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The value and limitations of mold surveys by the culture plate method

1958; Elsevier BV; Volume: 29; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0021-8707(58)90051-0

1878-2213

Roland Rooks, Richard S. Shapiro,

Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

A total of eighty-eight readings were taken during the months of April, May, June, and July in an attempt to evaluate the standard culture plate method in sampling for alternaria and hormodendrum spores. Each daily reading consisted of the exposure of two culture plates at the same time of day but at slightly different time intervals. During the exposure time of these plates, a known volume of air was sampled at this location by an instrument utilizing electrostatic precipitation with impingement. Additional air samples were taken by just impingement with the same instrument. 1. The application of electrostatic precipitation to simple impingement in the sampling instrument used increased the sampling efficiency for both alternaria and hormodendrum spores. 2. The daily colony count by the standard plate technique does not reflect the true incidence of alternaria and hormodendrum spores for a given day. 3. These readings suggest that when monthly totals are computed of the spores collected and these totals are expressed in terms of a daily average, the results do indicate a seasonal trend in the incidence of air-borne alternaria and hormodendrum spores. 4. Short-time volumetric air samples are of little value in determining the actual incidence of air-borne alternaria and hormodendrum spores, because of a lack in uniformity of spores present in a given volume of air.