Short-term versus long-term filter cassette sampling for viable fungi in indoor air: comparative performance of the Sartorius MD8 and the GSP sampler

Since the past decade, there is growing concern on the health implications of fungal exposure in indoor environments. Several methods are available for the measurement of airborne viable fungi, however, there is still a lack of standardization and comparability of these methods. The purpose of our field study was to apply the recommendations of the newly released technical standards TRBA 405 and 430 to the conditions of non-industrial indoor environments and to investigate the comparative performance of the two recommended filter cassette samplers (Sartorius MD8 and GSP) using the direct method. During two sampling phases (August to beginning of December 2000, and December 2000 to February 2001) a total of 360 short-term samples and 30 long-term samples were analyzed in parallel at 20 sampling days. Mean fungal CFUs varied from 2 x 10(1) to 3 x 10(2) CFU/m(3), with the relative recovery of the GSP (vs. MD8) method being 1.00 (range, 0.89-1.14). We found a good correlation (Pearson's r=0.95) between the MD8 and the GSP method. Both samplers showed good reproducibility, the coefficients of variation being 19.4% for the MD8, and 13.2% for the GSP sampler. Aspergillus and Penicillium (median proportions > 20% of the fungal CFUs, each) were the most prevalent indoor fungal genera during this season, followed by Wallemia (> 10%) and Cladosporium. The coefficients of variation for single genera ranged from 27% to 89%. We conclude that the recommendations of the technical standards TRBA 405 and 430 can efficiently be applied to survey fungal exposure under the conditions of non-industrial indoor environments. If short-term samples by using the MD8 are conducted for orientating purposes, at least two to three samples per sampling site are necessary in order to minimize intra-sampler variability (r > 0.95). Due to easy overloading of the small filter surface of the GSP at higher airborne spore concentrations, the more representative long-term sampling should preferably be done by using the indirect method, however, the results of both methods may not be equated. The interpretation of the fungal spectrum should be conducted with caution, particularly at low absolute concentrations.