Bioaerosol levels of fungi at specific locations within phases of municipal waste water treatment

Air was sampled at a municipal waste water treatment facility using an Andersen two-stage cascade impactor to conduct active, integrated, area sampling for both respirable and nonrespirable fungi. Bioaerosol particulates were collected on Sabouraud agar, incubated at room temperature, and analyzed for number of colony forming units (cfu). Sampling was conducted at nine locations on five days. Sampling locations were representative of the phases within the waste water treatment process and two background locations. Nonparametric statistical analysis suggested that there was no statistical difference between concentrations of total respirable and nonrespirable fungi (cfu/m3 ) at treatment phase locations and the background concentration levels, or among the specific treatment phase locations.