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Bacteria, molds, and toxins measured in water-damaged building materials
Laboratory analysis of water-damaged building materials reported mixed bacterial and fungal colonization and higher cytotoxicity of extracts than extracts from undamaged materials.
How to read this
This library reports what studies found. An entry describes a study's design, its findings in its own terms, and its limits. Nothing here is a claim about what a Sage Co. home does, delivers, or prevents.
Last reviewed August 30, 2026.
What they studied
- Analysis of gypsum board and other materials collected from water-damaged buildings, alongside undamaged comparison materials.
- Microbiological characterization of bacteria and fungi present, plus measurement of endotoxin, beta-D-glucan, and fungal toxins.
- Methanol extracts of the materials were tested for toxicity against mammalian cell lines.
What they found
- The authors reported diverse bacterial populations, including mycobacteria and actinomycetes, alongside fungal growth on the wet materials.
- Endotoxin, beta-D-glucan, and satratoxin were detected in the water-damaged samples.
- Extracts from the wet materials were reported to be substantially more toxic to the tested mammalian cells than extracts from undamaged materials.
What this study does not establish
- A materials and cell-culture study; no human exposure or health outcome was measured.
- Cytotoxicity of a solvent extract is not a measure of inhalation exposure in an occupied building.
- Sample set is limited and not representative of all water-damaged construction.
- This entry reports the study. It is not a statement about any building Sage Co. designs or constructs.
Source
Andersson MA, Nikulin M, Köljalg U, Andersson MC, Rainey F, Reijula K, Hintikka E-L, Salkinoja-Salonen M (1997). Bacteria, molds, and toxins in water-damaged building materials. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63(2):387–393.
water damagebacteriabuilding materialstoxicity
Elsewhere under Moisture & Mold
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- Review of actinobacteria in indoor environments and reported respiratory effects
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- Co-occurrence of bacterial and fungal secondary metabolites measured in moisture-damaged homes
- Chaetomium globosum prevalence in surveyed water-damaged buildings and metabolite production on building materials
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- Associations between fungal species and specific water-damaged building materials
- Systematic review of fungal exposure and hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Review of Stachybotrys chartarum, trichothecene mycotoxins, and damp building–related illness
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- Nasal and olfactory effects of satratoxin G measured in rhesus monkeys
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- Lung inflammation measured in mice exposed to Aspergillus versicolor spores from a moisture-damaged building
- Inflammatory gene expression measured in macrophages exposed to toxins from damp-building fungi
- Lung responses measured in mice exposed to purified toxins from building-isolated Penicillium species
- Human brain cell responses measured at satratoxin concentrations reported from water-damaged buildings
- Time-series and clinical-trial data reported on illness in water-damaged building occupants
- Review of proposed injury mechanisms from exposure to water-damaged buildings
- Neuropsychological and electrocortical measures compared between mold-exposed subjects and controls