[ESTABLISHED]Established
Associations between fungal species and specific water-damaged building materials
Analysis of more than 5,000 surface samples from water-damaged materials reported which fungal species were most common overall and which were associated with particular substrates.
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
- More than 5,300 surface samples taken from water-damaged building materials with visible fungal growth.
- Identification of fungal species and the substrate each was recovered from.
- Statistical analysis of species-to-material associations.
What they found
- Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor were reported as the most commonly recovered species overall.
- Stachybotrys, Penicillium, and Acremonium species were reported in association with gypsum and wallpaper; Aspergillus fumigatus and Chaetomium with concrete and floor materials; Cladosporium and Trichoderma with wood.
- The authors reported that species composition was predictable from the substrate in the sampled set.
What this study does not establish
- Surface sampling of visibly colonized materials; airborne exposure was not measured.
- The sample set reflects buildings submitted for investigation, not a random housing sample.
- No health outcomes were assessed.
- This entry reports the study. It is not a statement about any building Sage Co. designs or constructs.
Source
Andersen B, Frisvad JC, Søndergaard I, Rasmussen IS, Larsen LS (2011). Associations between fungal species and water-damaged building materials. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77(12):4180–4188.
species prevalencebuilding materialssurvey
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