Identification and Statistic Analysis Related with Climatic Variability and Transportation of the Most Abundant Spores in Mexicali, Mexico

Background . The Mexicali valley with intense agricultural and industrial activities has among its community a high incidence of allergenic diseases and one of the causes could be suspended particles including pollen and spores. Unfortunately, there are not backgrounds for aerobiological analyses, being Mexicali a city where the levels of atmospheric contamination have exceeded the air quality standards (Reyna, 2006). This situation has led studies to determine the impact of concentrations of air pollutants including spores as causal agents in allergies and respiratory diseases.

Method. Three periods of sampling have been carried out. The first sampling in 2005 with Rotorod equipment;  the quantitative parameters were diversity, volume, and frequency of spores, as well as its relation with meteorological factors, like average temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation; a second study was performed in 2008, with same parameters and equipment. In 2011 new sampling is performed by using the Burkard sampler which includes same parameters as the first and second sampling.

Results . In 2005 the most abundant types were Alternaria 3,419/m³ with greater representativeness in August (24.81%); the same to Bipolaris 1,846/m³ (22%); Stemphylium 1197/m³ with greater presence in February (15%); temperature and relative humidity were correlated with the presence of spores being an association linear loss; the correlation in annual tendency is smaller, related to the seasonal monthly correlation; correlation of cold season is greater than correlation of the warm season. A study carried out in 2008 showed, high incidence of Cladosporium, on April 57.32%.  Same month in the first sampling only 15.11%. In 2011 richness of Ascospora, Cladosporium and Periconia, showed very different results the same months but sampling in 2005 and 2008.

Conclusion. The studies show different data related with type and richness on same months. Data obtained in the first study correlated the relationship between air pollution caused by fungal spores and the incidence of childhood asthma in Mexicali (de la Fuente, 2009).