The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran
The majority of diseases caused by air pollution, such as asthma and allergies, are caused by pathogenic bacteria, which are transmitted through bioaerosols. Bacteria and fungi are the main sources of hospital infections causing the majority of diseases and cases of mortality. The aim of this study...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research |
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| Online Access: | http://jaehr.muk.ac.ir/article_40213_00a94fa3f2d2dbbbaea7550232fcfad2.pdf |
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| author | Gholamreza Goudarzi Zahra Soleimani Batool Sadeghinejad Mojgan Alighardashi Seyed Mahmoud Latifi Mahsa Moradi |
| author_facet | Gholamreza Goudarzi Zahra Soleimani Batool Sadeghinejad Mojgan Alighardashi Seyed Mahmoud Latifi Mahsa Moradi |
| author_sort | Gholamreza Goudarzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The majority of diseases caused by air pollution, such as asthma and allergies, are caused by pathogenic bacteria, which are transmitted through bioaerosols. Bacteria and fungi are the main sources of hospital infections causing the majority of diseases and cases of mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the ratio of indoor to outdoor fungi concentration, the effect of population density on fungi concentration, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor environments. In this study, 3 stations were assessed; the outdoor environment, general indoor environment, and intensive care units (ICUs) of a hospital affiliated to Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. These stations were used for the sampling of airborne fungi from October to December 2010. The samples were collected over a period of 2 minutes in a flow rate of 28.3 l/minute using a QuickTake 30 air sampling pump. The 3 dominant fungi genera in the sampling stations were Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium. The average of total fungi concentration before visiting hours was 365.8 CFU/m which was reduced to 578 CFU/m after visiting hours. The indoor to outdoor ratios in the ICU and internal wards for fungi before visiting hours were 0.36 and 0.68, respectively. However, these ratios in the ICU and internal wards for fungi after visiting hours were 0.78 and 0.99, respectively. Following the visiting hours, the concentration of fungi available indoors was conspicuously higher (even in the wards in which no visitors were allowed (e.g., ICUs). Hence, the amount of indoor fungi was affected by the concentration of outdoor fungi and the number of visitors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:18:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86961ba68c464f4ab3a8d60f2e03651a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2345-3990 2345-3990 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:18:07Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-86961ba68c464f4ab3a8d60f2e03651a2022-12-21T22:41:13ZengKurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2345-39902345-39902016-01-01411810.22102/jaehr.2016.4021340213The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, IranGholamreza Goudarzi0Zahra Soleimani1Batool Sadeghinejad2Mojgan Alighardashi3Seyed Mahmoud Latifi4Mahsa Moradi5Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Health faculty and Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz AND Radiation and Pollution Protection Research Center of Mamasani, Nourabad Mamasani, IranDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, Aradan School of Public Health and Paramedicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, IranDepartment of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, IranEnvironmental Health Specialist of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranDepartment of Statistic and Epidemiology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IranDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, Aradan School of Public Health and Paramedical, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, IranThe majority of diseases caused by air pollution, such as asthma and allergies, are caused by pathogenic bacteria, which are transmitted through bioaerosols. Bacteria and fungi are the main sources of hospital infections causing the majority of diseases and cases of mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the ratio of indoor to outdoor fungi concentration, the effect of population density on fungi concentration, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor environments. In this study, 3 stations were assessed; the outdoor environment, general indoor environment, and intensive care units (ICUs) of a hospital affiliated to Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. These stations were used for the sampling of airborne fungi from October to December 2010. The samples were collected over a period of 2 minutes in a flow rate of 28.3 l/minute using a QuickTake 30 air sampling pump. The 3 dominant fungi genera in the sampling stations were Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium. The average of total fungi concentration before visiting hours was 365.8 CFU/m which was reduced to 578 CFU/m after visiting hours. The indoor to outdoor ratios in the ICU and internal wards for fungi before visiting hours were 0.36 and 0.68, respectively. However, these ratios in the ICU and internal wards for fungi after visiting hours were 0.78 and 0.99, respectively. Following the visiting hours, the concentration of fungi available indoors was conspicuously higher (even in the wards in which no visitors were allowed (e.g., ICUs). Hence, the amount of indoor fungi was affected by the concentration of outdoor fungi and the number of visitors.http://jaehr.muk.ac.ir/article_40213_00a94fa3f2d2dbbbaea7550232fcfad2.pdfairconcentrationhospitalpopulationfungi |
| spellingShingle | Gholamreza Goudarzi Zahra Soleimani Batool Sadeghinejad Mojgan Alighardashi Seyed Mahmoud Latifi Mahsa Moradi The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research air concentration hospital population fungi |
| title | The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran |
| title_full | The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran |
| title_fullStr | The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran |
| title_short | The impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran |
| title_sort | impact of visiting hours on indoor to outdoor ratio of fungi concentration at university hospitals in ahvaz iran |
| topic | air concentration hospital population fungi |
| url | http://jaehr.muk.ac.ir/article_40213_00a94fa3f2d2dbbbaea7550232fcfad2.pdf |
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