Finding the cause of building-related illness

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Finding the cause of building-related illness

Chemistry World - London,UK

01 February 2007

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2007/03/building_illnes

s.asp

Swedish scientists have developed a more sensitive and selective

method for detecting the toxins produced by a fungus common in damp

buildings.

Although damp in buildings is known to cause bad health, the direct

cause of the illnesses is unclear. Toxins produced by fungi growing

in these conditions are a likely culprit.

Building on a previously developed method, Lennart Larsson and his

team from Lund University used sensitive mass spectrometry to

specifically detect the hydrolysis products of the toxins produced

by Stachybotrys chartarum They were able to detect these mycotoxins

at amounts of only 0.1 picograms - less than one millionth of a

microgram.

" Although damp in buildings is known to cause bad health, the direct

cause of the illnesses is unclear. " More importantly, they are the

first group to apply the method to dust samples from water-damaged

houses. They were able to show that the dust in and around such

buildings contains high levels of these toxins. 'It shows that

mycotoxins from water damage, visualized as a mouldy surface of a

wall, may become airborne and thus inhalable,' said Larsson, which

suggests that these toxins could be the cause of the illnesses.

Larsson hopes that the team's research may help point to the

specific cause of building related illnesses, which will be crucial

to their prevention.

ReferencesOptimizing a GC-MS method for screening of Stachybotrys

mycotoxins in indoor environments

E Bloom, K Bal, E Nyman and L Larsson, J. Environ. Monit., 2007, 151

DOI: 10.1039/b613853e