Resumen

TOLOZA-MORENO, DEISY LISSETH  y  LIZARAZO-FORERO, LUZ MARINA. Aeromicrobiology of The Central Archive of Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (Tunja-Boyacá). Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.1, pp. 185-194. ISSN 0120-548X.

Air quality of indoor environments can be influenced by different particles suspended in the atmosphere (dust, pollen, bacteria, fungi, and virus) that could cause damage to documents and induce allergic reactions in people working with these documents. In this work, we identified until genera the microorganisms present in the environment of the central archive of Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; specifically those that could cause respiratory allergies to personnel of this area. For the environment samples, we used the open Petri dish sedimentation method using potato dextrose agar, and measured temperature and relative humidity during each sampling. Also, a survey was taken of the workers to record respiratory symptoms that could arise from handling documents. Samples were taken from the nostrils of some of these workers. Fourteen genera among fungi, yeasts, and bacteria, and two non identified categories were isolated from the environment. The predominant fungal genera were Mucor spp. and Penicillium spp. with 36.6% and 27.5% of the total of isolated colonies, respectively. Yeast, mainly Rhodotorula genera, and bacteria with prevalence coccus forms were isolated in smaller proportions. There was not statistically significant correlation among the average of colony forming units and the temperature and relative humidity in the environment. In addition, nostril samples yielded only normal microbiota of the nose, indicating that suggestive respiratory symptoms workers presented are not directly influenced by the presence of fungal spores in the environment at the central archive.

Palabras llave : Aerobiology; respiratory allergies; central archive; airborne microorganisms..