Characterization and Health Risk Assessment of Airborne Fungi in a Semiunderground Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as the significant source of fungal aerosols, which pose a significant threat to human health globally. Herein, the occurrences characterization, community structure, and health risk assessment of airborne fungi were investigated from a semiunderground WWTP. The concentrations of culturable fungi emitted into the air from the WWTP ranged from 30.6 to 1431.1 colony forming units (CFU)/m, with primary and biochemical treatments constituting the principal sources of emission ( < 0.05). Diversity analysis revealed seasonal and facility-dependent fluctuations in culturable fungal communities. Approximately 13.5% of the total airborne fungal genera detected in the WWTP were culturable. Some airborne fungi in the WWTP with relatively low abundance but high cultivability, such as , , , , and , tended to be overlooked because of their limited presence in airborne environments. We also developed a health risk assessment method for fungi, utilizing seven indicators to characterize the risk posed by fungal pathogens from multiple perspectives, providing a comprehensive evaluation of potential health impacts. The simulated risk values of the air outlet and biochemical treatment exceeded those of other treatment facilities, with median risks of 2.2 × 10 and 1.4 × 10, respectively. Consequently, management strategies should prioritize enhanced controls for fungal aerosols to mitigate the risk of disease transmission.