Detection of airborne stachybotrys
chartarum macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins in the indoor
environment
T. L. Brasel, J. M. Martin, C. G.
Carriker, S. C. Wilson, and D. C. Straus*
Department of Microbiology and
Immunology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
79430
Received 9 March 2005/ Accepted 12 July
2005
The existence of airborne
mycotoxins in mold-contaminated buildings has long been
hypothesized to be a potential occupant health risk. However,
little work has been done to demonstrate the presence of
these compounds in such environments. The presence of
airborne macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins in indoor environments
with known Stachybotrys chartarum contamination was
therefore investigated. In seven buildings, air was collected
using a high-volume liquid impaction bioaerosol sampler (SpinCon
PAS 450-10) under static or disturbed conditions. An
additional building was sampled using an Andersen GPS-1 PUF
sampler modified to separate and collect particulates smaller
than conidia. Four control buildings (i.e., no detectable
S. chartarum growth or history of water damage) and
outdoor air were also tested. Samples were analyzed using a
macrocyclic trichothecene-specific enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA specificity was tested using
phosphate-buffered saline extracts of the fungal genera
Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium,
Fusarium, Memnoniella, Penicillium,
Rhizopus, and Trichoderma, five Stachybotrys strains,
and the indoor air allergens Can f 1, Der p 1, and Fel d 1.
For test buildings, the results showed that detectable toxin
concentrations increased with the sampling time and short
periods of air disturbance. Trichothecene values ranged from
<10 to >1,300 pg/m3 of sampled air. The control
environments demonstrated statistically significantly (P
< 0.001) lower levels of airborne trichothecenes. ELISA
specificity experiments demonstrated a high specificity for
the trichothecene-producing strain of S. chartarum. Our
data indicate that airborne macrocyclic trichothecenes can exist
in Stachybotrys-contaminated buildings, and this should be
taken into consideration in future indoor air quality
investigations.
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and
Immunology, TTUHSC, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430.
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