Abstract

FERRO, Raquel et al. Monitorization of fungal spores in Lisbon, 2014-2016. Rev Port Imunoalergologia [online]. 2019, vol.27, n.1, pp.29-39. ISSN 0871-9721.  https://doi.org/10.32932/rpia.2019.03.004.

Objectives: To evaluate the distribution of potentially allergenic spores in the city of Lisbon in the triennium 2014-2016, to charactere its prevalence in the outdoor atmosphere and to study the influence of the meteorological factors on the concentrations. Methodology: Monitoring data from the Lisbon station of the Portuguese Aerobiology Network of fungal spores from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016 were analyzed. A Burkard Seven Day Volumetric Spore-trap® collector and optical microscope reading system based on the analysis of a longitudinal line at the center of the slide with a magnification of 600x were used. The influence of the meteorological factors on the concentrations of fungal spores was examined with the Spearman correlation analysis. Results: In this study, a mean daily concentration of 3.118 spore fungal/m3 spores was obtained. The highest annual concentration observed was in 2014 (1.258.580 spore fungal/m3). The most abundant types of fungi spores were Cladosporium cladosporoides (48,2%), Coprinus (4,5%), Leptosphaeria (2,5%), Agaricus (2,0%), Cladosporium herbarum (1,9%), Ustilago (1,5%) and Alternaria (1,2%). The highest concentrations of fungal spores occurred in the summer and autumn months, being particularly highest in the autumn. A clear effect of meteorological factors on the fungal spores concentrations was observed. The mean temperature presented a positive correlation with total spores, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Ustilago concentrations and a negative correlation with Coprinus, Agaricus and Leptosphaeria levels. Relative humidity and precipitation had a positive effect with Coprinus, Agaricus and Leptosphaeria concentrations but negative with total spores, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Ustilago concentrations. Conclusions: This study allowed to know the type and the distribution of fungal spores present in the atmosphere of Lisbon. There was a similar seasonal trend in the three years studied. The highest levels of fungal spores were recorded in summer and autumn. The genus Cladosporium represented 50% of the total spores collected. The variation of the meteorological parameters clearly influences the concentrations of fungal spores. The mean temperature was the factor that exerted the greatest influence on the spore levels.

Keywords : Aerobiology; climate parameters; fungal spores; Lisbon.

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