Abstract
We analyzed 79 bulk samples of moldy interior finishes from Finnish buildings with moisture problems for 17 mycotoxins, as well as for fungi that could be isolated using one medium and one set of growth conditions. We found the aflatoxin precursor, sterigmatocystin, in 24% of the samples and trichothecenes in 19% of the samples. Trichothecenes found included satratoxin G or H in five samples; diacetoxyscirpenol in five samples; and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, deoxynivalenol, verrucarol, or T-2-tetraol in an additional five samples. Citrinine was found in three samples. Aspergillus versicolor was present in most sterigmatocystin-containing samples, and Stachybotrys spp. were present in the samples where satratoxins were found. In many cases, however, the presence of fungi thought to produce the mycotoxins was not correlated with the presence of the expected compounds. However, when mycotoxins were found, some toxigenic fungi usually were present, even if the species originally responsible for producing the mycotoxin was not isolated. We conclude that the identification and enumeration of fungal species present in bulk materials are important to verify the severity of mold damage but that chemical analyses are necessary if the goal is to establish the presence of mycotoxins in moldy materials.
Highlights
Mycotoxins are “natural products produced by fungi that evoke a toxic response when introduced in low concentrations to higher vertebrates by a natural route”
Toxigenic fungi have been isolated from building materials and air samples in buildings with moisture problems, where the residents have suffered from nonspecific symptoms possibly related to mycotoxin production, such as cough; irritation of eyes, skin, and respiratory tract; joint ache; headache; and fatigue [3, 8,9,10, 24, 27, 29, 37, 39]
From the many studies of the production of mycotoxins by fungal isolates derived from agricultural environments, a great deal is known about the fungal species that are capable of producing known mycotoxins and about the growth media and conditions that induce production [5, 14, 25, 28]
Summary
Mycotoxins are “natural products produced by fungi that evoke a toxic response when introduced in low concentrations to higher vertebrates by a natural route” These compounds can cause a wide range of acute and chronic systemic effects in humans and animals that cannot be attributed to fungal growth within the host or allergic reactions to foreign proteins [22]. Inhalant exposure to mycotoxins can occur by inhaling airborne particulates containing mycotoxins, including dust and fungal components. From the many studies of the production of mycotoxins by fungal isolates derived from agricultural environments, a great deal is known about the fungal species that are capable of producing known mycotoxins and about the growth media and conditions that induce production [5, 14, 25, 28]. Most trichothecenes were originally isolated from species of Fusarium, but they
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