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Pandkar J. T. Preliminary Study of Allergenic Algae of Air At Human Breathing Level From Nagpur. Biosci Biotech Res Asia 2011;8(1)
Manuscript received on : February 02, 2011
Manuscript accepted on : March 10, 2011
Published online on:  28-06-2011
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Preliminary Study of Allergenic Algae of Air At Human Breathing Level From Nagpur

Jogita T. Pandkar

Department of Botany, Fergusson College, Pune - 4 India.

Corresponding Author E-mail:Jogita_pandkar@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT: Daily sampling of air at human breathing level was done for 11 months to study aero-algal forms and their possible impact on human health. For collecting daily air samples, a modified sampler (smaller version of Aeroscope) specially designed for collecting samples near ground level was developed. This modified sampler was mounted on a vespa scooter front, to collect average daily sample of Nagpur city. Such investigation of algae present in the air, at human breathing level has been attempted for the first time. Cyanophyta was found to be dominant group, followed by Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta and Euglenophyta. Total 16 algal genera were identified, out of which algal forms such as Phormidium, Lyngbya, Anabaena, Scytonema, Microcoleus and Fragilaria known to be allergenic to human beings were also reported.

KEYWORDS: Aero-algae; Human breathing; Aeroscope; Allergenic

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Introduction

We all know that, the air surrounding us is full of bio-pollutants, such as fungal spores, pollen grains, mites etc. including algae as one of its hazardous component.

Study of algae from atmosphere dates back to 1844 when a German naturalist (Ehrenberg, 1844)1 identified 13 genera of algae from a sample of sea dust. Woodcock (1948)2 related algae to respiratory diseases, when he noted the presence of ‘sea water nudci’ in oceanic air and suggested the creation of aerosols by the bursting bubbles from breaking waves. Heise (1949, 1951)3-4 co-related algae with symptoms of hay fever and asthma and showed cross reactivity between Oscillatoria and Microcystis. Mc. Elhenney et.al (1962)5 reported allerginicity of green algae to children having inhalant sensitivity. Salisburry (1966)6 using glass plates and wind funnel trap collected disease producing algae from air. Bernstein and Safferman (1966, 1970)7-8 also examined allerginicity of algae with respect to skin reactivity of Chlorella and Chlorococcum in 69% of their patients. Lunceford (1968)9 also studied and substantiated allerginicity of algae. Holland (1973)10 reported over 40 genera of algae collected from house dust samples in viable condition, many of such genera being allergenic. Schilting (1985)11 pointed out air born toxic algae as a positive health hazard.

Mittal et.al (1973, 1979)12-13 reported Lyngbya major as a positive allergenic form. Goyal (1976)14 commented on the allerginicity of algae. Nair et.al (1983)15 and Sundershankumar et.al (1984)16 at Bareilley reported air born Aphanocapsa, Calothrix and Lyngbya as a possible association with bronchial allergy and water pollution. Santra (1987)17 studied air borne algae of Calcutta and reported 17 algal forms and related his work with algal allergy. Tilak (1992)18 while reviewing work on aerophycology reported several chlorophycean and cyanophycean allergenic forms. Bajpai et.al. (2009)19 have reported hepatophenomegaly and phytotoxicity of planktonic cyanobacterium Nostoc. Marathe and Reddy (1980)20 has reported 21 algal forms from Nagpur atmosphere.

A review of literature indicates that although there are several reports of air born algae from different altitudes, monitoring of such potential health hazard has not been attempted near ground level- (Human Breathing Level).

Material and Method

For this work a new air sampler (modified and smaller version of Aeroscope, Lakhanpal and Nair, 1958)21 was developed. This consisted of a round vertical M.S shaft (12.5mm diameter and 20 cm length) with threading at its base. Sliding over this shaft was placed a hollow M.S pipe (37.5mm diameter and 15 cm length) moving around the central shaft, on two ball bearings (fitted at the top and bottom of the pipe). A small tail shaped wind wane (12 cm diameter and longest extremity 16 cm) made of 16 gauge M.S sheet, was welded along the length of this pipe. A flat M.S flange (5cm O.D) was welded at the top of the pipe. A horizontal, rectangular (11cmX 6cmX6cm) slide carriage, made of alluminium sheet, was mounted on this flat flange. One small slide carriage strip (2.5cmX10cm) was mounted at an angle of 45o near the exposure end (end away from wind wane) of the slide carriage. Entire sampler was spray painted (Fig-1).

 Figure 1  Figure 1

 

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Such a sampler was mounted on the front mudguard of a vespa scooter, with nuts around base threading of the central shaft. Thus due to ball bearing and wind wane, the sample slide always faced wind current, whenever the scooter was in motion. This sampler was mounted on the scooter of Shri. S.V.Khadke, a sales executive, who was everyday moving around the city (average 30-40km per day) for his work.

Slides were exposed at an average height of about 83 cm (including the height of aeroscope) above the country ground level. Slides for everyday exposure were prepared by spreading a thin layer of petroleum jelly (adhesive).Such slides were fixed on the slide carrying strip with the help of rubber bands. Each slide, after exposing for one complete day, was mounted in glycerine jelly, under a rectangular (25X40mm) coverslips.

This slides, were scanned under microscope, for the presence of algal forms. Algal genera were identified visually on the basis of their morphological characters, by comparing them with reference slides of local algal flora and also by referring to available literature (Cyanophyta, Desikacharya, (1959)22, Fritsch, 1935, 1945)23-24. 

Results and Discussion

During 11 months sampling 334 slides were exposed and 273 algal forms were recorded.

Maximum numbers of algal forms were recorded during March-April and November-January period. Minimum numbers were observed during August- September, which may be partly attributed to high winds and rains.

As usual Cyanophyta was the dominant group represented by 255 algal forms. Bacillariophyta were represented by 14 forms followed by Chlorophyta (2) and Euglenophyta (2).

Out of various genera identified Phormidium (22) was the most frequent one and was recorded during six months. This was followed by Lyngbya (8) for four months, Gleocapsa (5) for four months, Scytonema (4) and Merismopedia (4) each for three months and Microcoelus (2) and Chroococcus (2) each for two months. Tolypothrix, Calothrix, Anabaena, Plectonema, Ulothrix, Trentifolia, Euglena, Pinnularia and Fragilaria were recorded one each (Table-1).

Table 1: Ground level aero-algal calendar of Nagpur

SR.NO PARTICULARS Nov-94 Dec-94 Jan-95 Feb-95 Mar-95 Apr-95 May-95 Jun-95 Jul-95 Aug-95 Sep-95 TOTAL
A CYANOPHYTA 30 22 31 26 43 30 25 16 19 9     4 255
1 Coccoid forms 13 1 4 5 16 2 10 7 13     6 —- 77
2 Filamentous forms 17 21 27 21 27   28 15 9 6 3 4 178
3 Lyngbya 1 2    ___    ___    ___    ___ 4    ___ 1    ___    ___ 8
4 Gloeocapsa 1    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___ 2 1    ___    ___ 5
5 Microcoleus 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1 2
6 Phormidium    ___ 1 1 5 9 5 1    ___    ___    ___    ___ 22
7 Scytonema    ___ 1 1 2    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 4
8 Tolypothrix    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1
9 Calothrix    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1
10 Anabaena    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1
11 Merismopedia    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___ 1    ___ 2    ___    ___ 4
12 Chroococcus    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1 1    ___    ___ 2
13 Plectonema    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___ 1
B CHLOROPHYTA 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___ 2
1 Ulothrix 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1
2 Trentipholia    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___ 1
C EUGLENOPHYTA    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 2
1 Euglena    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 2
D BACILLARIOPHYTA 2    ___ 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 6 2 3 14
1 Pinnularia 1    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___     ___ 1
2 Fragilaria    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___    ___ 1    ___    ___ 1
E positive record days 23 15 17 17 21 21 16 12 16 8 8 174

Out of various genera recorded 6 species of Phormidium, 3 of Lyngbya, 3 of Gloeocapsa, 2 of Chroococcus and one of Merismopedia, Scytonema and Plectonema were identified to species level(Table-2).

Table 2: Ground level aero-algal flora of Nagpur

SR NO. GENUS SPECIES TOTAL
A CYANOPHYTA ——— 255
1 Lyngbya ——— 06
1.1     –,,– gracilis 01
1.2    –,,– aerugineo 01
1.3    –,,– martensiana 01
2 Gloeocapsa ———– 05
2.1    –,,– rupestris 01
2.2    –,,– pleurocapsoides 02
2.3    –,,– stegophila 01
3 Microcoleus ———— 02
4 Merismopedia ———— 04
4.1    –,,– punctata 04
5 Phormidium ———— 22
5.1    –,,– stagnina 03
5.2    –,,– anomala 03
5.3    –,,– subincrustatum 02
5.4    –,,– retzii 02
5.5    –,,– angustissimum 01
5.6    –,,– truncicola 01
6 Scytonema ———— 04
6.1    –,,– schmidtii 01
7 Calothrix ———— 01
8 Anabaena ———– 01
9 Chroococcus ———– 02
9.1    –,,– minor 01
9.2    –,,– minutes 01
10 Plectonema ———– 01
10.1    –,,– radiosum 01
11 Tolypothrix ———– 01
B CHLOROPHYTA ———— 02
1 Trentipholia ———— 01
C BACILLARIOPHYTA ———— 14
1 Pinnularia ———— 01
2 Fragilaria ———— 01
D EUGLENOPHYTA ———— 02
1 Euglena ———— 02
1.1    –,,– acus 02

In this investigation, a considerable number of algal forms, many of them, known to be allergenic to human beings were recorded from the air near ground level at Nagpur.

Maximum numbers of algal forms were recorded during March-April and November-January period (Table-1). Such higher concentrations of air borne algae during post monsoon and dry summer month have also been reported earlier (Devi and Sing, (2005)25 and Santra (1987)17).

Some of the algal forms recorded here have also been reported earlier. Algal taxa such as Phormidium, Lyngbya and Plectonema have been reported from air of Nagpur at high altitudes (Marathe and Reddy, 1980)20. Calothrix, Chroococcus and Microcoleus have been reported from the air of Cairo District of Egypt (Ahmed D.EL. Gamal,2008)26. Merismopedia and Tolypothrix have been reported from the air of Hawai (Brown et.al. 1964)27. Fragilaria and Anabaena have been reported from house dust (Bernstain and Safferman, 1970)8. Gloeocapsa have been reported from building walls of Allahabad (Chadha and Pande, 1982)28 and Scytonema has been reported from the atmosphere of Calcutta Metropolis, (Santra, 1987)17.

Forms such as Phormidium, Lyngbya, Anabaena and Scytonema (Mittal et.al, 1979)13, Microcoleus and Fragilaria (Tilak, 1992)18 and Anabaena (Goyal, 1976)14 recorded here have been reported to be allergenic to human beings.

Presence of such allergenic forms at human breathing level at Nagpur points to the presence of a serious health hazard and there is need for more such details studies. Moreover, this being a preliminary study. Simultaneous culturing of algae was not attempted here. Such additional simultaneous culturing can be expected to produce more promising results.

Acknowledgements

Author is thankful to Dr.M.Z.Patel for his deep interest in these studies. She is also thankful to Shri. S.V.Khadake, for his assistance, during this work.

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