Characterization and Health Risk Assessment of Airborne Fungi in a Semiunderground Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant.

ABSTRACT: Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as the significant source of fungal aerosols, which pose a significant threat to human health globally. Herein, the occurrences characterization, community structure, and health risk assessment of airborne fungi were investigated from a semiunderground WWTP. The concentrations of culturable fungi emitted into the air from the WWTP ranged from 30.6 to 1431.1 colony forming units (CFU)/m³, with primary and biochemical treatments constituting the principal sources of emission (P < 0.05). Diversity analysis revealed seasonal and facility-dependent fluctuations in culturable fungal communities. Approximately 13.5% of the total airborne fungal genera detected in the WWTP were culturable. Some airborne fungi in the WWT

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11934199 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature