Toxic Indoor Air Is a Potential Risk of Causing Immuno Suppression and Morbidity-A Pilot Study.

Kirsi Vaali,Tamara Tuuminen,Marja Tuomela,Marika Mannerström,Tuula Heinonen

doi:10.3390/jof8020104

Kirsi Vaali, Tamara Tuuminen + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8020104

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Abstract

We aimed to establish an etiology-based connection between the symptoms experienced by the occupants of a workplace and the presence in the building of toxic dampness microbiota. The occupants (5/6) underwent a medical examination and urine samples (2/6) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for mycotoxins at two time-points. The magnitude of inhaled water was estimated. Building-derived bacteria and fungi were identified and assessed for toxicity. Separate cytotoxicity tests using human THP-1 macrophages were performed from the office’s indoor air water condensates. Office-derived indoor water samples (n = 4/4) were toxic to human THP-1 macrophages. Penicillium, Acremonium sensu lato, Aspergillus ochraceus group and Aspergillus section Aspergillus grew from the building material samples. These colonies were toxic in boar sperm tests (n = 11/32); four were toxic to BHK-21 cells. Mycophenolic acid, which is a potential immunosuppressant, was detected in the initial and follow-up urine samples of (2/2) office workers who did not take immunosuppressive drugs. Their urinary mycotoxin profiles differed from household and unrelated controls. Our study suggests that the presence of mycotoxins in indoor air is linked to the morbidity of the occupants. The cytotoxicity test of the indoor air condensate is a promising tool for risk assessment in moisture-damaged buildings.

Highlights

There is convincing scientific data that the exposure to dampness microbiota and the decay products of construction materials may cause the development of polymorbidities and systemic inflammation [1,2], collectively called dampness and mold hypersensitivity syndrome (DMHS) [3], this designation has not yet received official recognition
We demonstrate the usefulness of urinalysis for the detection of mycotoxins as biomarkers of DMHS
Etiology-orientated approach for studying the morbidity associated with the toxic indoor air

Summary

Introduction

There is convincing scientific data that the exposure to dampness microbiota and the decay products of construction materials may cause the development of polymorbidities and systemic inflammation [1,2], collectively called dampness and mold hypersensitivity syndrome (DMHS) [3], this designation has not yet received official recognition. Polymorbidity in the occupants of moisture-damaged buildings with indoor air toxicity has been extensively studied in Finnish schoolchildren and the occupants of a moisture-damaged hospital and a police station [1,4,5,6,7,8]. These studies have demonstrated that the prolonged exposure to dampness microbiota and the decay products of a building’s construction materials may cause a plethora of non-respiratory symptoms such as profound fatigue, neurological, gastrointestinal, and muscular-skeletal problems in addition to the already acknowledged respiratory symptoms. The patients often recall some form of water leakage in their homes or workplaces and a gradual worsening of their symptoms

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