| dc.description | Studies on air quality within automotive vehicles are an emerging research area in Brazil, especially in the city of S??o Paulo, one
of the most polluted cities in the world and with the largest fleet of vehicles in the country. Indoor air quality is an indicator of
environmental health that takes into account, in addition to thermal comfort, factors that interfere in precarious air conditions,
such as the presence of fungi, bacteria and carbon dioxide in indoor air-conditioned environments. The objective of the present
study was to analyse the fungal contamination in air-conditioning filters collected from 21 automotive vehicles and the study
found 17 fungal genera in all samples collected (100%), including toxigenic fungi such as Penicillium, Fusarim and Aspergillus,
indicating that indoor air quality can compromise the health of a portion of the population, such as professional drivers. Among
the Aspergillus genus, the results showed the presence of the A. flavus, A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. ochraceus and A. clavatus
species, which cause severe allergic and pulmonary respiratory diseases. Air in artificially heated environments should provide
comfort to its occupants but it may pose a risk to human health if the car filtration system is contaminated by pathogenic fungi. | |
