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Review of Stachybotrys chartarum, trichothecene mycotoxins, and damp building–related illness
A review examined how Stachybotrys chartarum grows on wet cellulosic materials, how its toxins aerosolize, and what the toxicological literature reports about pulmonary effects.
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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
- A review of the microbiology, chemistry, and toxicology literature on Stachybotrys chartarum.
- Mechanisms by which spores and toxins become airborne from wet cellulose-based building materials.
- Animal and in vitro evidence on pulmonary responses, plus the epidemiologic record on damp building–related illness.
What they found
- The authors reported two chemotypes of Stachybotrys chartarum, one producing macrocyclic trichothecenes and one producing atranones.
- Both chemotypes were reported to induce pulmonary inflammation in experimental models.
- Aerosolization from wet cellulosic materials was reported as the principal exposure route described in the literature.
What this study does not establish
- A review of largely experimental evidence; human exposure-response relationships remain unresolved in the cited literature.
- The authors note the epidemiologic record on this organism is contested.
- No exposure threshold for occupants is established.
- This entry reports the study. It is not a statement about any building Sage Co. designs or constructs.
Source
Pestka JJ, Yike I, Dearborn DG, Ward MDW, Harkema JR (2008). Stachybotrys chartarum, trichothecene mycotoxins, and damp building–related illness: new insights into a public health enigma. Toxicological Sciences 104(1):4–26.
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