[Concentration of allergic fungi spores in the air of flats in Lódź].

The real contribution of moulds to the pathogenesis of allergic diseases remains unknown, although positive skin prick tests and/or specific serum IgE to moki allergens can be detected in 1-5% of atopic patients. A significant problem in assesment of exposure to mould allergens, resulting with difficulty in standarization of methods. The aim of this work was to assess the concentration of spores of 8 mould species in flats inhabited by peoples who Bont show any symptoms of allergy. The Open Petri Dish (OPD) method involving sedimentation of participles contained in the column of air over the dish was used to assess the number of spores in 1 m3 of indoor atmospheres. All colonies were counted, but only 8 mould species implicated in inhaled allergy were identified, ie.: Alternaria tenuis, Cladosporium herbarum, Helminthosporum halodes, Pullularia pullulans, Penicillium notatam, Rhizopus nigricans, Mucor mucedo, Aspergillus fumigatus. The tests were carried out in 10 flats located in various quarters of the cify of Lodź during three consecutive days of September 1995 between 5:00 pm and 6:04 pm. In analyzing the percentage of spores of each of the eight mould species tested we determined that, independent of fiat and test day, C. herbarum predominated. It is good agreement with the observations of other authors who report that among large quantities of fungi that are detected in late summer, usually C. herbarum spores dominate. This is the season when the incidence of the Cladosporium spores in the atmospheric air increases. Spores of H. halodes were detected least frequently. Our study demonstrated the presence of substantial amounts of mould spores in indoor air of houses in Lódź. The spores belong to species with documented allergenicity, suggesting that they may play a role in development of allergic sensitization in susceptible subjects.