CRDConcept: fungi: assessment, sampling and analysis

ˇ°Microbial sampling differs from other indoor environmental sampling because there is an absence of rigid protocols; no single method or specific combination of methods is appropriate for every circumstance.ˇ±

See Pasanen, A. L., 2001, A review: fungal exposure assessment in indoor environments for an in depth review.

Surface sampling, air sampling, visual identification. Air sampling, "..analyzed by means of microscopy, culture, DNA probes, HPLC, or immuno-detection. Total fungal biomass can be estimated on the basis of measurements of ergosterol or glucan in environmental samples." (Burge 2002 )

Three types of sample collection methods: impactor, centrifugal removal and impingement into a liquid. Willeke et al., 1998, Improved aerosol collection by combined impaction and centrifugal motion offers a good review and summary.

Culture-based analysis for environmental fungi (mold): "Air samples collected on agar media, vacuumed building dust, and building materials can all be cultured and analyzed for mold identification and quantification." Non-Culture Analysis for Fungal Structure Identification (Direct Microscopy): Non-culture analyses are provided for air samples and surface or material contamination. Spore trap analyses are conducted to identify and quantify viable and nonviable or total spores in the air.

Tape slides are provided to evaluate surface contamination or discolorations on building materials for the presence of mold growth.

Materials can be studied by direct microscopy for the presence of suspected mold contamination. Light microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM). To observe airborne spores (0.3-30 micron): use microscope of at least 400 magnification.

Identification

Chemical analysis (analysis of metabolites) very effective for Aspergillus and Penicillium, species by classical microscopic examination, examine colony mophology (diameter, color, and surface texture; analysis of culture mophology, growth rate and color for image analysis software; molecular biological methods. -- a short summary by Nielsen, 2003, Mycotoxins production by indoor molds

tidbits

A critical examination of the traditional counting and culturing methods for spore analyses. Mold ˇ°Testingˇ± ¨C Examining the Validity of Current Indoor Mold Sampling Techniques by Environmental Information Association Technical Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC, Daniel Friedman 23 September 2005.

Skc Inc. has a good set of Reference and Training materials/link online (go to the end of the products page), as well as Personal air sampler - Particle sizer guide, Air Sampling Guides: Guide to NIOSH, OSHA and ASTM Air Sampling Methods, Guide to EPA Air Sampling Standards, Guide to HSE Air Sampling Standards, Passive (Diffusive) Sampling Guide

A slide presentation on A Method for Sampling both Fungal Spores and Culturable Fungi in Wall Cavities by J. Spurgeon

A slide presentation on Methods of Analyzing Samples for Microbes by Chin Yang.

A good link page by bi-air LINKS

Indoor Environmental Notebook by Dr. Godish provides a list of Q&A on air sampling and building mold problem/remediation.. "I have surveyed a number of commercial laboratories that provide mold spore sampling services. They vary from a low of $20/sample to a high of $60/sample. Most are somewhere in between (i.e. $30-40/sample)"

Web Links (16):

Notes

AIHA: "promotes, protects, and enhances industrial hygienists and other occupational health, safety and environmental professionals in their efforts to improve the health and well being of workers, the community, and the environment"
Air Quality Sciences AQS: An IAQ company "To evaluate and maintain acceptable air quality in indoor spaces,...". With good background information.
Air Sampling Guides: Links to Guide to NIOSH, OSHA and ASTM Air Sampling Methods; Guide to EPA Air Sampling Standards; Guide to HSE Air Sampling Standards; Passive (Diffusive) Sampling Guide. Other aerosol sampler information
AIRBORNE FUNGAL SPORES: designed and is maintained by Fee Warner. Excellent on intro info, with many color images
Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Inc. (EMLab): "commercial indoor air quality testing laboratory in North America"
mold info by McGregor Pearce, MPH: short article on "mold biology, health, moisture, remediating and sampling"
mold inspection, warranty service: offers on-site mold inspection services, insurance of mold problems
Mold Resources - EPA: A great starting point for exploring.
MVOC sampling, Pegasus laboratory: a short yet good artile on MVOC sampling
NBA outdoor spore count data, NBA category: "provides the most accurate and reliable pollen and mold counts from approximately 78 counting stations throughout the United States and three counting stations in Canada (Vancouver, London, Hamilton, Niagara Falls). The stations use air sampling equipment to collect airborne pollen and spores which are then examined microscopically. This information is also used for research to aid in the diagnosis, treatment and management of allergic diseases."
NIST 02 - NIST/EPA/NIH Mass Spectral Library, and NIST MS Search Program for Windows: "a fully evaluated collection of electron impact (EI) mass spectra" of approximately 130,000 spectra of over 108,000 different compounds.
pathogenic fungi database - Institute of Medical Mycology (TIMM): The database includes list of 1631 species related to toxic fungi
prism analytical technologies, inc: in house service testing, include the MVOC identification
SAMPLING AIRBORNE FUNGAL SPORES: A good introduction and description on bioaerosol sampling. Abstract of a Poster presentation given at MICRO 98: International Microscopy Conference and Exhibition in London in July, 1998
Sampling and Analysis of Mold and Other Fungi: A good non-tech article on sample of mold
SKC inc: Products for air samples.

Related References (122)

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) piezoelectric cascade impactors: 24-hr ambient and residential aerosol characterization using automated piezoelectric cascade impactors, by Marcham, C., Johnson, D., Esmen, N., Clinkenbeard, R. and Lynch, R., 2002
--------: A comparison of airborne ergosterol, glucan and Air-O-Cell data in relation to physical assessments of mold damage and some other parameters, by Foto, M., Vrijmoed, L. L. P., Miller, J. D., Ruest, K., Lawton, M. and Dales, R. E., 2005
--------: A critical assessment of the validity of ergosterol as an indicator of fungal biomass , by Bermingham, S., Maltby, L. and Cooke, R. C., 1995
--------: A field comparison of four fungal aerosol sampling instruments: inter-sampler calibrations and caveats, by Hill, T. and Lewicki, P., 2004
--------: A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics, by Lee, K. S., Bartlett, K. H., Brauer, M., Stephens, G. M., Black, W. A. and Teschke, K., 2004
field performance of 3 N6, SAS & RCS over MEA DG19 media: A field comparison of methods for enumerating airborne fungal bioaerosols, by Lee, K., Black, W., Brauer, M., Stephens, G., Hsieh, J. and Bartlett, K., 2002
extensive discussions: A method for detecting fungal contaminants in wall cavities, by Spurgeon, J. C., 2003
diffusive sampling from Petri dishes: A simple method for collection of volatile metabolites from fungi based on diffusive sampling from Petri dishes, by Larsen, T. O. and Frisvad, J. C., 1994
--------: Aerodynamic versus physical size of spores: measurement and implication for respiratory deposition, by Reponen, T., Grinshpun, S. A., Conwell, K. L., Wiest, J. and Anderson, M., 2001
--------: Air sampling of fungal spores on filters. An investigation on passive sampling and viability , by N?sman, ?., Blomquist, G. and Levin, J., 1999
--------: Airborne environmental endotoxin: a cross-validation of sampling and analysis techniques, by Walters, M., Milton, D., Larsson, L. and Ford, T., 1994
--------: Algorithmic recognition of biological objects, by Bernier, T. and Landry, J., 2000
Burkard spore trap: An evaluation of two methods used for microscopic analysis of airborne fungal spore concentrations from the Burkard spore trap, by Sterling, M. and Levetin, C.R.&.E, 1999
--------: An update on pollen and fungal spore aerobiology, by Burge, H. A., 2002
--------: An update on pollen and fungal spore aerobiology, by Burge, H. A., 2002
--------: Application of PCR and probe hybridization techniques in detection of airborne fungal spores in environmental samples , by Wu, Z., Blomquist, G., Westermark, S. and Wang, X., 2002
--------: Assessing mold risks in buildings under uncertainty, by Moon, H.J., 2005
--------: Association Between Reservoirs of Fungal Growth and Air Samples in Residential Structures. , by Poovey, H., Mcguigan, F., Townsend, W. and Douglas, D., 2000
electrostatic precipitator: Bioaerosol collection by a new electrostatic precipitator, by Willeke, K., Mainelis, G., Adhikari, A., Reponen, T., Grinshpun, S., Lee, S. and Cho, S., 2002
--------: Bioaerosols: assessment and contro, by Macher, J. (Ed), 1999
--------: Characteristics of airborne actinomycete spores, by Reponen, T.A., Gazenko, S.V., Grinshpun, S.A., Willeke, K. and Cole, E.C, 1998
--------: Characterization of relational descriptors of bioaerosol data, by Spicer, R. and Gangloff, H., 2002
--------: Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator, by Mainelis, G., Adhikari, A., Willeke, K., Lee, S. A., Reponen, T. and Grinshpun, S. A., 2002
--------: Collection of bioaerosol particles by impaction: effect of fungal spore agglomeration and bounce, by Trunov, M., Trakumas, S., Willeke, K., Grinshpun, S. A. and Reponen, T., 2001
Reuter centrifugal sampler: Collection of spores of various fungi by a Reuter centrifugal sampler, by Laflamme, A. and Miller, J. D., 1992
--------: Comparative studies of collection efficiency of airborne fungal matter using Andersen single-stage sampler and Air-O-Cell cassettes , by Tsai, S. M., Yang, C. S., Moffett, P., Puccetti, A., 2001
--------: Comparison of the rodac imprint method to selective enrichment broth for recovery of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and drug-resistant enterobacteriaceae from environmental surfaces , by Hacek, D. M., Trick, W. E., Collins, S. M., Noskin, G. A. and Peterson, L. R., 2000
--------: D6329-98 standard guide for developing methodology for evaluating the ability of indoor materials to support microbial growth using static environmental chambers, by ASTM, 2002
--------: Detection and enumeration of airborne biocontaminants, by Stetzenbach,L.D., Buttner, M. P. and Cruz, P., 2004
--------: Detection of Airborne Stachybotrys chartarum Macrocyclic Trichothecene Mycotoxins in the Indoor Environment, by Brasel, T. L., Martin, J. M., Carriker, C. G., Wilson, S. C. and Straus, D. C., 2005
--------: Detection of bioaerosols using multiwavelength UV fluorescence spectroscopy, by Cheng, Y. S., Barr, E. B., Fan, B. J., Hargis, P. J., Rader, D. J., O'hern, T. J., et al, 1999
--------: Detection of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) produced by moulds on various materials, by Fiedler, K., Schutz, E. and Geh, S., 2001
--------: Detection of moulds in interiors, by Schober, G., 2001
--------: Determination of absolute coccolith abundances in deep-sea sediments by spiking with microbeads and spraying (SMS-method), by Bollmann, J., Brabec. B., Corte, M. Y. and Geisen, M., 1999
by markers, ergosterol as marker of fungal biomass: Determination of microbial colonisation in water-damaged buildings using chemical marker analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, by Szponar, B. and Larsson, L., 2000
--------: Determination of unique microbial volatile organic compounds produced by five Aspergillus species commonly found in problem buildings, by Gao, P., Korley, F., Martin, J. and Chen, B., 2002
--------: Development of a fungus-specific PCR assay for detecting low-level fungi in an indoor environment, by Zhou, G., Whong, W.Z., Ong, T. and Chen, B., 2000
Size-selective filter for aerosols: Development of aerosol number samplers using foam filters, by Chen, C., Weng, Y., Lin, W., Kuo, Y., Chung, and Shih, T., 2002
typical indoor spores: Development of sampling methods for the assessment of indoor bioaerosols, by Griffiths, W. D., Stewart, I. W., Futter, S. J., Upton, S. L. and Mark, D., 1997
single-stage inertial impactors was designed to size-separate the aerosol: Development of sampling methods for the assessment of indoor bioaerosols, by Griffiths, W. D., Stewart, I. W., Futter, S. J., Upton, S. L. and Mark, D., 1997
image analysis: Differentiation of allergenic fungal spores by image analysis, with application to aerobiological counts, by Benyon, F. H. L., Jones, A. S., Tovey, E. R. and Stone, G., 1999
--------: Direct identification of pure Penicillium species using image analysis , by D?rge, T., Carstensen, J. M. and Frisvad, J.C., 2000
--------: Ecology, detection and identification problems of moulds in indoor environments , by Samson, A., 2001
--------: Effect of aerosolization, growth phase and residence time in spray and collection fluids on the culturability of cells and spores, by Griffiths, W. D., Stewart, I. W., Reading, A. R., Futter, S. J. and Number, P. V., 1998
--------: Effect of high relative humidity on performance of pdr-100 nephelometric aerosol monitor for sampling ambient particulate within a controlled environmental chamber, by Samimi, B., Jalocon, A., Quintana, J., Bufalino, C. and Delfino, R., 2002
--------: Effect of liner and core materials of plasterboard on microbial growth, spore-induced inflammatory responses, and cytotoxicity in macrophages, by Murtoniemi, T., Nevalainen, A., Suutari, M. and Hirvonen, M., 2002
--------: Effect of sampling time and flow rates on the bioefficiency of three fungal spore sampling methods, by Lin, W. and Li, C., 1998
--------: Evaluation of a new personal sampler for enumerating airborne spores, by Reponen, T., Grinshpun, S. A., Aizenberg, V. A., Wang, Z., G¨®rny, R. and Willeke, K., 2000
--------: Evaluation of adsorbents for sampling and quantitative analysis of microbial volatiles using thermal desorption-gas chromatography , by Sunessona, A., Nilssona, C. and Anderssona, B., 1995
--------: Evaluation of eight bioaerosol samplers challenged with aerosols of free bacteria , by Jensen, P. A., Todd, W. F., Davis, G. N. and Scarpino, P. V., 1992
--------: Evaluation of media for detection of Stachybotrys and Chaetomium species associated with water-damaged buildings , by Andersen, B. and Nissen, A. T., 2000
--------: Evaluation of methods to extract ergosterol for quantitation of soil fungal biomass , by Davis, M. W. and Lamar, R. T., 1992
--------: Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air, by Lehtonen, M., Reponen, T. and Nevalainen, A., 1993
--------: Field guide for the determination of biological contaminants in environmental samples, by Dillon, H.K., Heinsohn, P.A. and Miller, J.D. (eds), 1996
--------: Filamentous microorganisms and their fragments in indoor air - A review, by Gorny, R.L., 2004
biomarker: From fungal exposure to disease: a biological monitoring conundrum , by Biagini, R. E., 2001
--------: Fungal and actinomycete spore aerosols measured at different humidities with an aerodynamic particle sizer, by Madelin, T. M. and Johnson, H. E., 1992
--------: Fungal genera identified from flooded wall cavities , by Jenkins,L.C., and B. S., Sierck, 2001
--------: Fungal production of volatiles during growth on fiberglass , by Ezeonu, I. M., Price, D. L., Simmons, R. B., Crow, S. A. and Ahearn, D. G., 1994
--------: Fungal spore source strength tester: laboratory evaluation of a new concept, by Sivasubramani, S. K., Niemeier, R. T., Reponen, T. and Grinshpun, S. A., 2004
--------: Fungi and fungal products in some Canadian houses , by Miller, J. D., Laflamme, A. M., Sobol, Y., Lafontaine, P. and Greenhalgh, R., 1988
--------: Growth and volatile metabolite production of Aspergillus versicolor in house dust, by Pasanen, P., Korpia, A., Kalliokoskia, P. and Pasanen, A., 1997
--------: Guidelines for the investigation, assessment, & remediation of mould in workplaces, by Workplace Safety and Health Division, 2001
--------: Guidelines on assessment and remediation of fungi in indoor environments, by New York City Department of Health, 0
--------: How reliable are your one-minute Andersen sample data?, by Heinsohn, P., 0
--------: Identification and treatment of toxic molds , by Adams, S., 2002
--------: Improved aerosol collection by combined impaction and centrifugal motion , by Willeke, K., Lin, X. and Grinshpun, S. A., 1998
--------: In-depth survey report concentration of metalworking mists before and after installation of a commercial air cleaner at sauer-sundstrand company, by Yacher, J. M. and Burroughs, W., 1997
--------: Indicators of mold growth in indoor environments, by Vice, S.J, 2000
--------: Indoor air investigations and controlled laboratory studies using a variety of aerobiological samplers, by Stetzenbach, L. D., Buttner, M. P. and Meldrum, J. R., 1993
--------: Indoor airborne fungal spores, house dampness and associations with environmental factors and respiratory health in children, by Garrett, M.H., Rayment, P.R., Hooper, M.A., Abramson, M.J. and Hooper, B.M, 1998
--------: Indoor viable mold spores - a comparison between two cities, Erfurt (eastern Germany) and Hamburg (western Germany), by Koch, A., Heilemann, K.J., Bischof, W., Heinrich, J. and Wichmann, H.E, 2000
bioaerosol samplers effciency: Inlet sampling efficiency of bioaerosol samplers, by Willeke, K., Grinshpun, S. A., Chang, C., Juozaitis, A., Liebhaber, F., Nevalainen, A. and Thompson, M., 1992
--------: Limitations in application of Spearman's rank correlation to bioaerosol sampling data, by Spicer, R.C. and Gangloff, H.J, 2000
--------: Long-term sampling of airbome bacteria and fungi into a non-evaporating liquid, by Lin, X., Reponen, T. A., Willeke, K., Grinshpun, S. A., Foarde, K. K. and Ensor, D. S., 1999
--------: Measurement of airborne fungal spore dispersal from three types of flooring materials, by Buttner, M. P., Cruz-perez, P., Stetzenbach, L. D., Garrett, P. J. and Lutke, A. E., 2002
--------: Methods of mycological analysis in buildings , by Gutarowsk, B. and Piotrowska, M., 2007
--------: Microbial growth and metabolism in house dust, by Korpia, A., Pasanena, A., Pasanena, P. and Kalliokoskia, P., 1997
--------: Microbiological air monitoring, by Parrett, F. and Crilly, K., 2000
--------: Microorganisms in home and indoor work environments, by Flannigan, B., Samson, O. and Miller, J. D. (Ed.), 2001
critics of current sampling techniques: Mold "testing" -- examining the validity of current indoor mold sampling techniques, by Friedman, D., 2005
HIP 2003: Mould in buildings: a workshop report now available, by IRC, 2004
slit-to-agar single-stage impactor (cut-off 0.5 ¦Ěm: Mycological monitoring of different workplaces in Lithuania , by Lugauskas, A., Krik?taponis, A. and Bridiuvien, D., 2000
--------: Occurrence and moisture requirements of microbial growth in building materials, by Pasanen, A.-L., Juutinen, T., Jantunen, M. J. and Kalliokoskia, P., 1992
--------: Passive sampling, by Gorecki, T. and Namiesnik, J., 2002
button sampler: Performance characteristics of the button personal inhalable aerosol sampler, by Aizenberg, V., Grinshpun, S.A, Willeke, K., Smith, J. and Baron, P.A, 2000
--------: Performance of Air-O-Cell, Burkard, and Button samplers for total enumeration of airborne spores, by Aizenberg, V., Reponen, T., Grinshpun, S.A. and Willeke, K., 2000
--------: Personal exposures and microenvironmental concentrations of particles and bioaerosols , by Toivola, M., Alm, S., Reponen, T., Kolari, S. and Nevalainen, A., 2002
--------: Personal sampling of particles in adults: Relation among personal, indoor, and outdoor air concentrations, by Janssen, N. A. H., Hoek, G., Brunekreef, B., Harssema, H., Mensink, I. and Zuidhof, A., 1998
--------: Pollen and fungal spore sampling and analysis. Statistical evaluations , by Irdi, G. A., Jones, J. R. and White, C. M., 2002
--------: Populations and determinants of airborne fungi in large office buildings, by Chao, H.J, Schwartz, J., Milton, D.K and Burge, H.A, 2002
visual: Portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometry for measuring multiple airborne metals: a NIOSH screening method under development, by Lawryk, N. and Chen, B., 2002
--------: Practical aspects of sampling for organic dusts and microorganisms , by Morey, P. R., 1990
--------: Profiles of airborne fungi in buildings and outdoor environments in the United States, by Shelton, B. G., Kirkland, K. H., Flanders, W. D. and Morris, G. K., 2002
--------: Protocols For Investigation Of Indoor Fungal Amplifiers, by Summerbell, R. C., 2001
--------: Quality assurance and good laboratory practice in the mycological laboratory - compilation of basic techniques for the identification of fungi, by Fischer, G. and Dott, W., 2002
DNA extraction: Quality test of the MicroSeq D2 LSU Fungal Sequencing Kit for the identification of fungi, by Rozyneka, P., Gilges, S., Br¨ąning, T. and Wilhelm, M., 2004
fluorescence aerodynamic particle sizer: Real time detection of biological aerosols with fluorescence aerodynamic particle sizer (FLAPS) , by Hoa, J., 1996
--------: Recent advances in solid phase microextraction and membrane extraction with a sorbent interface, by Lord, H. L. and Pawliszyn, J., 0
--------: Reliability of measures of spores of Alternaria and pollen concentrations in air over two towns in rural Australia , by Mitakakis, T. Z. and Mcgee, P. A., 2000
--------: Review of methods applicable to the assessment of mold exposure to children, by Dillon, H. K., Miller, J. D., Sorenson, W. G., Douwes, J. and Jacobs, R. R., 1999
--------: Review of the methodologies for the extraction, detection and identification of microorganisms in the environment, by WS Atkins Environment, 2000
--------: Sampling devices, by Muilenberg, M. L., 0
--------: Sampling for indoor fungi, by Portnoy, J. M., 2003
--------: Sampling methodology for fungal bioaerosols and amplifiers in cases of suspected indoor mold proliferation, by Summerbell, R. C., 2002
--------: Sampling of Aspergillus spores in air, by Morrisa, G., Kokkib, M. H., Andersonc, K. and M. D. R., 2000
--------: Solid phase microextraction, by Pawliszyn, J., 2001
--------: Species indentification of airborne molds and its significance for the detection of indoor pollution, by Fradkin, A., Tobin, R. S., Tarlo, S. M., Tucic-porretta, M. and Malloch, D., 1987
field, over a year: Temporal and spatial variation of fungal concentrations in indoor air, by Hyvarinen, A., Vahteristo, M., Meklin, T., Jantunen, M., Nevalainen, A. and Moschandreas, D., 2001
--------: The collection and interpretation of wall cavity samples, by Spurgeon, J., 2003
--------: The importance of combining air sampling and surface analysis when studying problematic houses for mold biodiversity determination, by Duchaine, C. and M¨¦riaux, A., 2001
--------: The investigation of fungal spores in intramural air using a Burkard continuous recording air sampler, by Stern, M. A., Allitt, U., Corden, J. and Millington, W., 1999
--------: The use of the green fluorescent protein as a biomarker for sapstain fungi , by Lee, S., Kim, S. H. and Breuil, C., 2002
--------: Toward a method for measuring instantaneous fungal growth rates in field samples, by Newell, S. Y. and Fallon, R. D., 1991
--------: Use of fungal detectors to monitor drying of water damaged buildings, by Morey, P., Abe, K., Horner, E. and Ligman, B., 2002
--------: Validation of a method for the sampling and analysis of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), by Campbell, J., Casteel, C., Tuday, and M., Valley, 0
--------: Variability in viable and non-viable mold spore sampling results, by Swenson, L., Robbins, C. and Geer, W., 2002
automatic image analysis: Viability testing and characterization of germination of fungal spores by automatic image analysis, by Paul, G. C., Kent, C. A. and Thomas, C. R., 1993
ix different sampling methods were used for metabolites: Volatile metabolites from microorganisms grown on humid building materials and synthetic media, by Claeson, A. S., Levin, J. O., Blomquist, G. and Sunesson, A. L., 2002
by MVOC: Volatile metabolites from mold growth on building materials and synthetic media, by Wilkins, K., Larsen, K. and Simkus, M., 2000
--------: Volatile metabolites produced by two fungal species cultivated on building materials , by Sunesson, A., Nilsson, C., Andersson, B. and Blomquist, G., 1996
--------: Water leakage from exterior walls as an indicator of degraded air quality, by Morey, P. and Hull, M., 2002

CRDBER, at CBS, BCEE, ENCS, Concordia, June 2014