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Airborne macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins measured in water-damaged indoor environments

Brasel TL, Martin JM, Carriker CG, Wilson SC, Straus DC (2005) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71(11):7376–7388

Air sampling in water-damaged buildings detected macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins, with concentrations reported to rise during simulated occupant activity.

What they studied

Air sampling in seven water-damaged buildings with documented Stachybotrys chartarum growth.

Analysis of airborne particulate for macrocyclic trichothecenes by immunoassay and mass spectrometry.

Sampling under still conditions and during simulated disturbance such as walking and HVAC operation.

What they found

Airborne macrocyclic trichothecenes were detected at concentrations reported up to 1,300 picograms per cubic meter.

Toxins were reported on particles smaller than intact spores.

Simulated occupant activity was reported to increase measured airborne concentrations.

What it does not establish

Seven buildings selected for known contamination; not a representative sample.

No occupant health outcomes were measured.

No health-based exposure limit exists for these compounds against which to interpret the concentrations.

This entry reports the study. It is not a statement about any building Sage Co. designs or constructs.

Source

  • Brasel TL, Martin JM, Carriker CG, Wilson SC, Straus DC (2005). Detection of airborne Stachybotrys chartarum macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins in the indoor environment · Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71(11):7376–7388 · Read at the source

Last reviewed August 30, 2026.

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