Environmental Analysis

Culture-dependent air sampling remains a mainstay of fungal air sampling. Culture-based methods involve the collection of airborne particles by impaction or centrifugation on the surface of a growth medium. The airborne burden of culturable fungi is then extrapolated based on the colony counts obtained after incubation of the sampled media. Culturable air sampling results are […]

The WallChek sampler is a minimally invasive way to test wall cavities for the presence of fungal contamination. The device consists of an Air-O-Cell® sampling cassette outfitted with a 50 cm sampling tube 2.5 cm in diameter attached to the slit face of the impactor. A hole is drilled into the wall assembly to be […]

Spore trap sampling involves collecting airborne particles on a filter membrane or adhesive-coated slide by drawing air through or over the collection medium, respectively.  The collection medium is then analyzed by transmitted light microscopy, usually at 600–1000× magnification.  A number of different collection devices may be used for spore trap sampling of which the most […]

Direct microscopy is considered the “gold standard” in environmental mycology for determining the existence of fungal growth on surfaces or materials. The direct observation of fungal spores, spore-bearing structures and mycelium provides an unequivocal marker of past or current growth. Direct microscopic examination of tape or bulk samples should first examine the specimen in reflected […]

Exposure to semisynthetic and synthetic metalworking fluids (MWF) has been associated with work-related asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and dermatitis. Exposure to microbial contaminants in MWFs appears to be a key factor in the etiology of these diseases in machinists. Recently released occupational exposure limits to MWFs are based on aerosol concentrations determined by gravimetric measurements that […]