Short Communication
*Correspondence
to V. Ulevi ius, Institute of Physics,
Savanori 231,
LT-2053 Vilnius, Lithuania
| fungi • fungal
propagules • relative recovery • mycotoxins |
| The responses of
airborne fungi to UV-B under natural conditions were investigated
at the coastal station in Preila, Lithuania. Results of this
investigation demonstrated that solar radiation has a marked
lethal effect on outdoor airborne fungi. Sensitivity to solar
radiation was the highest for the fungal propagules collected late
in the evening (relative recovery 6.2%) and early morning (25.3%).
The lowest sensitivity to solar radiation was observed for fungal
propagules collected at midday (50.0%) and in the afternoon
(53.0%). The reason for the lethal effect is thought to be
elimination of the sensitive fraction of the night-time fungal
populations as solar radiation gradually increases beginning at
dawn. Among 356 fungus strains isolated during the investigations,
128 can be characterized as potential pathogens, and 21 strains
among those most common in fungal populations belonging to plant,
animal, and human pathogen groups. The collected fungal
populations were exposed to solar UV-B irradiation for 2 h (from
12 p.m. to 2 p.m.). Fungal communities in the air samples were
composed of saprotrophs, some of which are regarded as potential
phytopathogens (Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Fusarium)
or as entomopathogens (Beauveria, Paecilomyces, and
Metarhizium). The airborne fungal species identified after
exposure to solar radiation were predominantly: Aspergillus
niger, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides,
Arthrinium phaerosporum, and dematiaceous sterile mycelium. ©
2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 437-441, 2004. |
Received: 1 June
2003; Accepted: 18 March 2004
10.1002/tox.20044 About
DOI
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2, A. Lugauskas
2, J. Andriejauskien
ali
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