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Effects of wind speed and direction on monthly fluctuations of Cladosporium conidia concentration in the air

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Abstract

This study determined the relationship between airborne concentration of Cladosporium spp. spores and wind speed and direction using real data (local wind measured by weather station) and modelled data (air mass flow computed with the aid of HYbrid Single Particle Lagrangian Trajectory model). Air samples containing fungal conidia were taken at an urban site (Worcester, UK) for a period of five consecutive years using a spore trap of the Hirst design. A threshold of ≥6000 s m−3 (double the clinical value) was applied in order to select high spore concentration days, when airborne transport of conidia at a regional scale was more likely to occur. Collected data were then examined using geospatial and statistical tools, including circular statistics. Obtained results showed that the greatest numbers of spore concentrations were detected in July and August, when C. herbarum, C. cladosporioides and C. macrocarpum sporulate. The circular correlation test was found to be more sensitive than Spearman’s rank test. The dominance of either local wind or the air mass on Cladosporium spore distributions varied between examined months. Source areas of this pathogen had an origin within the UK territory. Very high daily mean concentrations of Cladosporium spores were observed when daily mean local wind speed was v s ≤ 2.5 m s−1 indicating warm days with a light breeze.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the University of Worcester and conducted within the framework of the doctoral studies. The author would like to thank Dr. Andrew M. Reynolds (Rothamsted Research) for a critical evaluation of the manuscript. Subsequently, thanks go to Dr. Carsten Ambelas Skjøth (University of Worcester) for producing Fig. 2 used in this study. Finally, the author would like to acknowledge the NOAA ARL for the provision of the HYSPLIT model used in this publication as well as access to input data (GDAS archive) for running the HYSPLIT model.

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  1. Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, UK

    Magdalena Sadyś

  2. Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK

    Magdalena Sadyś

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Correspondence to Magdalena Sadyś.

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Sadyś, M. Effects of wind speed and direction on monthly fluctuations of Cladosporium conidia concentration in the air. Aerobiologia 33, 445–456 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-017-9482-6

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