Improving the Predictive Value of Air Sampling for Fungal Aerosols with Aggressive Sampling

The presence and activity of humans, in building spaces, that aerosolize deposited reservoirs of fungal particles seem to constitute the single most important cause of the significant variability observed for indoor air sampling for fungal aerosols. This study investigates whether the use of an aggressive sampling technique instead of the usual passive sampling technique, can reduce this variability. The measurements were made in rooms, with and without human activity. With passive sampling technique, the fungal aerosol concentration in rooms without human activity was on average only 9 % of that found with human activity. When aggressive sampling technique was used, this average was 103 %. Use of aggressive sampling, therefore, eliminates to a large extent the variability caused by differences in human activity and thereby improves the predictability of indoor air sampling for fungal aerosols. The level of fungal aerosols was determined by measurements of the activity of the fungal related enzyme β-N-acetylhexosaminidase(NAHA).