EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND VARIATION OF FUNGAL SPORE CONCENTRATIONS IN INDOOR AIR

The effects of some everyday activities on concentrations of airborne fungal spores in Finnish home environments were examined to provide ba sic information needed to evaluate the importance of varying levels of fungal spores in the air. The activities studied were opening of a ce llar door, handling of different organic materials, resuspension of sp ores as a result of cleaning activities and transport of spores on clo thes and pets, Airborne spores were sampled using six-stage impactors and surface samples were taken from the materials used in the experime nts with sterile swabs or with a vacuum cleaner. Most of the activitie s had an obvious effect on the spore counts. However, vacuum cleaning, humidifying of house plants and baking caused no marked changes in th e spore concentration. The short-term activities studied in a house ex plain most of the wide variation previously observed in fungal spore c oncentrations in indoor air. These activities have to be taken into ac count when designing sampling strategies for airborne fungi, in evalua tion of the microbial quality of indoor air and when making comparison s with recommended values.