Mass Spectrometry can now be used to detect indoor mycotoxins

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This report, from the journal " Applied and Environmental Microbiology "

claims to be the very first time that this method of verifying the presence of

mycotoxins has ever been used. This could be a valuable aid in getting medical

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http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/73/13/4211 Mass Spectrometry-Based

Strategy for Direct Detection and Quantification of Some Mycotoxins Produced by

Stachybotrys and Aspergillus spp. in Indoor Environmentsa Bloom,1 Karol

Bal,2 Eva Nyman,3 Aime Must,4 and Lennart Larsson1* Lund University,

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Medical Microbiology, Lund,

Sweden,1 Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology, Department of Food

Analysis, 36 Rakowiecka St., 02-532 Warsaw, Poland,2 TEKOMO Byggnadskvalitet AB,

Hammargatan 11 A, 235 32 Vellinge, Sweden,3 AIMEX AB, Sandbergs Gata 24,

16934 Solna, Sweden4 Received 12 February 2007/ Accepted 1 May 2007

Dampness in buildings has been linked to adverse health effects, but the

specific causative agents are unknown. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites

produced by molds and toxic to higher vertebrates. In this study, mass

spectrometry was used to demonstrate the presence of mycotoxins

predominantly produced by Aspergillus spp. and Stachybotrys spp. in buildings

with either ongoing dampness or a history of water damage. Verrucarol and

trichodermol, hydrolysis products of macrocyclic trichothecenes (including

satratoxins), and trichodermin, predominately produced by Stachybotrys

chartarum, were analyzed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, whereas

sterigmatocystin (mainly produced by Aspergillus versicolor), satratoxin G, and

satratoxin H were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass

spectrometry. These mycotoxin analytes were demonstrated in 45 of 62 building

material samples studied, in three of eight settled dust samples, and in five of

eight cultures of airborne dust samples. This is the first report on the use of

tandem mass spectrometry for demonstrating mycotoxins in dust settled on

surfaces above floor level in damp buildings. The direct detection of the highly

toxic sterigmatocystin and macrocyclic trichothecene

mycotoxins in indoor environments is important due to their potential health

impacts.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dept. of Laboratory Medicine,

Division of Medical Microbiology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 23, 223 62 Lund,

Sweden. Phone: 46 46 177298. Fax: 46 46 189117. E-mail:

Lennart.Larsson@... ' + u + '@' + d + ''//--> Published ahead of

print on 4 May 2007.

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