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. 2024 Nov;31(54):63145-63160.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-35470-5. Epub 2024 Oct 30.

Comparative analysis of airborne fungal spore distribution in urban and rural environments of Slovakia

Matúš Žilka  1 , Michal Hrabovský  1 , Jozef Dušička  1 , Eva Zahradníková  1 , Dominika Gahurová  1 , Jana Ščevková  2
Affiliations

Comparative analysis of airborne fungal spore distribution in urban and rural environments of Slovakia

Matúš Žilka et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Monitoring airborne fungal spores is crucial for public health and plant production since they belong to important aeroallergens and phytopathogens. Due to different land use, their concentration can differ significantly between urban and rural areas. We monitored their spectrum and quantity on two geographically close sites with a different degree of urbanisation: Bratislava City and Kaplna Village in Slovakia, located 38 km apart. We recorded the spectrum of airborne fungal spores over a year and confirmed the microscopic results by amplicon-based metagenomic analysis. The main spore season of the most frequent genera lasted over a week longer in Kaplna, but its intensity was approximately two-fold higher in Bratislava. This can be possibly connected to the microclimatic conditions of the urban area (especially wind speed and heat island effect) and the lesser use of fungicides. Cladosporium was the dominant genus on both sites, influencing the intensity most significantly. Through statistical analysis of the influence of meteorological parameters on airborne fungal spore levels, we identified a significant relationship with temperature, while the impact of other parameters varied depending on the spore type and release mechanism. Our results show the differences in airborne fungal spore levels between urban and rural areas and highlight the necessity for more monitoring stations in various environments.

Keywords: Airborne fungi; Amplicon-based metagenomic analysis; Cyclone sampler; Hirst-type sampler; Meteorological parameters; Seasonal spore integral.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location of study sites and sampling stations of Bratislava and Kaplna
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Number of fungal spore groups in the air of Bratislava (BA) and Kaplna (KP) in 2022
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Venn diagram representing the total number of unique and common fungal genera in the airborne samples collected from Bratislava and Kaplna in 2022 based on metagenomic (NGS) and microscopic (MIC) analysis
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Daily numbers of spore groups recorded by microscopic (MIC) and metagenomic (NGS) analysis during 6 days (VI—19 June, VII—16 July, VIII (1)—15 August, VIII (2)—19 August, IX—14 September, X—18 October) in Bratislava (BA) and 6 days (VI—27 June, VII—27 July, VIII (1)—12 August, VIII (2)—19 August, IX—28 September, X—2 October) in Kaplna (KP) in 2022
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Monthly variation in airborne fungal spore concentration (expressed in percentages) in Bratislava (BA) and Kaplna (KP) in 2022
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Fungal spore calendar for Bratislava, year 2022. Exponential classes (spores/m3): a 1–10 (1–300), b 11–50 (301–1500), c 51–100 (1501–3000), d 101–500 (3001–5000), e 501–1000 (5001–10,000), f ˃ 1000 (˃ 10,001). Spore concentrations for Cladosporium are in parentheses. Asp/Pen—Aspergillus/Penicillium; Leptosph. type—Leptosphaeria type
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Fungal spore calendar for Kaplna, year 2022. Exponential classes (spores/m3): a 1–10 (1–300), b 11–50 (301–1500), c 51–100 (1501–3000), d 101–500 (3001–5000), e 501–1000 (5001–10,000), f ˃ 1000 (˃ 10,001). Spore concentrations for Cladosporium are in parentheses. Asp/Pen—Aspergillus/Penicillium; Leptosph. type—Leptosphaeria type
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