Fungal air quality in hospital rooms: a case study in Tehran, Iran

Fungi are usually presented in indoor environments and cause of many diseases. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the level of fungal contamination in hospital rooms. Sampling was conducted with an Andersen one-stage viable impactor (Quick Take-30) and counting plates containing a fungus-selective medium. A total of 120 air samples from ten hospital environments were performed. Airborne fungi concentrations were determined 72-120 hours after sampling. Total mean concentration of detected fungi in the hospital rooms was 55 +/- 56 (mean +/- SD) cfu/m(3). The findings of the fungal concentration in the various hospital rooms revealed different levels of contamination: the lowest mean counts (37 +/- 17 cfu/m(3)) were observed in NS 1 (Nursing Stations 1), and the highest (97 +/- 217 cfu/m(3)) were reported in Orthopedics Operating Room (OOR). The most common fungal genus isolated were Penicillium (70%), Aspergillus (14%), Cladosporium (12%), Alternaria (2%) and others (2%). The obtained results showed that fungal concentrations in the present study were nearly high and these conditions should be considered as a risk factor for patients and other persons in the hospital.