SURVEY OF AIRBORNE CULTURABLE AND NON-CULTURABLE FUNGI AT DIFFERENT SITES IN DELHI METROPOLIS

A two year aerobiological survey for culturable and non-culturable fun gi was conducted at human height at five different sites in Delhi metr opolis. Burkard Personal Volumetric Sampler for petriplates and slide exposures were used for sampling the air. With simultaneous petriplate and slide exposure a total of 98 fungal forms were recorded. Cladospo rium contributed for 25-40% of total airborne fungi followed by Ustila go (smuts) (24%) Aspergillus flavus (10-13%), Alternaria (11%) and A. niger (8%). Basidiomycetes contributed 7-13% at different sites. The f requency of occurrence of these types varied from 50-98%. In general f ungal concentration was high from July to April with low counts in win ter (January) and dry and hot summer (May-June). Quantitative variatio ns in the spore counts were found to be statistically significant with in the same urban locality.