ISSN 2756-3294
African Journal of Botany ISSN: 3519-3824 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Identification and distribution of aeromycoflora in the indoor environment of Shyambazar Metro-Railway Station, Kolkata, India
Debasmita Ghosh1*, Priyanka Dhar2, Ashok Kumar Das1 and Naim Uddin1
1Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Barasat Government College, University of Calcutta, 24 PGS North, West Bengal, India.
2Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Defence Research and Development Organization, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Accepted 09 September, 2019
Abstract
Concentrations of fungal spores constitute a significant amount in bioaerosol depending on geographical regions and seasonal variations. Mycotoxin producing spores have adverse effects on humans. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalent species of airborne fungi in the indoor environment of the Shyambazar Metro-Railway Station, Kolkata, India. This area is below the ground level and fully surrounded, with constant movement of commuters. It is warm and humid with temperature and humidity ranges of 26.8 to 35.9°C and 50 to 88.3% respectively. Air sample was collected for four months within the interval of two weeks by means of gravitational settling method via Petri dishes with Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture media. Those fungi colonies that formed after an incubation period of 3 to 5 days at 25 to 28°C were determined on the basis of micro and macro morphological characteristics. In this investigation, among fourteen spore types, Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungal genera followed by Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium sp. In addition, five sterile types and one unidentified species were also detected. The variation in the number of fungal colony was observed after every two weeks, in the summer months. The results of this investigation appeared to be quite significant for taking corrective measures.
Key words: Bioaerosol, aeromycoflora, mycotoxin, fungal spore, metro-railway station.