Air- and Dustborne Mycoflora in Houses Free of Water Damage and Fungal Growth
Abstract
ABSTRACT Typically, studies on indoor fungal growth in buildings focus on structures with known or suspected water damage, moisture, and/or indoor fungal growth problems. Reference information on types of culturable fungi and total fungal levels are generally not available for buildings without these problems. This study assessed 50 detached single-family homes in metropolitan Atlanta, Ga., to establish a baseline of “normal and typical” types and concentrations of airborne and dustborne fungi in urban homes which were predetermined not to have noteworthy moisture problems or indoor fungal growth. Each home was visually examined, and samples of indoor and outdoor air and of indoor settled dust were taken in winter and summer. The results showed that rankings by prevalence and abundance of the types of airborne and dustborne fungi did not differ from winter to summer, nor did these rankings differ when air samples taken indoors were compared with those taken outdoors. Water indicator fungi were essentially absent from both air and dust samples. The air and dust data sets were also examined specifically for the proportions of colonies from ecological groupings such as leaf surface fungi and soil fungi. In the analysis of dust for culturable fungal colonies, leaf surface fungi constituted a considerable portion (>20%) of the total colonies in at least 85% of the samples. Thus, replicate dust samples with less than 20% of colonies from leaf surface fungi are unlikely to be from buildings free of moisture or mold growth problems.
Key Biomarkers
Symptom Clusters
Cited By (13)
- Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in Homes in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and RitaApplied and Environmental Microbiology · 2007
- Sick building syndrome (SBS) and exposure to water-damaged buildings: Time series study, clinical trial and mechanismsNeurotoxicology and Teratology · 2006
- Mold Exposure and Health Effects Following Hurricanes Katrina and RitaAnnual Review of Public Health · 2011
- Indoor Exposure to Mould AllergensArchives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology · 2002
- Can we use indoor fungi as bioindicators of indoor air quality? Historical perspectives and open questionsThe Science of The Total Environment · 2010
- Mycobiota and mycotoxin-producing fungi in southern California: their colonisation and in vitro interactionsMycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology · 2022
- A review of pathogenic airborne fungi and bacteria: unveiling occurrence, sources, and profound human health implication
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