Survey of Indoor Aeromycoflora of Guru Ghasidas Museum in Summer Season

M.A. Agrawal; Shriram Kunjam*; K.L. Tiwari

doi:10.52228/NBW-JAAB.2024-6-1-3

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Survey of Indoor Aeromycoflora of Guru Ghasidas Museum in Summer Season

Author(s): M.A. Agrawal¹, Shriram Kunjam*², K.L. Tiwari³

Email(s): ¹, ²shriramkunjam07@gmail.com, ³

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Published In: Volume - 6, Issue - 1, Year - 2024

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M.A. Agrawal, Shriram Kunjam, K.L. Tiwari (2024) Survey of Indoor Aeromycoflora of Guru Ghasidas Museum in Summer Season. NewBioWorld A Journal of Alumni Association of Biotechnology, 6(1):21-27.

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NewBioWorld A Journal of Alumni Association of Biotechnology (2024) 6(1):21-27

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Survey of Indoor Aeromycoflora of Guru Ghasidas Museum in Summer Season

M.A. Agrawal¹, Shriram Kunjam²*, K.L. Tiwari³

¹Gurukul Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kalibadi Road, Raipur (C.G.)

²Department of Botany, Govt. V.Y.T. PG Autonomous College, Durg (C.G)

³School of Stuies in Biotechnology, Pt. R.S.U. Raipur (C.G.)

*Corresponding Author Email- shriramkunjam07@gmail.com

ARTICLE INFORMATION

ABSTRACT

Article history:

Received

18 April 2024

Received in revised form

27 June 2024

Accepted

29 June 2024

Keywords:

Aeromycoflora,;

airborne fungi; Aspergillus;

Museum

Studies were conducted on the aeromycoflora of Guru Ghashidas Museum, Raipur (C.G.), from July 2006 to June 2007, using the culture plate exposure method to assess airborne fungal spores. Our investigation recorded Aspergillus japonicus (100%) as the most frequent fungal species during the summer season. In contrast, Alternaria alternata, Alternaria tenuissima, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger were moderately frequent species, while Syncephalastrum racemosum, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus terreus var. aureus, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Curvularia oryzae, Curvularia pallescens, Diplococcium sp., Drechslera tetramera, Monilia sp., and Paecilomyces variotii were also moderately frequent. The least frequent fungi included Choanephora cucurbitarum, Rhizopus oryzae, Ascotricha chartarum, Chaetomium globosum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus luchuensis, Aspergillus stellatus, Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus tamarii, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus ustus, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium oxysporum, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Fusarium pallidoroseum, Mamnoniella echinata, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium lilacinum, Penicillium notatum, Phoma exigua, Trichoderma atroviride, and Mycelia sterilia (black). The highest number of fungal species (17) was recorded in March, while the lowest number (14) was observed in May and June.

Introduction

DOI: 10.52228/NBW-JAAB.2024-6-1-3

Aeromycoflora refers to the fungal components present in the air, in the form of spores, hyphal fragments which are widespread in both indoor and outdoor environments. These airborne fungal spores can have significant impacts on human health, environmental quality, and the structural integrity of buildings, particularly in museums where artifacts require careful preservation (Rajasekar & Balasubramanian, 2011). Museums are typically enclosed spaces with specific environmental conditions such as controlled humidity and temperature, which can potentially influence the composition and concentration of airborne fungal spores. Thus, monitoring indoor aeromycoflora in such spaces becomes crucial for preserving artifacts and maintaining indoor air quality. Guru Ghashidas Museum, located in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, houses a variety of historical and cultural artifacts. The preservation of these items requires constant surveillance of the environmental conditions, including the presence of airborne fungal spores, as they can contribute to the biodeterioration of artifacts (Florian, 1997). During the summer season, elevated temperatures combined with fluctuating humidity levels in indoor environments can create favourable conditions for fungal growth and sporulation, potentially increasing the fungal load indoors. A museum is a building that houses many interesting and valuable objects, including works of art and historical items, which are kept, studied, and displayed to the public. Wood and artifacts are crucial materials for artistic works and historical items, and biodeterioration by fungi can be detrimental (Pinheiro et al., 2019). Fungi are a diverse group of organisms found in a wide range of habitats, including tropics, plants, soils, animals, rocks, rivers, lakes, and seas. They function in ways that can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to humans, obtaining nutrients through various means (Carroll G.C., 1992). Airborne fungi can exist as single units, spores, or conidiophores, and their number and type vary based on factors such as time of day, weather, geographical location, and sources. Airborne fungi, such as spores and conidiophores, can appear in different forms, including single units, hyphal fragments, conidiophores, and bioaerosols, transported through air currents and settling on surfaces influenced by factors such as particle properties, environmental parameters, and surface bio-receptivity. Most research on airborne spores focuses on the epidemiology of plants, animals, and human diseases, but there is limited knowledge regarding their impact on museums. Fungi pose a serious risk to museum pieces as they can cause deterioration through mechanical, enzymatic, or acid corrosion (Awad et al., 2020). Fungal species commonly cause material loss by attacking dust and dust-inhabiting materials. In cultural heritage settings, variations in humidity and temperature can result from fungal growth, often exacerbated by inadequate ventilation and air conditioning systems. Microscopic studies have been employed to identify fungal contamination in preservation rooms or galleries. The presence of fungi in museums can pose health risks, including the production of mycotoxins, allergic reactions, and systemic infections.

Several indoor fungi have been identified in previous studies, revealing links to illnesses and complaints related to buildings. Secondary metabolites produced by fungi, such as mycotoxins and microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can be harmful to humans and animals (De, W. L. et al., 2019; Cole and Cox, 1981; Macher, 1999; Korpi et al., 2009). Fungal spores can disperse through the air but do not survive indefinitely, making it essential to identify the source of fungal colonization rather than solely relying on airborne data. Most studies on indoor fungal populations derive from air sampling data collected in residential homes, workplace buildings, healthcare facilities, and hospitals. A comprehensive assessment should consider outdoor air, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, moisture, maintenance, inspection, air sampling, surface and source sampling, sample analysis, risk analysis, and corrective measures. The survey of indoor aeromycoflora conducted in Guru Ghasidas Museum, Raipur during the summer season aimed to identify and quantify the diversity of airborne fungal spores within the museum premises. Such studies are essential for understanding the types of fungal species prevalent in the environment, as well as their seasonal variations. This survey aims to contribute to the existing knowledge on indoor aeromycoflora in cultural heritage spaces by providing insights into the fungal diversity present in the Guru Ghashidas Museum during the summer months. The findings of this research can help in the implementation of effective environmental control strategies to safeguard both the artifacts and the health of visitors and staff.

Materials and Methods

Aeromycoflora from the museum during the summer season was isolated using the culture plate exposure method (Jadhav and Tiwari, 1994; Sharma, 2001; Saluja, 2005; Singh, 2006; Lall, 2008; Bhajbhuje, 2013) at fortnightly intervals from March to June. Sterilized Petri plates containing Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium was exposed for 10 minutes on each floor of the museum. The exposed petriplates was brought to the laboratory and then incubated at 25 ± 1°C for 7 days. After the incubation period, colonies that appeared on the agar plates was counted, isolated, and identified based on morphological features using available literatures (Ellis, 1971, 1976), and the isolated pure cultures were sent to an authenticated authority for identification.

Ecological studies

To assess the ecological data, the percentage frequency of fungal flora was calculated at the end of the incubation period for both indoor and outdoor aeromycoflora (Jadhav and Tiwari, 1994) using the following formula:

Percentage Frequency=Total number of observations in which a species appeared/ Total Number of observations ×100

Where:

· Number of observations in which a species appeared is the count of times a particular species was recorded.

· Total number of observations is the total count of all observations made.

Meteorological data

Meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall) were recorded from July 2006 to June 2007 from the Meteorological Department, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur Chhattisgarh.

Results and Discussion

During the present study, a total 40 fungal species (178 fungal colonies) from 19 genera was recorded during the summer season. Among these, 3 fungal species (4 colonies) belonged to Zygomycotina, 2 species (2 colonies) to Ascomycotina, 34 species (171 colonies) to Anamorphic fungi, and 1 species (1 colony) was classified as Mycelia sterilia (Table 1, Fig 1).

In March, 17 species (86 fungal colonies) from 7 genera were recorded. Out of these, 1 species (1 colony) was from Ascomycotina, while 16 species (85 colonies) were from Anamorphic fungi. Members of Zygomycotina and Mycelia sterilia were absent (Table 1, Fig 2). Whereas in April, 16 species (27 colonies) were recorded, including 1 species (1 colony) from Zygomycotina, 1 species (1 colony) from Ascomycotina, and 14 species (25 colonies) from Anamorphic fungi. The Mycelia sterilia group was absent (Table 1, Fig 3).

During the month of May, 14 species (27 colonies) from 9 genera were observed, with 2 species (2 colonies) from Zygomycotina, 11 species (24 colonies) from Anamorphic fungi, and 1 species (1 colony) from Mycelia sterilia. Ascomycotina was absent (Table 1, Fig 4) whereas in June, a total of 14 species (38 colonies) were recorded, including 1 species (1 colony) from Zygomycotina and 13 species (37 colonies) from Anamorphic fungi. Members of Ascomycotina and Mycelia sterilia were absent (Table 1, Fig 5). The maximum number of 17 fungal species was recorded in March, while the minimum of 14 species was recorded in May and June (Table 1). During the present study, Anamorphic Fungi consistently show the highest frequency of both species and colonies, indicating they are the predominant fungal group in the museum's indoor environment. The other fungal groups, Zygomycotina, Ascomycotina, and Mycelia Sterilia, are either absent or present in minimal numbers, indicating a much lower prevalence. This trend may reflect seasonal changes in indoor fungal population dynamics, possibly influenced by temperature, humidity, or other environmental factors within the museum.

Table 1: Number of Fungal Colonies of Indoor Aeromycoflora in Museum Area, Raipur (C.G.) during Summer Season

S.No.	Name of Fungi	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Total	Percent Frequency
Zygomycotina
1	Choanephora cucurbitarum	-	-	1	-	1	25%
2	Rhizopus oryzae	-	-	-	1	1	25%
3	Syncephalastrum racemosum	-	1	1	-	2	50%
Ascomycotina
4	Ascotricha chartarum	-	1	-	-	1	25%
5	Chaetomium globosum	1	-	-	-	1	25%
Anamorphic Fungi
6	Alternaria alternata	13	4	-	1	18	75%
7	Alternaria tenuissima	12	6	1	-	19	75%
8	Aspergillus flavus	-	1	3	6	10	75%
9	Aspergillus fumigatus	-	-	1	-	1	25%
10	Aspergillus japonicus	1	2	1	3	7	100%
11	Aspergillus luchensis	-	-	3	-	3	25%
12	Aspergillus niger	5	-	7	13	25	75%
13	Aspergillus nidulans	3	-	-	2	5	50%
14	Aspergillus ochraceus	1	1	-	-	2	50%
15	Aspergillus stillatus	1	-	-	-	1	25%
16	Aspergillus sydowii	3	-	-	-	3	25%
17	Aspergillus tamarii	-	-	-	2	2	25%
18	Aspergillus terreus	3	-	-	-	3	25%
19	Aspergillus terreus var. aureus	1	-	-	2	3	50%
20	Aspergillus ustus	-	1	-	-	1	25%
21	Aspergillus versicolor	-	-	1	-	1	25%
22	Cladosporium cladosporioides	3	-	-	-	3	25%
23	Cladosporium oxysporum	2	-	-	-	2	25%
24	Cladosporium sphaerospermum	34	1	-	-	35	50%
25	Curvularia oryzae	1	-	-	3	4	50%
26	Curvularia pallescence	-	1	4	-	5	50%
27	Diplococcium sp.	1	1	-	-	2	50%
28	Drechslera tetramera	-	2	-	1	3	50%
29	Fusarium chlamydosporum	-	-	-	1	1	25%
30	Fusarium pallidoroseum	-	2	-	-	2	25%
31	Mamnoniella echinata	-	1	-	-	1	25%
32	Monilia sp.	1	-	-	1	2	50%
33	Paecilomyces varioti	-	-	1	-	1	50%
34	Penicillium chrysogenum	-	1	-	-	1	25%
35	Penicillium citrinum	-	-	-	1	1	25%
36	Penicillium lilacinum	-	-	1	-	1	25%
37	Penicillium notatum	-	1	-	-	1	25%
38	Phoma exigua	-	-	1	-	1	25%
39	Trichoderma atroviride	-	-	-	1	1	25%
Mycelia Sterilia
40	Mycelia sterila (Black)	-	-	1	-	1	25%
Total No. of Fungal Colonies		86	27	27	38	178
Total of fungal species		17	16	14	14	40

Figure 1: Showing fungal groups of indoor aeromycoflora during summer season

Figure-2: Showing monthly variation of indoor aeromycoflora during March month

Throughout the investigation, Aspergillus japonicus (100%) was noted as the most frequent fungal species during all months of the summer season, with Aspergillus dominating the summer season. Alongside Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Chaetomium, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Phoma, and Mycelia sterilia were reported as common fungal types in the museum area. This finding aligns with Emberlin et al. (1995), who reported Aspergillus and Penicillium as the most frequent in indoor environments in London. Agashe and Anuradha (1996) noted Cladosporium as the most frequent fungus in a hospital ward in Bangalore. Similar findings were reported by Agashe and Anuradha (1998) in a library in Bangalore. Cladosporium sp. is also common and dominant in Croatia, as reported by Cevntic and Peplinjak (1997), and in Spain by Herrero (1997). Adikari et al. (1999) found that Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus sp., and Nigrospora sp. were the most common fungal species in outdoor environments, while Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, and Cladosporium cladosporioides were most prevalent indoors in West Bengal. Urzi et al. (2001) recorded Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Ulocladium, Aureobasidium, and Phoma as the most common isolates in the terrace of the Missina Museum in Sicily, Italy. Gorney et al. (2002) reported Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Penicillium as dominant in indoor environments in Poland. Shelton et al. (2002) found Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and nonsporulating fungi to be the most frequent species in indoor and outdoor environments in the United States. Shamian et al. (2006) identified Aspergillus and Penicillium as common fungi in the Asan Quds Museum library, Mashhad, Iran. Singh (2006) noted that Aspergillus niger was the most frequent fungal species in the aeromycoflora. Kalkar and Tatte (2007) reported Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Curvularia as the most frequent in hospital wards. Abdel Hameed et al. (2007) recorded Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Penicillium as the most frequent fungal species in the atmosphere of Giza, Egypt. Jadhav and Lall (2009) recorded Alternaria alternata, A. citri, Aspergillus niger, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Curvularia lunata as the most frequent fungal species in a hospital area in Raipur.

Figure-3: Showing monthly variation of indoor aeromycoflora during April month

Figure-4: Showing monthly seasonal variation of indoor aeromycoflora during May month

Figure-5: Showing monthly variation of indoor aeromycoflora during June month

Conclusion

Detecting and identifying aeromycoflora related to biodeterioration is crucial for understanding the effects of microorganisms on cultural heritage objects. The study indicates that fungal concentrations in indoor museum bioaerosols are linked to various health issues, including respiratory symptoms, allergies, infections, irritation, and potentially cancer. Periodic examinations and improvements in ventilation systems can help control the biodeterioration of cultural heritage artifacts.

Acknowledgements

I sincerely thank to School of Studies of Biotechnology, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur to providing lab facilities. I am also thanks to Prof. S.K. Jadhav, School of Studies in Biotechnology, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, helping me to conduct the study and identify fungi during the journey of research work.

Conflict of interest Author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding information not applicable.

Ethical approval not applicable.

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