The potential to produce mycotoxins and non-volatile secondary metabolites was investigated for approximately 250 freshly isolated fungal strains. Among the eleven most relevant species, viz. Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, A. versicolor, Emericella nidulans, Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. clavigerum, P. crustosum, and P. polonicum, a wide range of metabolites partly of toxicological relevance was identified. Several unknown metabolites were found for the less frequent species, which were primarily investigated for chemotaxonomic delimitation from closely related species. The spectra of metabolites in conidial extracts and culture extracts (containing also mycelium and medium) were compared for a limited number of relevant fungi. Some mycotoxins, such as sterigmatocystin in Emericella nidulans, were not present in the conidial extracts, though produced by most strains. Fumigaclavine C, tryptoquivaline, and trypacidin, characteristic for A. fumigatus, were found in conidial extracts, but highly toxic compounds such as gliotoxin and fumitremorgens were not present. Finally, compounds such as cyclopenol, cyclopenin, and penitrem A being characteristic for certain penicillia, were found in conidial extracts and are therefore assumed to occur in native bioaerosols.

• fungi: components and products
• fungi: mycology studies, culturing

1. Airborne fungi and their secondary metabolites in working places in a compost facility
2. Exposure to airborne fungi, MVOC and mycotoxins in biowaste-handling facilities
3. Microbial air pollutants - methods for the detection and identification of endotoxins, mycotoxins and MVOC
4. Quality assurance and good laboratory practice in the mycological laboratory - compilation of basic techniques for the identification of fungi
5. Species-specific production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) by airborne fungi from a compost facility  

1. Airborne fungi and their secondary metabolites in working places in a compost facility
2. Exposure to airborne fungi, MVOC and mycotoxins in biowaste-handling facilities
3. Species-specific production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) by airborne fungi from a compost facility  

1. Airborne fungi and their secondary metabolites in working places in a compost facility
2. Exposure to airborne fungi, MVOC and mycotoxins in biowaste-handling facilities
3. Species-specific production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) by airborne fungi from a compost facility  

1. Airborne fungi and their secondary metabolites in working places in a compost facility
2. Exposure to airborne fungi, MVOC and mycotoxins in biowaste-handling facilities
3. Microbial air pollutants - methods for the detection and identification of endotoxins, mycotoxins and MVOC
4. Quality assurance and good laboratory practice in the mycological laboratory - compilation of basic techniques for the identification of fungi
5. Species-specific production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) by airborne fungi from a compost facility