Investigation of fungal contamination in urban houses with children in six major Chinese cities: Genus and concentration characteristics

Abstract Indoor fungi, as an important group of biological contaminants, are recognized as risk factors for human health. However, limited data are currently available on fungal pollution in houses of China. In this study, fungi in air, in settled dust and on surfaces in urban houses with children are determined in six major cities of China. Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. and Cladosporium spp. are the most frequent genera and are the dominant genera in air. The concentrations of these three fungi account for an average percentage of 87% and 83% of the total concentration of airborne fungi in winter and summer. Unlike airborne fungi, there is no particularly obvious dominant fungal genus in settled dusts and on interior surfaces. The average concentration of total airborne fungi in houses in summer is significantly higher (p