B. K. Nayak
Occurrence of airborne fungal spores in the extramural environments of rural and urban areas of Pondicherry region was carried out by gravitation method from February 2013 to July 2013. It was found that the composition and concentration of fungal spores considerably varied from rural to urban areas as well as from site to site during the study. Rural areas harbored maximum fungal spores (55%) in comparison to urban areas (45%). Occurrence of fungal species was predominated with more number of propagules during March and April in comparison to other months. Qualitatively, Aspergillus was found with the highest frequency and had nine members i.e., A. flavipes, A flavus, A. fumigatus, A. japonicas, A. niger, A. sydowii, A. sydowii, A. terreus and A. wentii and quantitatively aspergilli also isolated in highest contribution to total CFUs followed by Cladosporium. Out of the 42 isolated fungal taxa, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, Cladosporium spp., Rhizopus stolonifer and Alternaria alternata were the predominant aeroallergens, which cause different types of respiratory/lung diseases in atopic human beings. Alternaria alternata, which is accounted as a human allergen for sporosis inducer and an agent for hay fever and other pathologies, was also intermittently recorded. Few plant pathogenic, saprophytic, field and storage fungi were also recorded during the study period. Similarity coefficient of the fungal diversity was found significant among the localities studied here
