Table 2.
Studies on microbiological assessment of the indoor environment in India (2012-2022).
| S. No. | City/State/Rural or Urban | Type of Indoor environment | Purpose of the study | Sampling method | Culture media | Microbial diversity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not specified | Maxillofacial operation theater of a teaching dental hospital in India | Assessment of contamination of indoor air and surfaces | Active sampling by centrifugal air sampler method; Passive sampling by settle plate method; Surface Swabbing | NA and BA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria.: E. coli, Proteus, S. aureus, Streptococcus beta-hemolyticus Fungi: Aspergillus, Fusarium | (233) |
| 2 | West Chennai/Tamil Nadu/Urban | Orthopedic Ward of a tertiary healthcare facility | Characterization of indoor bioaerosols in a hospital | Passive sampling by exposed-plate gravitational method; Active sampling by filtration (personal sampler with gelatin filters) and impingement (BioSampler) | 5% Sheep BA and MA for bacteria; SDA for fungi | Bacteria: Coagulase-negative staphylococci, diphtheroids, micrococci, Enterobacter, and Pseudomonas Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus Absidia, Candida krusei | (76) |
| 3 | Jodhpur/Rajasthan/Urban | Senior secondary school | Quantitative and qualitative determination of airborne microorganisms and to study their seasonal variability | Passive sampling by plate exposure method | NA for bacteria; PDA supplemented with chloramphenicol for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus lentus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus kristinae, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Rhizopus | (234) |
| 4 | Delhi/India/Urban | Various areas of Jawaharlal Nehru University Library | Estimation and identification of Bioaerosols | Active sampling by BUCK Bio-culture pump | EMB and BA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, A. nidulans, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Penicillium, Rhizopus oryzae | (235) |
| 5 | Delhi/India/Urban | School of Environmental Sciences building, Jawaharlal Nehru University | Determination of bacterial concentrations and to assess their correlation with meteorological parameters | Active sampling using a handy air sampler | LB broth and agar with cycloheximide | Gram-positive rods, Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative rods, Gram-negative cocci (Bacterial genera not identified; only bacterial counts as CFU/m3 determined) | (236) |
| 6 | Visakhapatnam/Andhra Pradesh/Urban | Primary and secondary schools (classrooms, office rooms, libraries, canteens, and toilets) | Assessment of microbiological indoor air quality | Passive sampling by settle plate method | EMB for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Staphylococcus aureus Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Penicillium, Cladosporium | (237) |
| 7 | Kalyani/West Bengal/Urban | Hospital (general ward, female ward, children’s ward, and operation theater) | Environmental monitoring of hospital aero microflora | Passive sampling by settle plate method | NA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus Fungi: Aspergillus, Candida, Fusarium, Penicillium | (238) |
| 8 | Manipal/Karnataka/Urban | ICUs in a tertiary care hospital | Assessment of microorganisms and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in microbial in relation to the nosocomial infections | Passive sampling by Settle plate method | Blood agar medium | Bacteria: Acinetobacter, E. coli, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus Fungi: Aspergillus | (239) |
| 9 | Nagpur/Maharashtra/Urban | House | Investigation of fungal flora | Passive sampling by plate exposure method | PDA and Peptone dextrose agar | Fungi: Aspergillus alternata, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A nidulans, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium chrysogenum | (240) |
| 10 | Triplicane, Chennai/Tamil Nadu/Urban | Public toilet | Investigating the presence of airborne fungi in public toilets | Exposed Plate Technique | SDA for fungi | Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, Rhizopus oryzae | (241) |
| 11 | Jodhpur/Rajasthan/Urban | Outdoor patient room of a three-story private hospital | Evaluation of the variability and the effect of meteorological parameters on airborne fungi | Passive sampling by settle plate method | PDA for fungi | Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. solani, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium sp., Rhizopus | (242) |
| 12. | Dehradun/Uttarakhand/Urban | Doon hospital and combined medical institute | Investigating the airborne microbial population | Passive sampling by exposed plate technique | NA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, E. coli, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Rhizopus | (243) |
| 13 | Moga/Punjab/Urban | Private maternity home | Assessment of microbial contamination | Passive sampling by settle plate method | NA, Cetrimide Agar, Hicrome™ Bacillus agar, MA, MSA, Sheep BA, Anaerobic BA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus Fungi: Absidia, Aspergillus, Exophiala, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus | (244) |
| 14 | Pune/Maharashtra/Urban | Hospital (pediatric ward, maternity ward, labor room, pediatric intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit) | Assessment of bacterial contamination and their relationship with nosocomial infections | Passive sampling by settle plate method | MA for bacteria | Bacteria: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus | (245) |
| 15 | Chennai/Tamil Nadu/Urban | Diverse indoor environments including laboratory, student office, air-conditioned room, eatery, and residential apartment | Assessment of bioaerosols | Active Sampling by six stage anderson sampler | TSA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Actinobacteria, Alphaproteo-bacteria, Betaproteo-bacteria, Gammaproteo-bacteria, Dinococci, Bacillii, Flavobacteria Fungi: Bipolaris, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cochliocolus, Curvularia, Drechslera, Fusarium, Mucoromycotina, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Purpuriocillium, Rhizopus, Trichosporon | (246) |
| 16 | Jammu/Jammu and Kashmir/Urban | Banks located in different areas | Evaluation of bacteria and fungi in relation to suspended particulate matter and relative humidity | Active sampling using a handy air sampler | NA, MA and BTB Lactose Agar for bacteria; PDA and Czapek Dox Agar for fungi | Bacteria: Acinetobacter, Bacillus, E. coli, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. glaucus, A. niger, A. versicolor, Bipolaris, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Saccharomyces | (247) |
| 17 | Delhi/Urban | Slum, residential, and plush urban areas near the University of Delhi | Spatio-temporal variations in bioaerosol concentrations in the indoor environment of different socio-economic zones | Passive sampling | BA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Only bacterial and fungal counts were determined. | (248) |
| 18 | Israna/Haryana/Rural | N.C. Medical College and Hospital (eye, general, ENT, orthopedics, gynecology, and emergency operation theaters) | Studying prevalence and type of bacterial contamination | Passive sampling by settle plate method and surface swabbing | NA, MA, BA for bacteria | Bacteria: Bacillus, Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Micrococci, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus Fungi: Aspergillus, Penicillium | (249) |
| 19 | Puducherry/Urban | Tertiary care hospital (general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and orthopedics departments) | Assessment of prevalence rate of various microorganisms | Passive sampling by settle plate method | Sheep BA for bacteria; SDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, Diptheroides, Micrococcus, S. aureus Fungi: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, Fusarium | (250) |
| 20 | Delhi/Urban | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar central library and Central laboratory animal resources, Jawaharlal Nehru University | Assessment of prevalence and antibiogram of Staphylococcus | Passive sampling by settle plate method; Active sampling using biosampler | EMB for Gram-negative bacteria, Sheep BA for Gram-positive bacteria and MSA for staphylococci | Bacteria: S. aureus, S. capitis, S. cohnii, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, S. lentus, S. saprophyticus, S. sciuri, S. warneri, S. xylosus | (251) |
| 21 | Jalna/Maharashtra/Urban | Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (surgery, emergency, orthopedic, general, obstetric, medical, and tuberculosis wards) | Assessment of bioaerosols | Passive sampling by settle plate method | NA and blood agar for bacteria; SDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, Clostridium, Coccobacilli, Diphtheroids, E. coli, Klebsiella, Micrococci, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus Fungi: Aspergillus, Candida | (64) |
| 22 | Kyasaram/Telangana/Rural | Living rooms of rural houses | Assessment of ambient concentrations of airborne microbes and endotoxins | Active Sampling by single-stage cascade impactor | TSA for bacteria; PDA for fungi | Bacteria: Bacillus, B. anthracis, Enterobacter cloacae, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium | (252) |
| 23 | Kolkata/West Bengal/Urban | Outdoor unit, newborn baby ward, respiratory care unit, step downward, and thalassemia care unit of government children hospital | Assessment of airborne fungi | Passive sampling by petri dish gravitational method | MEA for fungi | Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. sydowii, Cladosporium herbarum, Cladosporium, Corynespora cassicola, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia pallescens, Fusarium, Humicola grisea, Mucor, Penicillum | (231) |
| 24 | Delhi/Semi-urban/Urban | Residential areas (slum area), Wazirpur industrial area, and other commercial areas | Determination of microflora composition, diversity, and size distribution with regard to seasonal variation | Active sampling by Anderson six stage sampler | TSA with cycloheximide for bacteria; SDA with rose bengal dye for fungi and | Bacteria: E. coli, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Spirillum, Staphylococcus, Streptobacillus, Streptococcus Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus flavipes, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Candida, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Microsporum, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Saccharomyces, Trichoderma | (232) |
| 25 | Delhi/Urban | Residences, college classrooms, coaching academies, godowns, Research Laboratories | To investigate health risks among the people living in industrial, educational, and residential areas due to poor microbial indoor air quality | Passive sampling by settle plate method | TSA with cycloheximide for bacteria; SDA with chloramphenicol for fungi | Bacteria: E. coli, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptobacillus, Streptococcus Fungi: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Candida, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus | (253) |
BA: blood agar, BTB Lactose agar: bromo thymol blue lactose agar, EMB: eosin methylene blue agar, LB: Luria-Bertani, MA: MacConkey agar, MEA: malt extract agar, NA: nutrient agar, PDA: potato dextrose agar, SDA: Sabouraud’s dextrose agar, TSA: trypticase soy agar.