Occurrence of airborne algae within the township of Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

There have been relatively few studies on airborne algae although they are known to have health implications. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey on the distribution of airborne algae within Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The sampling sites included a quiet residential area, a busy area with high human movement, a highway with heavy traffic, small roads with low traffic, a golf course, two hilly areas, and the man-made lake, Tasik Komanwel. Soils were also collected from these sites when possible. Results based on cultured samples showed that cyanobacteria were the dominant airborne algae, with a total of eight species identified. The dominant species was Phormidium tenue while other airborne algae found included P. retzii, Nostoc commune, and N. linckia. The sites with high percentage occurrence of airborne algae were near the animal holding facility of the International Medical University and the Light Railway Transit station. Human movement could be an important factor affecting the occurrence of airborne algae. A very low occurrence of airborne algae was recorded at the sites around the lake area. Some of the airborne algae were also found in the soil samples, suggesting that the algae could originate from the soil.