Microbiota fúngica em sistema de ar condicionado de automóveis

Abstract

Fungi are eukaryotic beings, cosmopolitan and can be found in external and internal environments, they can be propagated in several ways and one of them is called airborne fungi. Due to their pathogenic, toxigenic and allergenic potential, they may be associated with allergic diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis and cancer due to the presence of mycotoxins. Factors that affect the dispersion of fungal bioarsols are air conditioning in different environments, and one of these are passenger and utility vehicles that are used daily, but the lack of maintenance of this equipment can cause health problems for its occupants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological diversity of possibly pathogenic, toxigenic and allergenic fungi in car air conditioning filters. For this, 30 vehicle filters were collected from vehicles during the maintenance of the vehicle in Maceió. The filters collected from the engines were measured, cut and placed in a Falcon tube with distilled water, autoclaved, taken to a centrifuge at 7000 rotations per minute (rpm), plated in a medium of sabouraud dextrose agar and then placed in an oven at 28ºC for approximately 7 days . After the fungi had grown, the colony forming units (CFU) were counted, followed by the isolation of the colonies of interest, using the central culture technique. For taxonomic identification of species, keys based on morphological characteristics were used. Eleven species of fungi were identified, which could be potentially pathogenic and toxigenic, but the tests performed with coconut agar were negative (100%) for the presence of mycotoxins. (80%), Acremonium spp. (56.7%) and Cladosporium spp. (40%). Based on the results presented, it was possible to conclude that it is important to carry out periodic maintenance on air conditioning filters, as they serve as substrates for the growth of potentially pathogenic and toxigenic fungi.