In this study monthly aerosol samples collected at Erbil city, Iraq, throughout 2008-2009 yielded
significant concentration of viable (culture forming) bacteria and fungi only when the dust was present. The
results indicated the concentration of total bacteria was ranged from 3×104 to 36×106 CFU/g, and concentration
of fungi varied a wide range from 6×103 to 36×103 CFU/g. The dominant group of bacteria isolated from the
dust was Pseudomonas 25.6%, including P. corrugate, P. diminuta, P. marginata and P. agaramicus, followed
by Zanthomonas 17.9%, including Z. orgzae, Staphylococcus 12.8%, including S. xylosus, S. epidermidis,
S. homonis and S. cohini, Bacillus 10.2%, including B. subtilis and B. licheniformis, Curtobacterium,
Micrococcus and Streptococcus 5.1%, Ctrubacterium, Rhodococcus and Agrobacterium 3.4%. Our data also
confirms the existence of Aspergillus which comprised 23.4% of fungi colonies, followed by Penicillium
12.8%, Emerciella sp. 10.62%, Tetracoccosporium, Eurotium sp. 8.51%, Rhizopus sp., Sterile fungus,
Trichocladium sp. 6.4%, Alternaria sp., Phoma sp., Yeast, Curvularia sp., Ascochyta sp., Taeniolella sp.,
Trichophyton, Fusarium sp., 2.12% of total isolated fungi. |