Seasonal variation of airborne fungal diversity and community structure in Urmia Lake, Iran

A study conducted around Urmia Lake, Iran, investigated the impact of dust storms on fungal concentrations in the air. Researchers collected samples over a year, analyzing fungal variations during dusty and normal days. The average fungal concentration was found to be 436.2 CFU/m3, with Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Cladosporium iridis being the most prevalent species. Notably, fungal concentrations during dust days averaged 967.65 CFU/m3, which is 3.6 times higher than on normal days (267.10 CFU/m3). A total of 61 species were detected on normal days, compared to 45 on dusty days, with Aspergillus and Cladosporium spp. dominating both conditions. The study also linked environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and wind speed to fungal concentrations. Additionally, the distribution of dust was analyzed using the HYSPLIT model and MODIS satellite imagery, highlighting the health risks associated with high fungal concentrations and changing mycobiota due to dust disturbances.