Isolation, identification and seasonal distribution of airborne and waterborne fungi in Terkos Lake (Istanbul-Turkey).

This paper focuses on isolation and identification of airborne and waterborne fungi from different parts of Terkos Lake located in Istanbul (Turkey). The quantitative and qualitative fungal composition of the air and water of the Lake was surveyed monthly for a year (August 2000-July 2001). Water samples were taken at five different stations at Terkos Lake. Airborne fungal spore levels were estimated by exposing a petri dish containing Rose-Bengal streptomycin agar medium to air for 15 minutes. A total of 2372 fungal colonies (1032 from air and 1340 water) was counted on 216 petri plates. We isolated twenty mould species belonging to 9 genera. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Penicillium expansum and Cladosporium herbarum were the most abundant species (22.0%, 13.4% and 12.9%, respectively). Cladosporium herbarum and sphaerospermum are very common in air samples (29.7% and 27.0%, respectively). Many of the species isolated are rarely in the atmospheric and water environment such as Aspergillus niger and Cladosporium variabile. Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between total CFUs and a number of environmental factors.