Concentration and species diversity of airborne fungi near busy streets in Lithuanian urban areas.

Abstract

The investigations on air pollution in industrial cities of Lithuania: Vilnius, Alytus, Kaunas, Marijampole and Elektrenai were aimed at detecting the presence of fungi and aerosol particles during different seasons of the year. Sampling of fungal spores was carried out at 20 sampling sites. Active air sampling was performed simultaneously with the use of passive sedimentation plates. Data on the spread of various micromycete species in the air of cities contaminated with various pollutants are presented. Micromycetes of 430 species belonging to 165 genera, 19 families, 13 orders, 4 classes, and 3 phylla were isolated and identified. We found 21 species, 11 genera, 7 families from Ascomycota, 6 species, 1 genus, 1 family from Oomycota, 45 species, 15 genera, 8 families from Zygomycota. Mitosporic fungi comprised 138 genera, 358 species, and comprised the vast majority of identified species: 358 out of 430 (83.25 %). Conditionally pathogenic species were also isolated. It was concluded that the abundance of such fungi as Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans in the air can be a significant criterion for the evaluation of air pollution.