Analysis of mold and mycotoxins in naturally infested indoor building materials

Abstract

Health issues of residents of mold-infested housing are reported on a regular basis, and reasons for the arising impairments can be manifold. One possible cause are the toxic secondary metabolite produced by indoor microfungi (mycotoxins). To enable a more thorough characterization of the exposure to mycotoxins in indoor environments, data on occurrence and quantities of mycotoxins is essential. In the presented study, 51 naturally mold-infested building material samples were analyzed applying a previously developed method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) separation in combination with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (TQMS) detection. A total of 38 secondary metabolites derived from different indoor mold genera like Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys were analyzed, of which 16 were detectable in 28 samples. As both the spectrum of target analytes and the investigated sample matrices showed high chemical varieties, an alternative calibration approach was applied complementary to identify potentially emerging matrix effects during ionization and mass spectrometric detection. Overall, strong alterations of analyte signals were rare, and compensation of considerable matrix suppression/enhancement only had to be performed for certain samples. Besides mycotoxin determination and quantification, the presence of 18 different mold species was confirmed applying microbiological approaches in combination with macro- and microscopic identification according to DIN ISO 16000–17:2010–06. These results additionally highlight the diversity of mycotoxins potentially arising in indoor environments and leads to the assumption that indoor mycotoxin exposure stays an emerging topic of research, which has only just commenced.

Toxicity Screening of Fungal Extracts and Metabolites, Xenobiotic Chemicals, and Indoor Dusts with In Vitro and Ex Vivo Bioassay Methods

“…The 265 colonies screened as toxic out of the 412 tested colonies isolated from water-damaged buildings represented 21 species of filamentous ascomycete fungi. Many of these genera ( Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Stachybotrys , and Trichoderma ) are known to produce toxic metabolites and mycotoxins and to colonize water-damaged buildings [ 23 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. Representants of these species are also connected to building-related health complaints and are known as opportunistic pathogens [ 24 ].…”

“…Indoor mold species have been categorized into species able to colonize wet building materials, indicating water damage, and some of these species are known as mycotoxin-producing species [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Mycotoxins and toxic bacterial metabolites have been identified in contaminated indoor building materials and indoor dusts [ 28 , 29 ]. Xenobiotic substances as biocides, synthetic tensides in cleaning chemicals, phthalates, flame retardants, and parabens, as well as unknown substances and heavy metals, have been found in indoor dusts [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Fungal Contamination of Building Materials and the Aerosolization of Particles and Toxins in Indoor Air and Their Associated Risks to Health: A Review

“…It should be noted that most of these studies were carried out in mouldy dwellings or dwellings in which inhabitants displayed respiratory problems [ 9 , 67 , 72 , 73 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. Data are less numerous on normal buildings with no dampness, no visible mould contamination and no respiratory problems for occupants [ 63 , 66 , 75 , 76 , 81 , 82 , 87 , 88 ].…”

Analysis of pathological manifestations through damage map: case study in Buildings I and K of the Polytechnic School of Pernambuco

“…• Mold: this pathological manifestation usually occurs in moist places and with insu cient ventilation, favoring the proliferation of mycotoxins in the cladding, and can cause health problems to the user, such as allergic reactions, fungal infections and even neurological problems (HYVÖNEN; LOHI; Tuuminen, 2020; LINDEMANN et al, 2022;VILJOEN;CLAASSEN, 2023).…”