Mycotoxin in Building Dust

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All:

You should find this interesting. I await furhter confirmation. I have

not seen the actual paper.

May

May Indoor Air Investigations

www.mayindoorair.com

www.myhouseiskillingme.com

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April 9, 2008

Trichothecene mycotoxins in the dust of ventilation systems in office

buildings

by Pub Med - Smoragiewicz W, Cossette B, Boutard A, Krzystyniak K.

Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal ,

Canada

Analysis of trichothecene mycotoxins in dust samples from ventilation

systems of office buildings was applied as a rapid and inexpensive

method for the detection of mycotoxins.

Dust samples from three different office spaces of the Montreal urban

area, reportedly affected by the " sick buildings syndrome " , were

analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Positive colour reaction

on TLC plates with 4-(p-nitrobenzyl) pyridine, specific for the

12,13-epoxy group in the trichothecene nucleus, was obtained for the

extracts of 0.5- to 50-g dust samples. The dust samples contained at

least four trichothecenes: T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, roridine A

and T-2 tetraol. The results were confirmed by high-performance liquid

chromatography analysis. Screening of dust samples from air

ventilation systems of reportedly affected buildings provided direct

evidence of trichothecene mycotoxins, with the de tection limit

estimated as 0.4-4 ng/mg dust. Thus, the dust sample analysis is

suggested as a rapid technique for detecting the presence of

mycotoxins in the dust of ventilation systems.

PMID: 8253508 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]