative humidity and carbon dioxide and airborne microorganism's bioactivity.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제30권5호
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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.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.361-365
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• 2011

To evaluate the indoor air quality of food manufacturing plants, the presence of viable bacteria and fungi was assessed in the indoor air of the facilities at which 9 food items were manufactured. Air samples were collected from the general zone, low clean zone and clean zone of each factory with an air sampler, in combination with plate counts agar using for bacteria, and dichloran-glycerol agar for fungi. The samples were incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 4 to 7 days. After culture, the colony forming units (CFU) on each plate were counted and corrected with a positive hole conversion table. The average concentration of bacteria was $2.2{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$ in the general zone, $1.2{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$ in the low clean zone and $7.3{\times}10^2\;CFU/m^3$ in the clean zone. The average concentration of fungal microbes was $2.5{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$ in the general zone, $2.6{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$ in the low clean zone, and $2.0{\times}10^2\;CFU/m^3$ in the clean zone. No meaningful differences were detected between the general zone and the low clean zone, but the clean zone had significantly lower concentrations than the other zones. Additionally, the identification of the fungi was performed according to morphological method using a giant culture and slide culture. The fungi were identified as belonging to 18 genera, and the genera Cladosporium(33%), Penicillium(29%) and Aspergillus(26%), predominated. Aspergillus isolates were identified to species level, and A. ochraceus, a mycotoxigenic species, was identified. As part of the effort to control the quality of the indoor air of food manufacturing plants, our results show that continued studies are clearly warranted.