Assessment of UV radiation effects on airborne mucormycetes and bacterial populations in a hospital environment

Infections, such as mucormycosis, often result from inhaling sporangiospore present in the environment. Surprisingly, the extent of airborne Mucormycetes sporangiospore concentrations remains inadequately explored. This study aimed to assess the influence of UV radiation on microbial populations and Mucormycetes spore levels within a hospital environment in northern Iran. A comprehensive dataset comprising 298 air samples collected from both indoor and outdoor settings was compiled. The culture was conducted using Blood Agar and Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol (DRBC) culture media, with Chloramphenicol included for fungal agents and Blood Agar for bacterial. Before UV treatment, the average count of Mucormycetes ranged from 0 to 26.4 ± 25.28 CFU m-3, fungal agents from 2.24 ± 3.22 to 117.24 ± 27.6 CFU m-3, and bacterial agents from 29.03 ± 9.9 to 359.37 ± 68.50 CFU m-3. Following UV irradiation, the averages were as follows: Mucormycetes ranged from 0 to 7.85 ± 6.8 CFU m-3, fungal agents from 16.58 ± 4.79 to 154.98 ± 28.35 CFU m-3, and bacterial agents from 0.38 ± 0.65 to 43.92 ± 6.50 CFU m-3. This study, notably marks the pioneering use of UV light to mitigate Mucormycetes spore counts and bacterial agents in northeastern Iran, contributing to the advancement of environmental health and safety practices in hospital settings.

Influence of high-efficiency particulate air filtration on indoor air fungal contamination in a hospital in Mashhad, Iran

Introduction: Poor hospital Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) may result in various occupational hazards, hospital-acquired infections, and sick hospital syndrome. Air-control measures are vital to reduce airborne biological particle dissemination in hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in decreasing indoor fungal pollution in an organ transplantation hospital in Mashhad. Materials and methods: In this work, 96 specimens were collected from the air of three operating rooms and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward. Sampling was performed using National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH-0800) instructions in two stages before and after using HEPA filters. Fungal density was reported based on the number of colonies per m3 (CFU/m3). Results: According to the results before using HEPA filters, the colony frequency of Aspergillus was 50%, which was the highest among the detected fungi. Penicillium with a frequency of 23% was followed by Aspergillus. After using HEPA filters, the frequency of Aspergillus and Penicillium decreased by 40% and 6% to 10% and 17%, respectively. The mean concentrations of fungi in all three operating rooms and ICU before use and after using HEPA filters were 9.52 and 3.11 (CFU/m3), respectively indicating a reduction of about 67%, which is statistically significant (P≤ 0.005). Conclusion: Hence, using these filters is recommended considering the good performance and high efficiency of HEPA filters in reducing fungal contamination and its consequences.