Indoor air studies of fungi contamination at the Tabacco factory in Kavala, Greece

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the presence of airborne fungi at the tabacco Factory in Kavala, Greece. Material and methods: Materials for the tests were: the air samples (in front of the building and the selected rooms) of the Museum tabacco factory-old, Museum tabacco factory-new, and old tabacco factory. The air pollution was determined using SAS SUPER 100 (Pbi International). The microbial flora from walls was assessed using the Count-Tact applicator and the plate Count-Tact (BioMerieux). Humidity and temperature were evaluated by a termohygrometr. Results: The following fungal pathogens isolated from air were Aspergillus, Candida albicans, Candida spp., and Penicillium species. The dominated fungal pathogens isolated from the air samples were Aspergillus and Candida albicans. We found a comparable number of fungi colonies in these three museums. No significant correlation between CFU of fungi in air and temperature in the tested museums was noted. Similarly, no relationship between CFU of fungi in air and humidity was found. Conclusions: The main fungal pathogens isolated from the air samples were Aspergillus and Candida albicans in the tabacco factory in Kavala. Key words: indoor air fungi, SAS SUPER 100, Greece