Introduction: There is no standard method for enumerating airborne fungal bioaerosols in indoor air quality investigations. A variety of sampling instruments are available with limited knowledge of their comparative sampling efficiencies in field situations. A field comparison of three commonly used instruments was conducted in a variety of public buildings (office buildings, research institutions, hospitals, temporary mobile buildings) within southern British Columbia. The Andersen N-6 (N6), Surface Air System (SAS) Super 90 and Reuter Centrifugal Sampler (RCS), in combination with two types of media, malt extract agar (MEA) and dichloran glycerol-18 agar (DG18) were compared with respect to enumeration of culturable airborne fungal propagules.

Methods: Sampling was conducted from June-September at 50 different sites. At each site, four locations were sampled (1 common area, 2 offices and 1 outdoor sample). Each location was sampled in parallel with the three instruments, collecting approximately 150 litres for each sample. Sequential duplicates were taken for each media type. Samples were incubated at room temperature and the total colony forming units were determined for each. Data analysis was performed on log-transformed concentration data.

Results: A high correlation coefficient (r>0.70, p<0.001) with a significant difference (p<0.001) between the concentrations collected by each instrument for both media types resulted. Geometric mean concentrations (CFU/m3) collected had the following order for MEA: RCS>N6>SAS (131.85>59.69> 16.41 CFU/m3 respectively) and DG-18, N6>RCS>SAS (58.57>38.36>16.03 CFU/m3 respectively). A significant difference (p<0.001) was found between the MEA and the DG18 media for the RCS only. A significantly greater concentration (p<0.001) was found in naturally ventilated sites than in mechanically ventilated sites.

Conclusions: The differences in the field performance of these three instruments suggest that the results obtained for concentration of culturable fungal bioaerosols is dependent on the method employed for the assessment.

• fungi: assessment, sampling and analysis : field performance of 3 N6, SAS & RCS over MEA DG19 media

1. A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics  

1. A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics  

1. A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics  

1. A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics  

1. A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics
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