Comparison of airborne fungi in evaporative cooled and air conditioned homes

The evaporative cooler (EC) is commonly used during the warmer months in millions of homes in the desert regions of the Southwestern United States. In this investigation fungi isolated from EC homes were compared with recoveries from air conditioned (AC) homes. Aspergillus tamarii was more abundant in EC homes (P less than .05) whereas Penicillium spp. were more prevalent in AC homes (P less than .05). Fusarium was recovered only from EC homes. Overall, more fungi were isolated from EC homes than AC homes both in terms of total numbers of isolates and numbers of species recovered. The EC appears to provide a niche for allergenic fungi that may be transmitted into the home or business.