Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

AN AEROMYCOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SLUM & DECENT AREAS OF KOLHAPUR (M.S.), INDIA

Khilare C.J, Chitnavis S.S. (Deceased)

Abstract

The comparative aeromycological survey over two contrasting ecological sites i.e. Slum and Descent areas was carried out by employing culture plate settling and Rotorod methods for two consecutive years (June I 995 to May I 994 Over a period of two years survey, a total number of fungal spores encountered were 47,860/m3 referable to 54 furgal types and 34,330./m3 referable to 39 fungal types from shun anddescent areas respectively. The survey showed Lhe dominance of Aspergilli together with Cladosporium Curvularia, Alternaria. Memnoniella and Nigrospora at both he sites. The Petriplate exposure method showed, the maximum number of 680 colonies constituted 26 genera tnd 565 colonies referable to 23 genera were recorded from slum and descent areas respectively. The pecies Asperigllus fimigatus Asperigillus niger, Cladosprium herbarum, Cladosporiurn spp. Pencillium spp, Nigrosporasphaerica and Paecilomyces varioti were recorded more in number at both the sites. In g neral higher concentration of fungal spores was observed in slum than in the descent area. Simultaneously, the effect of these biopollutants on public health was also studied.The fungal spore calendar of Kolhapur city for the inve, igation period was prepared.