Investigating the relationship between atmospheric concentrations of fungal spores and local meteorological variables in Kastamonu, Türkiye

Certain fungal spores in the atmosphere are one of the main factors that cause asthma attacks and allergic rhinitis symptoms in susceptible individuals. Elevated concentrations of fungal spores cause a significant reduction in the quality of life of susceptible individuals, and an increase in workloads at hospitals. In addition, some fungal spores can contaminate agricultural crops, compromising plant health and food safety and inflicting economic losses. The analysis of atmospheric fungal spores through aerobiological studies and the determination of their relationship with meteorological factors can support reduced exposure to allergens and favor early precautions against agricultural pests. In this study, fungal spores in the atmosphere in Kastamonu, Türkiye were studied hourly throughout 2017 using the volumetric method. Through the study, fungal spores belonging to 41 different taxa were detected in Kastamonu’s atmosphere: Cladosporium, 58.76%; Leptosphaeria, 8%; and Pleospora, 5.01%; and Alternaria 4.98% were the dominant fungal spores in Kastamonu’s air. The annual spore integral was 3868 spores/m³ per day, and 4.48% of the taxa featured concentrations of less than 1%. In terms of total spore concentration, the highest readings were taken at 3:00–4:00 am in the summer, 6:00–7:00 am in the spring, 3:00–4:00 pm in the fall, and 12:00–1:00 am in the winter. Air temperature stands out as the most effective meteorological parameter, showing a positive correlation with all the dominant fungal spores. The direction and intensity of the correlation between meteorological parameters and fungal spores in the atmosphere vary significantly for each species. Longer-term studies are recommended to determine behavioral patterns and to better understand the abundance of fungal spores and their associated meteorological factors.