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Mycotoxins in the ventilation systems of four schools in Finland

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Author

  • E. -L. Hintikka
  • R. Holopainen
  • A. Asola
  • M. Jestoi
  • Mirko Peitzsch
  • S. Kalso
  • Lennart Larsson
  • K. Reijula
  • T. Tuomi

Summary, in English

Some fungal species have been listed as a problem causing fungi in indoor air and most of this group are known to produce mycotoxins. So far, mycotoxins have been found in building materials and in samples representing settled indoor air dust, as well in air samples from industrial or agricultural environments. The present paper presents the results of a mycological study and mycotoxin analyses of dust collected from mechanical ventilation systems in four school buildings in southern Finland. The aim of this work was to answer the question 'Are there mycotoxins in ventilation systems and if so, from where do they originate?' A total of 40 mycotoxins representing indoor and outdoor sources alike were screened in this study, while cultivable fungi were screened using four different cultivation media. Mycotoxins were present in all ventilation systems studied, both in the supply and the exhaust systems examined. The mycotoxins found included satratoxins, verrucarol, trichodermol, enniatins, beauvericin, penicillic acid, sterigmatocystin, chaetoglobosin A, and aflatoxins B-1. The mycotoxins were present in minute quantities (pg-ng/g or pg-ng/cm(2)). The fungal genera associated with respective mycotoxins were found in most of the same sources. Since much the same mycotoxins could be established in both exhaust and supply air systems, it would appear that the mycotoxins found in the schools studied do not for the most part originate from sources within the building but are either normal artefacts of incoming supply air or concentrate or are perhaps produced within the ventilation systems due to infrequent changing of filters and maintenance/cleaning of ventilation ducts and associated parts of the systems.

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Pages

369-379

Publication/Series

World Mycotoxin Journal

Volume

2

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wageningen Academic Publishers

Topic

  • Microbiology in the medical area

Keywords

  • ventilation system
  • satratoxins
  • beauvericin
  • dust
  • trichothecenes

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1875-0796