Fungi in Water-Damaged Buildings of Vilnius Old City and Their Susceptibility Towards Disinfectants and Essential Oils

Abstract

The work deals with fungal contamination in water-damaged buildings of Vilnius old town. The investigation focused on indoor moulds on walls and in the air as well as on their susceptibility towards six chemical biocides and seven essential oils. It was revealed that mould contamination was higher on the walls covered with wallpaper than on the painted walls and those decorated with rough porous materials. Fungi from Penicillium, Aspergillus and Cladosporium genera were prevailing both on the wall surfaces and in the indoor air. Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor were the most frequently occurring fungi on the walls and in the air, followed by P. aurantiogriseum, P. simplicissimum, A. niger and Cladosporium sphaerosphermum. All the tested chemical antimicrobial agents showed activity against the fungi, and the strongest effect was demonstrated by Biosheen and Boramon. From the essential oils, the highest antifungal activity was manifested by the essential oils from clove tree followed by Siberian fir and common caraway. It is worth noting that P. chrysogenum, C. sphaerosphermum and Alternaria alternata were more sensitive to the clove tree essential oil than to the tested chemicals.