Estimating Lung Deposition of Fungal Spores Using Actual Airborne Spore Concentrations and Physiological Data

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05540
• Publication Date: 2021-01-21T19:37:14Z
• Authors: Lynn E. Secondo; Jessica A. Sagona; Leonardo Calderón; Zuocheng Wang; Deborah Plotnik; Jennifer Senick; MaryAnn Sorensen-...; Richard Wener; Clinton J. Andrews; Gediminas Mainelis
• Keywords: Indoor bioaerosol; Bioaerosol; Cladosporium; Deposition; Aerobiology

Exposure to bioaerosols has been implicated in adverse respiratory symptoms, infectious diseases, and bioterrorism. Although these particles have measured within residential occupational settings multiple studies, the deposition of bioaerosol human system only minimally explored. This paper uses real-world environmental measurement data total fungal spores using Air-o-Cell cassettes 16 different apartments residents' physiological those predict spores. The airborne spore concentrations were during spring, summer, fall. five most prevalent genera—Ascospores, Aspergillus, Basidiospores, Cladosporium, Myxomycetes—was predicted three empirical models: Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry model, both Yeh age-specific versions, Bioaerosol Adaptation International Committee on Radiological Protection's Lung model. deposited number was highest for Ascospores Cladosporium. While majority deposit extrathoracic region, there is a significant Aspergillus Cladosporium alveolar potentially leading development aspergillosis or allergic asthma. dose–response relationship unknown, estimate actual could be first step determining such relationship.