Air-Borne Fungal Spores Before and After Raising Dust

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Abstract
The appearance of air-borne spores in the atmosphere of rooms after raising house-dust was investigated. Sampling was carried out in the homes of 8 persons in the London area, during the months Nov.-March. The method of trapping spores by sedimentation on open Petri-dishes was used in these preliminary studies. The total number of colonies on plates exposed during raising dust and shortly afterwards was larger than the total number on plates exposed before this performance. The increases were approx. 14 times, and 4 times, respectively. The increase was due mainly to an increase in the numbers of colonies of yeast, Pullularia, Penicillium and Cladosporium. The method of sampling by sedimentation is open to criticism. When spores suspended in air are to be sampled, the sedimentation velocity of particles of various sizes should be considered in determining the accuracy of the sample. Only larger particles fall quickly enough to be collected efficiently by sedimentation. Sampling by impingement will reflect a truer picture of the suspension of small dry spores in the atmosphere.