Prediction of mold contamination from microbial volatile organic compound profiles using solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract

An integrated chemical and microbiological approach was used to develop a new sampling and analytical methodology to characterize the fungal load of a contaminated area or building. A set of microbial volatile organic compound (MVOC) profiles were developed with corresponding bioaerosol measurements as input–output pairs for a discriminant to predict the presence or absence of mold contamination in indoor environments. Spore collection to characterize the indoor air quality of the residences and buildings was performed using an Anderson N6 impactor. Simultaneously, solid phase microextraction was used as a passive sampling device to collect VOCs from the air for GC/MS analysis. The volatile organic signatures that molds emit as reflected by the gas chromatographic profiles were compared to the impactor data collected from each sampling site. By comparing the bioaerosol data to the volatile organic profiles, a discriminant could be trained to classify a residence with potential mold growth based on its MVOCs.