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Air- and dustborne mycoflora in houses free of water damage and fungal growth

Horner, W. E., Worthan, A. G. and Morey, P. R.
2004
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 70(11): 6394-6400

Horner, W. E., Worthan, A. G. and Morey, P. R., (2004), "Air- and dustborne mycoflora in houses free of water damage and fungal growth", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 70(11): 6394-6400.
Abstract:
Typically, studies on indoor fungal growth in buildings focus on structures with known or suspected water damage, moisture, and/or indoor fungal growth problems. Reference information on types of culturable fungi and total fungal levels are generally not available for buildings without these problems. This study assessed 50 detached single-family homes in metropolitan Atlanta, Ga., to establish a baseline of "normal and typical" types and concentrations of airborne and dustborne fungi in urban homes which were predetermined not to have noteworthy moisture problems or indoor fungal growth. Each home was visually examined, and samples of indoor and outdoor air and of indoor settled dust were taken in winter and summer. The results showed that rankings by prevalence and abundance of the types of airborne and dustborne fungi did not differ from winter to summer, nor did these rankings differ when air samples taken indoors were compared with those taken outdoors. Water indicator fungi were essentially absent from both air and dust samples. The air and dust data sets were also examined specifically for the proportions of colonies from ecological groupings such as leaf surface fungi and soil fungi. In the analysis of dust for culturable fungal colonies, leaf surface fungi constituted a considerable portion (>20%) of the total colonies in at least 85% of the samples. Thus, replicate dust samples with less than 20% of colonies from leaf surface fungi are unlikely to be from buildings free of moisture or mold growth problems.

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"This study is a critical step in understanding what is "normal and typical" so that there is a baseline against which to compare data from suspected problem home.".
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This publication in whole or part may be found online at: This link was checked on Dec. 2006here.
Related Concepts

Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Horner, W. E.
  1. Fungal aerobiology: Exposure and measurement
  2. How quickly must gypsum board and ceiling tile be dried to preclude mold growth after a water accident?
  3. MVOC emission patterns of indoor fungi: strain and culture differences  
Worthan, A. G.
  1. MVOC emission patterns of indoor fungi: strain and culture differences  
Morey, P. R.
  1. Building-associated pulmonary disease from exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus versicolor
  2. Construction defects and microbial growth
  3. El Ni?o water leaks identify rooms with concealed mould growth and degraded indoor air quality
  4. Hidden mold sometimes enters the indoor air
  5. Microbial VOCs as indicators for mold growth in buildings
  6. Mitigation of visible fungal contamination in buildings: experience from 1993 - 1998
  7. Practical aspects of sampling for organic dusts and microorganisms
  8. Use of fungal detectors to monitor drying of water damaged buildings
  9. Water leakage from exterior walls as an indicator of degraded air quality  


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