IDENTIFICATION AND COUNTING OF FUNGAL SPORES BY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE *

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Abstract
High atmospheric concentrations of fungal and actinomycetous spores are known to cause allergic alveolitis. Both viable and non-viable spores are assumed to cause symptoms. Spore cultivation yields only a measure of viable organisms present. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) has great depth of focus and good resolution, thus allowing a detailed examination of the surface structure of spores. In the present work sampling by Nuclepore filter and counting with SEM was compared to sampling by Andersen impactor and counting colony-forming units. The number of colony-forming units measured by the Andersen method was only 1–17% of the number of aggregates found with SEM. It was possible to identify the main species encountered in agricultural work on the basis of spore size, shape and characteristic surface structures in SEM micrographs.