The present study was carried out to investigate the concentration and species diversity of airborne fungi in thermophilic mushroom cultivation houses. Fungal concentration measurements were performed in April and May 2022 for a Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation house, in July and August 2023 for a Pleurotus sajor-caju and Agaricus blazei cultivation house, and in June, July and August 2023 for a Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus sajor-caju and Calocybe indica cultivation house. The airborne fungal concentration was 2.95 × 102 CFU/m3~105CFU/m3, above 105CFU/m3, and 1.12 × 103 CFU/m3~ 9.17 × 103 CFU/m3 in the three cultivation houses, respectively. A total of 8 genera and 22 species of airborne fungi were isolated from three mushroom cultivation houses. 5 genera and 7 species were identified from P. ostreatus cultivation house. Furthermore, 4 genera 6 species were found from A. blazei and C. indica cultivation house. In addition, 5 genera and15 species were isolated from P. pulmonarius, P. sajor-caju and C. indica cultivation house. Among the fungi isolated, the class of Eurotiomycetes was the most common. Among the 22 fungal species, Aspergillus flavus, A. ochraceus A. sydowii, A. tubingensis, A. westerdijkiae, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. citrinum, and P. steckii have been reported as harmful species to mushrooms, food, and human.

Airborne bacteria in mushroom growing environments are a potential risk of contamination in commercial mushroom production. Controlling contamination in mushroom farms requires understanding the bacterial ecology in the cultivation environment. This study was conducted to investigate the concentration and species diversity of floating bacteria in a thermophilic mushroom cultivation room. Temperature, humidity, temperature, humidity, and bacterial concentration measurements were performed in April and May 2022 for a Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation house, in July and August 2023 for a Pleurotus sajor-caju and a Agaricus blazei cultivation house, and in June, July and August 2023 for a Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus sajor-caju and Calocybe indica cultivation house. The airborne bacterial concentration was 5.27 × 103~105 CFU/m3, 3.81 × 102 ~1.37 × 103 CFU/m3, and 2.55 × 102 ~1.37 × 102 CFU/m3 in the three cultivation houses, respectively. A total of 23 genera and 37 species of airborne bacteria were isolated from the three mushroom cultivation houses. 12 genera and 18 species were identified from P. ostreatus cultivation house. Furthermore, 4 genera and 4 species were found from A. blazei and C. indica cultivation house. In addition, 11 genera and 18 species were isolated from P. pulmonarius, P. sajor-caju and C. indica cultivation house. Among the bacteria isolated, the Bacilli class was the most common, followed by Gammaproteobacteria. Among the 37 bacterial species, it was determined that Bacillus cereus, B. licheniformis, Cedecea neteri, Exiguobacterium acetylicum and Raoultella terrigena could negatively affect humans or foodstuff. Cedecea neteri is also known to cause diseases among mushrooms.

Fungal contaminant in the indoor air is one of risk factors that could damage valuable paper-based records preserved in libraries. In the process of monitoring airborne fungi at the Nara Repository, the National Archives, Seoul, Korea, three fungal strains, DUCC 16098, DUCC 17764, and DUCC17767 were isolated from the archive’s air samples. Fungal identification was performed based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the 28S LSU rDNA, and β-tubulin gene (BenA), and TEF1-α gene. These DUCC 16098, DUCC 17764 and DUCC17767 strains were identified as Clonostachys farinosa, Penicillium cosmopolitanum, and Cephalotrichum purpureofuscum. These species have not been recorded before in Korea. Information on these fungi will help the monitoring and management of airborne fungi in the archival facilities.

Air conditioner filters purify the air of indoor environments by removing air pollutants and supporting the efficiency of the unit’s cooling function. However, an air conditioner filter can become a microenvironment in which some fungi can grow as dust continues to accumulate and favorable humidity conditions are formed. Fungal growth in air conditioner filters could lead to fungal allergies or fungal diseases, in addition to emitting a foul odor. In an effort to understand what species causes this malodorous problem, we investigated the diversity of fungi found in air conditioners. Fungi were sampled from the collected air conditioner filters and grown on DG18 agar media. After purification for pure isolates, species identification was undertaken. Colony morphology was observed on PDA, MEA, CYA, and OA media. Microstructures of fruiting body, mycelia, and spores were examined using a light microscope. Molecular identification was performed by PCR and sequencing of PCR amplicons, and molecular phylogenetic analysis of sequenced DNA markers, including the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), the 28S large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), the β-tubulin (BenA) gene, the Calmodulin (CaM) gene, and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2) gene. Through this identification process, we found two fungal species, Aspergillus miraensis and Dichotomopilus ramosissimus, which are unrecorded species in Korea. We will now report their morphological and molecular features.

To understand microorganism effects on wild mushroom fruiting bodies, we investigated the fungi in hyphosphere soil supporting wild mushroom species Cortinarius violaceus, Amanita hemibapha, Laccaria vinacelavellanea, and Amanita verna found in the Gotjawal area of Jeju Island. Fungal species identification based on morphological traits and molecular analysis of ITS, LSU rDNA, and -tubulin gene sequences resulted in isolation and identification of eleven fungal species previously unrecorded in Korea. These newly-recorded species are: Arthrinium kogelbergensis, Kalmusia longisporum, Keithomyces carneum, Neopyrenochaeta cercidis, Penicillium ranomafanaense, Phomatodes nebulosa, Pyrenochaeta nobilis, Tolypocladium album, Talaromyces kendrickii, Talaromyces qii, and Umbelopsis gibberispora, and their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic positions are described.

Plant biosecurity refers to measures that aim to prevent the introduction and spread of pests that pose potential risks to plant health. This core concept underpins the approach undertaken by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), where pre-border, border, and post-border biosecurity activities focus on early detection and rapid response. The approach recognizes the continuum from pre- to post-border, resource allocation is currently being reviewed to ensure an appropriate balance for effective risk mitigation. National Priority Plant Pests with contingency plans highlight the types of threats facing the Korean peninsula faces from exotic plant pests. This will lead to transparency of NPPO activities and ensure that it has the people, resources, tools and systems to address its most important priorities and effectively manage current and future biosecurity challenges.

ATP luminescence measurements (using Relative Light Units, RLU) has been used to assess the levels of bacterial contamination on the surfaces of various materials. However, not much is known about their suitability in assessing bacterial contamination on paper surfaces. This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using ATP luminometers in measuring levels of bacteria contamination on paper surfaces. The three ATP luminometers studied were Clean-Q, smart PD-30, and 3M™ Clean-Trace™ LM1 manufactured by different companies. There were some differences in RLU results among the three ATP luminometers when they were tested with different concentrations of Micrococcus luteus cell suspension. 106 - 107 cells were required in order to effectively detect Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Micrococcus luteus on the surfaces of A4 printing sheets (100 cm2) when using the three ATP luminometers. The sizes and physical properties of surface areas varied slightly among the swabs used for the three ATP luminometers. Concentration-specific measurements (RLU) of M. luteus taken from the surfaces of six kinds of paper (fine print paper, medium print paper, ground paper, newsprint paper, practice paper, tracing paper) were possible using the smart PD-30 and LM1 ATP luminometers. ATP detection values of M. luteus varied among the six types of paper. The highest ATP detection values were found on the surfaces of tracing paper. If the RLU value is recorded at the level of 1000, this could indicate a very high bacterial contamination level of 105 to 106 CFU/4 cm2.

Some plant pathogenic bacteria species are environmentally high-risk organisms that have a negative impact on agricultural production. Experiments with these pathogens in a biosafety laboratory require safety protocols to prevent contamination from these pathogens. In this work, we investigated the efficacy of using UV-C irradiation for the purpose of sterilizing an important plant pathogenic bacterium, Erwinia pyrifoliae, in a laboratory setting. For the test, the pathogen (1.71 × 108 CFU/ml) was inoculated on the surface of Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and the inoculated media were placed on a work surface in a biosafety cabinet (Class 2 Type A1) as well as on three different surfaces located within the laboratory: a laboratory bench, a laboratory bench shelf, and the floor. All the surfaces where the media were placed were in range of the UV-C beam projected by the UV lamp installed in the ceiling of the BSL 2 Class biosafety laboratory. Measurements of the reduction rate of bacteria under UV-C irradiation were conducted at different time intervals: after 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours, respectively. The reduction rate of bacteria ranged from 90% to 99% after 10min irradiation, from 97.8% to 100% after 30 minutes of irradiation, from 99.1% to 100% after 1 hour of irradiation, and from 99.99% to 100% after 2 hours of irradiation. After 3 hours of irradiation, the pathogen was completely killed in all the test conditions. In the cases of the laboratory bench and the shelf of the laboratory bench, the effectiveness of UV-C irradiation differed slightly between the site where the bacteria located vertically under the lamp and the site where the bacteria were located 1 meter away horizontally from the site under of the lamp.

High-risk microbial pathogens are handled in a biosafety laboratory. After experiments, the pathogens may remain as contaminants. To safely manage a biosafety laboratory, disinfection of microbial contaminants is necessary. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of UV-C irradiation for the disinfection of a high-risk plant pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora in a laboratory setting. For the test, the bacterium (8.7 × 106 CFU/ml) was embedded on the surface of PDA and placed on the work surface in a biosafety cabinet (Class 2 Type A1), and on the three different surfaces of the laboratory bench, laboratory bench shelf, and the floor which were positioned in a straight line from the UV lamp installed in the ceiling of the biosafety laboratory (BSL 2 class). UV-C irradiation was administered for 10min, 30min, 1 hr, 2hr, 3 hr, and 4hr, respectively. The reduction rate of bacteria ranged from 95% to 99% in regard to 10 min irradiation, from 97% to 99% in regard to 30 min irradiation, from 99.8% to 99.9% in regard to 1 hr irradiation, and higher than 99.99% in regard to 2 hr irradiation. The bacterium was completely inactivated after 3 hr irradiation. A similar UV-C irradiation effect was obtained when the bacterium was placed at a distance of 1 m from the three different surface points. Bacterial reduction by UV-C irradiation was not significantly different among the three different surface points.

This study was conducted to obtain basic information for the use of the ATP fluorescence detection method in consideration of the most common and frequent contamination situation that occurs in laboratories dealing with fire blight causing bacterium, Erwinia amylovora. ATP luminescence measurements (Relative Light Unit, RLU) were tested against these pathogen cells (CFU/cm2) which were artificially introduced on the disinfected surface of a bench floor of a biosafety cabinet (Class 2 Type A1), on a part of the disinfected surface of a lab experimental bench, on a part of the disinfected floor, and on a part of the disinfected floor of an acryl chamber for bioaerosol studies in a biosafety laboratory (BSL 2 class) using two different ATP bioluminometers. RLU values were not much increased with the bacterial cells from 2.15 × 102/cm2 to 2.15 × 106/cm2. RLU values varied among the four different surfaces tested. RLU values measured from the same number of bacterial cells differed little between the two different ATP bioluminometers used for this study. RLU values obtained from bacterial cells higher than 2.15 × 107/cm2 indicated the presence of bacterial contamination on the four different surfaces tested. The R2 values obtained based on the correlation data for the RLU values in response to different E. amylovora cell numbers (CFU/ cm2) on the surfaces of the four test spots ranged from 0.9827 to 0.9999.

This study was carried out to investigate how airborne bacteria are distributed under different temperature conditions while cultivating oyster mushrooms by setting the indoor temperature of the cultivation room to 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C. The surveys were conducted in April and May, respectively. Airborne bacterial concentrations were distributed in the range of 1.61 × 102 ~ 3.67 × 102 CFU/m3 in April and 5.47 × 102 ~ 7 × 103 CFU/ m3 in May. In May, the indoor air quality maintenance standard (8.0 × 102 CFU/m3) was exceeded in the 10°C, 20°C, and 25°C cultivation rooms. Bacterial concentrations increased significantly in May compared to April. Bacterial concentrations were different between the cultivation rooms at different temperatures. The difference was more pronounced in May than in April. A total of 15 genera and 20 species were isolated from the indoor air of the oyster mushroom cultivation rooms. Overall, it was most abundant in Actinomycetia. Among the species identified, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Kocuria palustris, K. salsicia, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, and Sphingobacterium siyangense are known to affect human health. This is the first report of airborne bacteria in cultivation rooms at different temperatures used for oyster mushroom cultivation. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data to understand the indoor environment of thermophilic mushroom cultivation facilities.

The demand for novel strains has been rising in the domestic market to increase the production of sclerotia from Wolfiporia hoelen. To improve strain breeding efficiency, we investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) gene, which may be linked to the mating type locus, are useful for distinguishing monokaryons from dikaryons in Korean W. hoelen strains. We designed a specific primer set to efficiently amplify a region of RPB2 using PCR with the genomic DNA of 12 cultivated strains and 31 wild strains of W. hoelen collected from Korea. Nucleotide sequences of the PCR-amplified RPB2 genes were determined and analyzed for the presence of SNPs among the 43 W. hoelen strains. Previously reported SNP loci were detected in the RPB2 gene of all W. hoelen strains tested. However, these previously reported SNP loci could not be applied to differentiate monokaryons from dikaryons in approximately one-third of Korean wild strains with homozygous genotypes. Three additional SNPs in the RPB2 gene, which may improve the ability to distinguish monokaryons from dikaryons, were identified by searching through the multiple sequence alignments of the 43 W. hoelen strains. The applicability of these three novel SNPs, together with the previously known SNPs, in the RPB2 gene to W. hoelen strain breeding was verified by examining the hybrid strains and their parental strains.

Fungi are organisms that must be monitored and controlled in order to preserve valuable paper records. They reduce the quality of paper records by degradation and/or discoloration. As an effort to understand fungal contamination in the National Archives of Korea, the concentration of fungi in the indoor air of the unsterilized record rooms has been reported. However, what species are present in the facilities is not much known. In the present study, we examined the fungi isolated from the National Archives of Korea and found among them that there are fungal species which are newly documented in Korea. They were identified based on morphological properties and nucleotide sequences analysis of the polymerase chain reaction-amplified the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA, calmodulin gene, and beta-tubulin gene. We report Cladosporium parahalotolerans, Cladosporium subuliforme, Ochroconis mirabilis, Penicillium angulare, and Penicillium fundyense as new instances of fungal species in Korea. Among these five species, P. angulare is known to able to produce cellulase and O. mirabilis as an opportunistic pathogen of human and animals.

Fungi have been known as an irritant or causal agent of asthma. Thus, information on their concentration and diversity in indoor air of asthmatic patient’s houses is valuable for the management of these micro-organisms. The present study was performed to investigate fungal concentration and diversity in indoor air of resident spaces in two adult patient’s houses in winter. Air samples were collected in February of 2018 from living rooms and bedrooms of two asthma patients’ houses located in two different places in Incheon city using an impaction method. The average concentrations of airborne fungi did not exceed the 500 CFU/m3 level which is recommended by the Enforcement Managements of the Indoor Air Quality, Ministry of Environment, Korea. A total of four genera and 23 species were identified based on morphological and molecular methods. Aspergillus and Penicillium were two major genera. Aspergillus pseudoglaucus and Penicillium citrinum were commonly found between the two patient’s houses. Among the identified fungi, three species, Aspergillus venenatus, Penicillium jamesonlandense, and Penicillium salami were found to be unrecorded species in Korea. The morphological and molecular characteristics of these three unrecorded species were described. Since these species produce spores well and a lot, they are considered to be a species that needs management. This study provides basic information on the fungi for indoor air quality management in the living spaces of asthma patients in winter in Korea.

Airborne bacteria are expected to float in the mushroom cultivation house, as it is a special environment with high humidity and high temperatures. Their concentration and diversity in the indoor air of the cultivation house could effect the health of farmers and the quality of mushrooms. To examine whether microbiota of airborne bacteria change from year to year, we measured the indoor temperature, humidity, and airborne bacterial concentration from mushroom cultivation houses located in six regions in Korea from 2020 to 2021, and isolated and identified airborne bacteria. The surveyed data were compared and the bacterial diversity of the 1st year and the 2nd year were determined. Based on the average temperature and humidity data surveyed, it can be seen that the temperature and humidity environment in the cultivation houses is such that bacteria can easily reproduce. It was observed that the temperature inside the cultivation houses tends to be higher or lower depending on the season and correlates with the temperature outside the cultivation houses. In the first year survey, 32 species of 20 genera were identified, and in the second year survey, bacteria belonging to 29 species of 22 genera were identified. Among them, the most detected species were all species belonging to the genus Bacillus. There were only three species (Bacillus altitudinis, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) that were continuously isolated in common. Our results showed that the species of floating bacteria greatly vary from year to year even for the same cultivation houses.

In order for records to be preserved for a long time without physical and chemical transformation, the preservation environment of the library is very important, and environmental problems must be improved through periodic investigation on the preservation environment. Against this background, this study derived fine dust (PM10) and ultrafine dust (PM2.5) concentration data for the libraries, hallways, and workrooms of the National Archives of Korea over two years. There was a difference in the concentration of fine dust and ultrafine dust among facilities, and there was a change in the concentration depending on the month. Both fine dust and ultrafine dust concentrations were present at less than 10 μg/m³ in the libraries. In the hallways, both fine and ultrafine dust concentrations were highest in July. In the workplaces, the monthly fluctuations in the concentration of fine dust and ultrafine dust were large. And the concentration of fine dust and ultrafine dust in the workplaces were higher than those in the library and hallways. Overall, the concentration of fine dust and ultra-fine dust was measured below the maintenance standards stipulated by the Indoor Air Quality Management Act of the Ministry of Environment of Korea in all the investigated facilities. The results of this study are expected to be used as fundamental information to manage the indoor air quality of the facilities of the National Archives.