International Journal of Microbiology and Mycology | IJMM

pISSN: 2309-4796

http://www.innspub.net
Vol. 2, No. 4, p. 1-5, 2014

Open Access
RESEARCH ARTICLE

RESEARCH PAPER

Microfungal contaminants on the surface of the books and the atmosphere

of the library of Health Services Vocational School in Marmaris, Turkey
Vedat Kadir zkan
Mula Stk Koman University, Health Services Vocational School, 48700 Marmaris, Mula, Turkey
Keywords Microfungi, library atmosphere, microfungal flora, microfungal contamination.
Publication date: September 22, 2014
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the microfungi which contamined the surface of the books and
the atmosphere of the library in Health Services Vocational School . The samples of the library air were
taken by using open petri plate method and the samples from the surface of the books were taken by
swabbing with the moistened sterile swab sticks. As a result of research, 14 different microfungal
species were obtained belonging to Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium and Penicillium
genera. The genera of microfungi the most abundant in terms of the qualitative were Aspergillus,
Penicillium and Cladosporium. Quantitatively, Aspergillus was found as the most abundant. Maximum
colony was formed by Aspergillus niger in the microfungal species. The microfungal species which were
obtained from the atmosphere of the library and from the surface of the books show great similarity.
* Corresponding

Author: Vedat Kadir zkan vedatkozkan @mu.edu.tr

zkan

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Microfungi which produce

too many spores and

Sampling

can be easily transported, form the significant

In this study, samples

part of the bioaerosols in the external and

Marmaris

internal atmosphere of the surrounding and they

library atmosphere and the surface of 20 books.

can contaminate all kinds of surface. The air

Sampling from the library atmosphere was done

quality of indoor

and common areas have an

by using petri dishes containing Rosebengal

important effect on the human health. There are

Chloramphenicol Agar (RbCA) and it was kept

20 thousand to 2 million fungus spores in 1 m of

open for 30 minutes (Mumcu et al., 2010). The

air and this is one of the significant causes of skin

samples from the books were taken by using

and respiratory diseases (eter and Pnar, 2009).

moistened sterile swab stick from the surface and

One of the common areas that people use is the

they were transferred to petri dishes containing

library where people take advantage of using it.

RbCA

Microfungi can be contaminated from visitors to

(Shamsian et al., 2006, Mumcu et al., 2010,

books, other materials and other visitors. The

Temiz A, 2010, Borrego et al., 2012, Leite et al.,

microfungi

2012, Chadeganipour et al., 2013).

in

the

library

atmosphere

also

by

Health

using

were taken from the

Services

surface

Vocational

spreading

School

technique

contaminate the books. They accelerate the

corruption of the books, pages and aging process

Incubation and identification

by increasing the acid formation. People, who

Sampling of the petri dishes were incubated for 15

contact the books which are contaminated by

days at 27 C. The growing

microfungi can suffer from allergy, itchy and

were counted and transferred into the tubes

irritated skin and if microfungi are inhalated, they

containing Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and then

can cause asthma and related diseases (Arslan

they were incubated for 15 days at 27 C. After

and Ula, 2007). In some countries researches

incubation , inoculation was performed from each

have

tube

been

contaminants

done

about

the

microfungal

which cause corruption on the

for diagnostic

containing

microfungi colonies

purposes on

petri

dishes

Malt Extract Agar (MEA) and Czapek

artifacts that are kept in museums, archives and

Dox Agar (CzDA). After 15 days of incubation at

libraries

internal

27C, developing microfungi colonies were identified

atmosphere and the prevention methods of them

by examining the cultural and microscopic features

(Shamsian et al., 2006, Zotti et al., 2008,

and by corresponding reference books (Domsch et

Ebrahimi et al., 2011, Borrego et al., 2012,

al., 1980, Hasenekolu 1991, Samson and Pitt,

Kalwasiska et al., 2012, Leite et al., 2012,

2000, Ellis et al., 2007).

and

the

microfungi

in

the

Chadeganipour et al., 2013). The researches

about this topic is not sufficient in our country

Results and Discussion

(Ycel and Kantarcolu, 1998, Arslan and Ula

The distribution of microfungi in the atmosphere

2007, Mumcu et al., 2010). Considering the

of the library and on the surface of the books

human circulation in libraries, these kind of

In this research, 14 microfungi

studies, which have a great importance in terms

genera were obtained. Aspergillus, Penicillium ve

of public and individual

health ,should be

Cladosporium genera were found to be dominant

expanded. In this research it was aimed to

in terms of qualitative aspect and Aspergillus was

identify the microfungal contaminants in the

found to be dominant

internal atmosphere of the Marmaris Health

aspect (Table 1). Maximum colonies were formed

Services Vocational School library and

by

surface of books.

on the

Aspergillus

niger

belonged to 5

in terms of quantitative
among

the

species

of

microfungi and this was followed by Alternaria

alternata and Cladosporium herbarum (Table 1).

zkan

The microfungi which were found to be dominant

can be found in almost any environment and they

in terms of the qualitative and quantitative

can contaminate any surface (Domsch et al.,

aspects are widely distributed in nature. Because

1980, Hasenekolu 1991, Asan et al., 2002,

of

atmospheric

Yazcolu et al., 2002, eter and Pnar, 2009).

movements, having a wide range of ecological

Our findings are consistent with the relevant

tolerance and producing

literature.

spreading

easily

by

the

too many spores, they

Table 1. Qualitative and quantitative distribution of microfungi.

Microfungal species

Library
atmosphere

Surface of
books

Colony
number

6
2
1
22
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
-

1
2
3
8
3
2
4
2
1
1
2

7
4
4
30
3
4
7
4
2
1
1
1
1
2

Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler

Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius
Aspergillus nidulans (Eidam) Winter
Aspergillus niger van Tieghem
Aspergillus wentii Wehmer
Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fresen.) Viries
Cladosporium herbarum (Pers.) Link ex Gray
Cladosporium sphaerospermum Penz.
Chaetomium Kunze ex Fries sp. I
Chaetomium Kunze ex Fries sp. II
Penicillium brevicompactum Dierckx
Penicillium glabrum (Wehmer) Westling
Penicillium italicum Wehmer
Penicillium verrucosum Dierckx var. verrucosum
Samson,Stolk&Hadlok
Total colony number

42

29

71

There are not many studies in Turkey and other

and Alternaria extensively from the library air and

countries about the microfungi that contaminate

the bookshelves. The results obtained from the

the library air and the surface of the books. A

library

number of these studies are about the protection

literature.

air,

support

the

findings

of

these

against microbial originated corruption of the

artifacts in the libraries, archives and museums.

Mumcu et al. (2010), have

In a study conducted in Turkey, Alternaria,

Cladosporium,

Penicillium ,Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium

Fusarium, Rhizopus and Chaetomium from the

and Rhizopus genera were isolated in the air of

samples taken from the books in the library. In

the library of Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (Mumcu

this research, the microfungi isolated from the

et al., 2010). These

findings are largely similar

books are largely similar to these findings.

to the microfungi species derived from the library

Shamsain et al. (2006), have isolated Aspergillus

air in this research.

in

high

isolated Alternaria,

Aspergillus,

frequency

and

it

Acremonium,

was

followed

by

Penicillium. Zotti et al. (2008), have obtained

Leite Junior et al. (2012), have determined that

Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi extensively on

the Aspergillus was found to be dominant

in

the historical artifacts. Ebrahimi et al. (2011),

terms of quantitative and qualitative aspects in

have found the Aspergillus and Penicillium genera

the atmosphere of the library. Borrego et al.

dominant. Borrego et al. (2012), have isolated

(2012), have obtained Aspergillus and Penicillium

Aspergillus

and

genera in high frequency from the air of the

frequency

from

archives. Chadeganipour et al. (2013), have

Chadeganipour et al. (2013), the Penicillium,

isolated

Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Alternaria genera

Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus

zkan

Penicillium
the

genera

historical

in

high

documents.

were determined to be common. The microfungi

Conclusion

genera we obtained from the books are largely

Microfungi isolated from the surface of the books

relevant to these literature.

and the library air can be hazardous to human

health.

On

account

of

this,
must

personal

and

In this study, both the samples from the library

environmental

hygiene

be

taken

into

air and the book surfaces, the Aspergillus niger

consideration.

Consequently,

it

would

be

has formed the maximum colony (Table 1). Leite

beneficial for individual and environmental health

et al. (2012) has also indicated that

the most

to make further researches like this, to take

common species in their study is the Aspergillus

measures for the improvement of air quality in

niger. In this investigation, Aspergillus wentii,

the libraries and to clean the library materials

Chaetomium sp.II and Penicillium verrucosum

steadily.

var. verrucosum from the microfungi species

were only isolated from the books (Table 1).

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