Fungi and some mycotoxins producing species in the air of soybean and cotton mills: a case study

The aim of the present study was to identify fungi and their levels in the air of cotton and soybean industry work–places with a focus on the ability of some Aspergillus, Penicillium and their teleomorphic species for producing mycotoxins. Air samples were collected by passive sedimentation on Petri plates containing 2% malt extract agar, for 10 min. Various allergenic, opportunistic and toxigenic species were found. Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium nigricans, Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium cladosporoides were the predominant species. Many of the identified species have aerodynamic diameter (Dae) <5 μm that can deeply penetrate into the lungs. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used to screen some strains for mycotoxin production. Aspergillus parasiticus I and II were the greatest aflatoxins (AFT) producers in the soybean and cotton mills, respectively. Blue fluorescence (B1) was the major AFT produced by toxigenic fungi. It is unsure whether inhalation of toxigenic fungal spores leads to subsequent production of mycotoxin into the lungs and further work is required.