Health Hazards Invisible toxins from fungi reach the lungs

Experts are investigating three different fungi and their effects
Household fungi can cause serious health problems. Researchers have now found out that toxins from so-called homeopathic fungi can easily get into the air and endanger the health of those affected.

Researchers at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse found that mushroom toxins in the household easily bleed into the air and cause health problems. The experts published the results of their study in the journal "Applied and Environmental Microbiology".

Mold and other fungi can become a serious household problem. Researchers have now discovered that certain types of fungi can easily spread through the air. (Image: Zlatan Durakovic - fotolia)

Mycotoxins are a source of indoor air pollution
Three kinds of mushrooms, which grow on ordinary household wallpapers, can spread over the air, say the experts. The airborne toxins from these fungi damage human health. So-called mycotoxins should be considered as a source of indoor air pollution, the researchers explain.

Mycotoxins should be studied as parameters of indoor air quality
Mycotoxins can be transmitted through the air, causing air pollution inside buildings, explains author Jean-Denis Bailly. Mycotoxins can then be inhaled through the air and should therefore be studied as a parameter of indoor air quality, especially in houses with visible fungal contamination, the expert adds.

Which fungi have been studied?
There is much less research on the dangers of airborne fungal toxins than on the fungal toxins in food. In their latest study, the experts focused on three types of fungi commonly found in contaminated foods: Penicillium brevicompactum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Stachybotrys chartarum.

How was the experiment set up??
In their investigation, the team created a flowing stream of air over a wallpaper that was contaminated with the three types of fungus. Later, the scientists then analyzed the samples of the air. The physicians were able to determine that some toxins were present on tiny dust particles, which can then be easily inhaled by humans and animals. The different types of fungi release different levels of fungal toxins, researchers add.

Exposure to household air should be investigated
So far, little research has been done on the effects of such toxins. In particular, how these toxins affect once inhaled, explain the doctors. Experts had previously highlighted the dangers of indoor air pollution. In the past, much attention was paid to air pollutants from car emissions, factories and power plants, but researchers also wanted to investigate the burden on household air.

Increasing house insulation can further compound the problem
Efforts to increase energy efficiency can aggravate the problems, according to the medical profession. The increasing insulation of houses increases the risk of fungal contamination in the air, explain the experts. The presence of mycotoxins indoors should be considered as an important parameter of air quality, adds author Professor Bailly. (As)