Evaluacion del bioaerosol fungico presente en el aire interior de las clinicas de podologia de la comunidad de madrid

Resumo

The main objective of the investigation is the analysis of fungal bioaerosol from indoor air at chiropodology rooms to assess if the milling of nail plates generates bioaerosols contaminated by fungi. The methodology consists of a pilot study performed in seventeen private clinics in the City of Madrid, during the spring and summer seasons. The indoor air concentration of filamentous fungi and yeasts of the clinics was measured using an impact sampler (Mair T-Millipore). Conclusions: The study confirms the presence of viable dermatophytes in samples taken during the activity phase only, associated to the nail milling of patients with "suspected onychomycosis". Two dermatophyte fungi were isolated, Tichophyton rubrum (75%) and Trichophyton mentagrohytes. Some positives of dermatophytes were reported even when using nail dust "suction systems". As such, it can be inferred that these systems are not infallible. The indoor air concentration of filament fungi at the clinics did not exceed the comfort criteria published on the UNE171330:2 norm (200UFC/m3). Based on this reference, it is concluded that the internal environment of the clinics is not annoying for the majority of the population. Keywords: Trichophyton, nail dust, airborne fungi, occupational exposure, biological exposure indices, indoor air quality.