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Título

Airborne fungi in libraries: a potential risk to the respiratory health of visitors

Resumo

Introduction: The mycobiota of indoor environments has been the subject of extensive investigations due to its potential impact on respiratory health. Among these enclosed environments, libraries are often identified as locations prone to harboring a diversity of airborne fungi that pose potential health risks, especially in triggering allergic manifestations. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to identify the airborne fungi present in libraries of basic and higher education institutions in the city of Maceió, state of Alagoas, Brazil. Methods: Samples of ambient air were collected in three libraries belonging to different educational institutions, using 55 Petri dishes containing Sabouraud agar with chloramphenicol. The plates were strategically positioned in areas of constant access, with an equidistant distance of 8.5 meters between them. The taxonomic identification of the resulting fungal colonies was carried out through macroscopic observation (giant colony technique) and microscopic examination (microculture test), including complementary phenotypic assays when necessary. Results: Out of the 55 analyzed samples, 351 colony-forming units (CFUs) were obtained, of which 331 (94.3%) were identified as filamentous fungi, while 20 (5.7%) were classified as yeast-like fungi. The taxonomic identification of filamentous fungi revealed a higher occurrence of Penicillium spp. (115 CFUs), followed by Cladosporium spp. (79 CFUs), Alternaria spp. (20 CFUs), Aspergillus spp. (20 CFUs), and Curvularia spp. (18 CFUs). Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the presence of a wide variety of potentially pathogenic and toxigenic fungi, posing a risk of triggering allergic processes, thus reaffirming the importance of implementing hygiene and disinfection protocols in these environments to promote safer and healthier spaces.

Keywords: Airborne fungi, Indoor environments, Libraries, Environmental Health, Air Quality, Hypersensitivity