Why microscopic mold testing can't really show toxicity of environment, and one reason much remediation fails

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone!

I'm a tenant struggling with my own mold crisis. I'm also a science buff,

and so I may post links to scientific papers from time to time.

Here are two important ones. Basically, any method of 'mold testing' that

relies on MICROSCOPIC examination of SPORES is bound to fail because much of

the material left by molds is tiny, and broken up into pieces too small to

identify. In the case of stachybotrys, these pieces RETAIN THEIR TOXICITY

for many, many years, and even bleach, etc. does not RENDER THEM HARMLESS.

(it just kills the spores from reproducing, it may even liberate - by

concentrating - additional mycotoxins!)

This is why remediators use thes machines that you see that typically blast

the moldy wood with things like sand or dry ice (best) and then VACCUMMN up

the debris, IMMEDIATELY. Without the essential collection and removal of ALL

the debris, disturbing the mold is often making the problem worse.

Certainly, cleaning walls with bleach, etc. is appropriate for small amounts

of nontoxic mold. But cleanup of stachybotrys and perhaps many other molds

requiresspecialized mold-removal equipment that reaches deep down into the

crevices where the blasting sends the mycotoxin-laden particles and removes

them, safely and permanently, then fitering the air (outside, because for

the same reason as above - no vaccumn cleaner with an air filter can really

remove them from its exhaust.. they are too small)

Paper one:

http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178

Full text at the top right of the link above - click the link for the PDF.

Detection of Airborne *Stachybotrys chartarum* Macrocyclic Trichothecene

Mycotoxins on Particulates Smaller than Conidia * T. L. Brasel, D. R.

, S. C. , and D. C.

Straus*<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#COR\

1>

*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Texas Tech University Health

Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Received 22 March 2004/ Accepted 16 August 2004

ABSTRACT Top

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#top>

Abstract

Introduction

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#BDY>

Materials

and Methods

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#SEC1>

Results

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#SEC2>

Discussion

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#SEC3>

References

<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/114?view=long & pmid=15640178#BIBL>

Highly respirable particles (diameter, <1 µm) constitute the majority of

particulate matter found in indoor air. It is hypothesized that these

particles serve as carriers for toxic compounds, specifically the compounds

produced by molds in water-damaged buildings. The presence of airborne

*Stachybotrys

chartarum* trichothecene mycotoxins on particles smaller than conidia (e.g.,

fungal fragments) was therefore investigated. Cellulose ceiling tiles with

confluent *Stachybotrys* growth were placed in gas-drying containers

through which

filtered air was passed. Exiting particulates were collected by using a

series of polycarbonate membrane filters with decreasing pore sizes.

Scanning electron microscopy was employed to determine the presence of

conidia on the filters. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

(ELISA) specific for macrocyclic trichothecenes was used to analyze filter

extracts. Cross-reactivity to various mycotoxins was examined to confirm the

specificity. Statistically significant (*P* < 0.05) ELISA binding was

observed primarily for macrocyclic trichothecenes at concentrations of 50

and 5 ng/ml and 500 pg/ml (58.4 to 83.5% inhibition). Of the remaining toxins

tested, only verrucarol and diacetylverrucarol (nonmacrocyclic trichothecenes)

demonstrated significant binding (18.2 and 51.7% inhibition, respectively)

and then only at high concentrations. The results showed that extracts from

conidium-free filters demonstrated statistically significant (*P* < 0.05)

antibody binding that increased with sampling time (38.4 to

71.9%inhibition, representing

a range of 0.5 to 4.0 ng/ml). High-performance liquid chromatography

analysis suggested the presence of satratoxin H in conidium-free filter

extracts. These data show that *S. chartarum* trichothecene mycotoxins can

become airborne in association with intact conidia or smaller particles.

And then he says..

>>>>>> These findings may have important implications for indoor air quality

assessment. <<<<<<

Paper two, with similar implications:

http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed & pubmedid=3496850

Trichothecene mycotoxins in aerosolized conidia of Stachybotrys atra.

W G Sorenson, D G Frazer, B B Jarvis, J Simpson, and V A

[image: Small right arrow pointing to:] This article has been cited

by<http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/tocrender.fcgi?action=cited & artid=203872>other

articles in PMC.

Abstract

Stachybotrys atra is the etiologic agent of stachybotryotoxicosis, and this

fungus and its trichothecene mycotoxins were recently implicated in an

outbreak of unexplained illness in homes. S. atra was grown on sterile rice,

autoclaved, dried, and then aerosolized by acoustic vibration. The

distribution of particles (mass and number) was monitored on an aerodynamic

particle sizer interfaced with a computer. Dust was collected on preweighed

glass-fiber filters and extracted with 90% aqueous methanol. Extracts were

tested for the ability to inhibit protein synthesis in rat alveolar

macrophages, the ability to inhibit the proliferation of mouse thymocytes,

and the presence of specific trichothecene mycotoxins. Virtually all of the

particles were less than 15 micron in aerodynamic diameter, and the mass

median diameter was 5 micron. Thus, most of the particles were respirable.

Microscopic analysis of the generated dust revealed that ca. 85% of the dust

particles were conidia of S. atra, another 6% were hyphal fragments, and the

remainder of the particles were unidentifiable. Thus, greater than 90% of

the particles were of fungal origin. The extracts strongly inhibited protein

synthesis and thymocyte proliferation. Purified satratoxin H was also highly

toxic in the same systems. Each of the individual filters contained

satratoxin H (average, 9.5 ng/mg of dust). Satratoxin G and trichoverrols A

and B were found in lesser amounts in some, but not all, of the filters. The

limit of analysis is ca. 50 ng. These results establish that the conidia of

S. atra contain trichothecene mycotoxins. In view of the potent toxicity of

the trichothecenes, the inhalation of aerosols containing high

concentrations of these conidia could be a potential hazard to health.

Full text

(Go to the link above for the full text.. I don't think gmail lets you

simply paste web pages and embed the links)

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get

a printable copy (PDF file) of the *complete

article*<http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=203872 & blobtype=pdf>(

1.1M), or see the PubMed citation or the full text of some

*References*<http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=203872#refere\

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