Common mold species: Penicillium aspergillus, cladosporium, chaetomium, alternaria, fusarium, stachybotrys. When we send samples off to an independent lab any and all species of mold are evaluated and not just these.

Aspergillus Flavus

asp flavus

This Fungus can be found in water damaged carpets and building materials. It has been reported to be allergenic and its presence is associated with asthma. Some strains are capable of producing a group of myotoxins in the aflatoxin group. The production of toxins is dependent on the substrate and growing conditions.

 

Aspergillus versicolor

Aspergillus VersicolorThis fungus can be found on air and house dust. Its presence in indoor air often indicates signs of moisture problems in buildings and it is readily found in water damaged building materials. This species produces the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin, which is reported to be carcinogenic to the liver and kidney, and it can cause such symptoms as diarrhea and upset stomach. A. versicolor may be in various colors, as the name implies, and displays great variety in colony pattern and size.

 

Penicillium chrysogenum

pen chrysogenumThis species was one of the first known producers of penicillin. It is found on damp building materials, including paints, chipboards, and wallpaper found often in moist homes. It is an agent of food spoilage as it is in household dust and indoor air. It can also act as a food source for some types of dust mites. P. chrysogenum has been identified as a significant allergen in the indoor environment and as a rare causative agent of opportunistic human mycosis. Penicillium chrysogenum is often found growing as a dark green colony and can produce mycotoxins.

 

Stachybotrys

stachybotrys ssp mycoStachybotrys is commonly found in sub-tropical to tropical areas in soil and decaying plant materials, and is considered a type I & III allergen. Considerable recent media attention has been focused on the fungi Stachybotrys chartarum (atra) due to infant deaths in Cleveland from pulmonary hemosiderosis, which may be associated with contamination of residences with this fungus. Stachybotrys thrives on water damaged cellulose rich materials such as sheet rock, paper, ceiling tiles, cellulose containing insulation backing and wallpaper. The presence of this fungus in buildings is significant because of the mold’s ability to produce mycotoxins. Exposure to these toxins can occur through inhalation, ingestion or dermal exposure. Symptoms include dermatitis, cough, rhinitis, nose bleeds, a burning sensation in the mouth and nasal passage, cold and flu symptoms, headache, general malaise, and fever. Inhalation of conidia may also induce pathological changes (pneumomycotoxicoses).  Stachybotrys typically appears as a sooty black fungus occasionally accompanied by a thick mass of white mycelia. As a general rule, air sampling for Stachybotrys yields unpredictable results mainly due to the fact that this fungus is usually accompanied by other fungi such as Aspergillus and Penicillium that normally are better aerosolized than Stachybotrys. Bulk or surface sampling of suspect materials can be analyzed in a laboratory for identification by light microscopy. This fungus is a slow grower on media, therefore does not compete well with other rapidly growing fungi. Colonies are powdery in texture, white, pink, orange or black in color.

 

 

 

Information Courtesy Aerotech Laboratories