Jean-Denis Bailly, DVM, Ph.D., a Professor of Food Hygiene at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse, France, along with a team of researchers demonstrated that mycotoxins could be transferred from a moldy material to air, under conditions that may be encountered in buildings.
The research findings suggest that aerosolization of toxins from fungi growing on wallpaper can have a negative impact on human health, and demonstrates the need for a thorough risk assessment related to fungal contamination of indoor environments.
The study, “Aerosolization of mycotoxins after growth of toxinogenic fungi on wallpaper,” was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
The research was prompted by a number of studies that suggested there was a health risk from mycotoxins produced by fungi growing indoors. In the controlled laboratory environment, the team was able to demonstrate how mycotoxins could be transferred from a moldy material to air, under conditions that may be encountered in buildings, according to WebMD.
“Sick building syndrome” is a very broad label that covers a variety of symptoms believed to be triggered by a particular building’s indoor environment. Most often, no specific illness or cause can be identified, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, however, symptoms can range from allergies to aches and pains.
The researchers simulated air flow normally found in homes and buildings over a piece of wallpaper contaminated with three species of fungi, Penicillium brevicompactum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Stachybotrys chartarum. The three fungi have long been studied as food contaminants and are also frequently associated with indoor air contamination.
The results from the study raised two important questions: First, “There is almost no data on the toxicity of mycotoxins following inhalation,” with most research today focusing on food contamination. And secondly, because the mycelial elements of the different fungi studied behaved differently in how they became airborne, further studies could help in prioritizing the species based on their mycotoxins.
“Thus, mycotoxins can be inhaled and should be investigated as parameters of indoor air quality, especially in homes with visible fungal contamination,” Bailey said.
The study notes that with the move to creating more energy-efficient living spaces, we are painting ourselves into a corner if we don’t consider the health risks associated with toxins in our indoor air. The study also pointed out that colonization by toxic fungi is easily accomplished in the presence of moisture, such as is seen in building and homes where mold is found.
Today, many homes “are strongly isolated from the outside to save energy,” but with the number of water-using appliances such as coffee makers and other appliances in use today, this “could lead to favorable conditions for fungal growth,” notes Bailey.
