ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Comparison of Two Techniques for the Detection
of Environmental Fungi in a University Campus
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1
Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Calle 5 # 62-00, Santiago de Cali. Colombia
2
Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquía, Carrera. 51d #62-29, Medellín, Colombia
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Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Calle 5 # 62-00, Santiago de Cali. Colombia
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Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Libre. Carrera 109 No. 22 -00 - Valle del Lili. Cali. Colombia
Submission date: 2020-07-11
Final revision date: 2020-10-18
Acceptance date: 2020-11-02
Online publication date: 2021-04-12
Publication date: 2021-06-09
Corresponding author
Luz Dary Caicedo Bejarano
Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Calle 5 # 62-00, 760032, Cali, Colombia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(4):2995-3004
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ABSTRACT
Fungal contamination in closed or open environments has been well reported. However, studies
that address airborne spores trap methods are scarce. In this study, two techniques were evaluated to
detect fungal spores in the environment of three buildings of campus of a university in the city of
Cali, Colombia. The gravimetric method of spore trapping was compared with the volumetric method
(Air Ideal 3P) using the Omeliansky formula to determine the spore abundance. Environmental sampling
was performed quarterly for a period of 12 months using dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar.
A total of 64,497 CFU/m3 were counted, of which 34,930 CFU/m3 were isolated using the volumetric
method and 29,567 CFU/m3 using the gravimetric method. No significant statistical differences were
observed between the two techniques (P = 0.0739). The predominant genera obtained with both
methods were Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Fusarium, which suggests that although the
gravimetric method is not as efficient as the volumetric method, it is reliable in estimating environmental
fungal contamination.