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| 2. |
- Bloom, Erica, et al.
(författare)
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Determination of mold and mycotoxins in building materials and house dust using mass spectrometry
- 2009
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Ingår i: 9th International Conference and Exhibition - Healthy Buildings 2009, HB 2009.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites frequently produced by molds in waterdamaged indoor environments. The objectives of this work were to characterize the mycoflora (by microscopy and culture) and to study the prevalence of selected mycotoxins and levels of fungal biomass (by gas chromatography- and high pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) in samples collected by building inspectors from water-damaged indoor environments in Sweden during a one-year period. Sixty-six percent of the analyzed building materials (n=100), 11% of the settled dust samples (n=18), and 51% of the cultured dust samples (n=37) were positive for at least one of the studied mycotoxins. Except in the case of gliotoxin, mycotoxin-positive building material samples contained 2-6 times more ergosterol than mycotoxin-negative samples. The study result shows that the majority of molds contaminating indoor materials in Swedish water-damaged buildings produce mycotoxins, and that mycotoxin-containing particles settle on surfaces above floor level in these environments.
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| 3. |
- Bloom, Erica, et al.
(författare)
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Mass spectrometry-based strategy for direct detection and quantification of some mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys and Aspergillus spp. in indoor environments
- 2007
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Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 73:13, s. 4211-4217
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dampness in buildings has been linked to adverse health effects, but the specific causative agents are unknown. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by molds and toxic to higher vertebrates. In this study, mass spectrometry was used to demonstrate the presence of mycotoxins predominantly produced by Aspergillus spp. and Stachybotrys spp. in buildings with either ongoing dampness or a history of water damage. Verrucarol and trichodermol, hydrolysis products of macrocyclic trichothecenes (including satratoxins), and trichodermin, predominately produced by Stachybotrys chartarum, were analyzed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, whereas sterigmatocystin (mainly produced by Aspergillus versicolor), satratoxin G, and satratoxin H were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These mycotoxin analytes were demonstrated in 45 of 62 building material samples studied, in three of eight settled dust samples, and in five of eight cultures of airborne dust samples. This is the first report on the use of tandem mass spectrometry for demonstrating mycotoxins in dust settled on surfaces above floor level in damp buildings. The direct detection of the highly toxic sterigmatocystin and macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins in indoor environments is important due to their potential health impacts.
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| 4. |
- Bloom, Erica, et al.
(författare)
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Molds and mycotoxins in indoor environments — a survey in water-damaged buildings
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 6:11, s. 671-678
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mycotoxins are toxic, secondary metabolites frequently produced by molds in water-damaged indoor environments. We studied the prevalence of selected, potent mycotoxins and levels of fungal biomass in samples collected from water-damaged indoor environments in Sweden during a 1- year period. One hundred samples of building materials, 18 samples of settled dust, and 37 samples of cultured dust were analyzed for: (a) mycoflora by microscopy and culture; (b) fungal chemical marker ergosterol and hydrolysis products of macrocyclic trichothecenes and trichodermin (verrucarol and trichodermol) by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; and (c) sterigmatocystin, gliotoxin, aflatoxin B1, and satratoxin G and H by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Sixty-six percent of the analyzed building materials samples, 11% of the settled dust samples, and 51% of the cultured dust samples were positive for at least one of the studied mycotoxins. In addition, except in the case of gliotoxin, mycotoxin-positive building material samples contained 2,6 times more ergosterol than mycotoxin-negative samples. We show that (a) molds growing on a range of different materials indoors in water-damaged buildings generally produce mycotoxins, and (b) mycotoxincontaining particles in mold-contaminated environments may settle on surfaces above floor level. The mass spectrometry methods used in this study are valuable tools in further research to survey mycotoxin exposure and investigate potential links with health effects. © 2009 JOEH, LLC.
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| 6. |
- Land, Carl Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of fungi, especially Stachybotrys chartarum from gypsum boards, by means of PCR and sequencing of ribosomal DNA
- 2003
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Ingår i: Indoor + Built Environment. - 1420-326X .- 1423-0070. ; 12:4, s. 227-229
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gypsum boards infested by Stachybotrys chartarum are often found in built-in constructions. A PCR-based analysis method has been developed for S. chartarum using specific primers based on the Tri5 gene. Another method for detecting fungi is by species identification via sequencing of ribosomal DNA. Sequencing of ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) and the 5.8s rDNA is straightforward and provides a basis for species identification. The sequences were searched for by means of BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) in the GenBank. The PCR technique will be an important step in the future both toward detecting fungal infestations at an early stage because of the ability to detect specifically the infestation without time-consuming cultivation in the laboratory and allowing reliable species identification based on sequences obtained from databases.
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| 7. |
- Milotić, Tanja, et al.
(författare)
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Dung beetle assemblages, dung removal and secondary seed dispersal : data from a large-scale, multi-site experiment in the Western Palaearctic
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers of Biogeography. - : eScholarship. - 1948-6596. ; 10:1-2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By manipulating faeces during feeding and breeding, dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) fulfil important ecosystem functions in terrestrial ecosystems throughout the world. In a pan-European multi-site experiment (MSE), we estimated the ecosystem functions of dung removal and secondary seed dispersal by differing combinations of dung beetle functional groups. Therefore, we classified dung beetles into five functional groups according to their body size and dung manipulation method: dwellers, large and small tunnelers, and large and small rollers. Furthermore, we set up a dung beetle sampling database containing all sampled dung beetles during the project. By identifying dung beetle specimens to the species level, we obtained a detailed insight into the dung beetle communities at each study location. By establishing experimental plots allowing and inhibiting specific combinations of functional groups in the local dung beetle assemblage from removing dung and seeds, we estimated the role of each group in dung removal and secondary seed dispersal during a 4-week period. We performed all experiments in grazed (semi-) natural grasslands, and used different dung types (cattle, horse, sheep, goat or red deer) to match the herbivore species grazing in close vicinity of each of the study areas. Simultaneously, we sampled dung beetle assemblages by using pitfalls baited with the same dung types as used in the experiments. This data paper documents two datasets collected in the framework of this MSE project. All the experiments took place between 2013 and 2016 at 17 study sites in 10 countries and 11 biogeographic zones. The entire dung beetle sampling dataset was published as a sampling event dataset at GBIF. The dataset includes the sampling results of all 17 study sites, which contain 1,050 sampling events and 4,362 occurrence records of 94 species. The second dataset contains the results of the dung removal and secondary seed dispersal experiments in which we used 11 experimental treatments and the five dung types mentioned above. This experimental results dataset holds all experimental results of the MSE project (11,537 records), and was published in the online data repository Zenodo.
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| 8. |
- Milotic, Tanja, et al.
(författare)
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Functionally richer communities improve ecosystem functioning : dung removal and secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles in the Western Palaearctic
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Biogeography. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699. ; 46:1, s. 70-82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: In several ecosystems, the diversity of functional species traits has been shown to have a stronger effect on ecosystem functioning than taxonomic diversity alone. However, few studies have explored this idea at a large geographical scale. In a multisite experiment, we unravelled the relationship between ecosystem function and functional completeness of species assemblages using dung beetles as a model group, focusing on dung removal and secondary seed dispersal.Location: Seventeen grassland locations across the Western Palaearctic.Methods: We used a randomized block design with different exclosure types to control the dung and seed removing activities of individual functional groups of the local dung beetle assemblage. We classified dung beetle species according to resource specialization and into functional groups based on dung processing behaviour (dwellers, tunnellers, rollers) and body size (small, large). Additionally, we assessed the role of other soil macro-invertebrates. By sampling the dung beetle community and measuring the remaining dung and seeds after the experiment, the impact of each functional group was estimated.Results: Dung beetle assemblages differed along a north-south and east-west gradient. Dwellers dominated northernmost sites, whereas at lower latitudes we observed more tunnellers and rollers indicating a functional shift. Resource specialists were more abundant in southern and eastern areas. Overall, functional group diversity enhanced dung removal. More dung (+46.9%) and seeds (+32.1%) were removed in the southern sites and tunnellers and rollers were more effective. At the northernmost sites, where tunnellers were scarce or absent, other soil macro-invertebrates removed the majority of dung.Main conclusions: The conservation of functionally complete dung beetle assemblages is crucial to maintain the ecosystem functions provided by dung beetles. Given the latitudinal variation in functional group diversity, it is reasonable to expect compositional changes due to climate change. These changes could lead to increased dung removal and a higher secondary seed dispersal rate in northern regions.
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| 9. |
- Must, A., et al.
(författare)
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Determination of mycoflora and mycotoxins in concealed constructions and in the indoor occupational space
- 2009
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The causative agents of Building Related Illness are unknown but are thought to originate from chemical reactions and/or microbial growth caused by high water activity. The aim of this study was to apply direct determination of mycoflora and selected mycotoxins in building materials, settled and cultured airborne dust from preschools and daycare centers. The mycoflora on building materials was directly identified by light microscopy, viable airborne mold propagules counted using a Reuter Centrifugal Sampler, and settled dust was collected on surfaces above floor level. Mycotoxin analysis performed using gas-chromatography- and high pressure liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry showed that mycotoxins are produced in hidden mold infested materials in the construction, that airborne mold from such materials have the capacity to produce mycotoxins, and that mycotoxins can be found in settled dust in the breathing zone.
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| 10. |
- Peitzsch, M., et al.
(författare)
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Remediation of mould damaged building materials - Efficiency of a broad spectrum of treatments
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1464-0325 .- 1464-0333. ; 14:3, s. 908-915
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We compared the efficiency of some commercially available products and methods used for remediation of mould-contaminated building materials. Samples of gypsum board and pinewood were artificially contaminated with toxin-producing isolates of Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus versicolor, respectively, then, ten different remediation treatments were applied according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Microbial and chemical analyses of the infested materials were carried out both immediately before and after treatment, after six weeks of drying at room temperature, and after another six weeks of remoistening. The aim of the study was to determine whether the investigated methods could inhibit the mould growth and destroy some selected mycotoxins produced by the moulds. None of the decontamination methods tested could completely eliminate viable moulds. Some methods, especially boron based chemicals, ammonium based chemicals, and oxidation reduced the contents of mycotoxins produced by S. chartarum (satratoxin G and H, verrucarol), whereas the one which uses an ammonium based chemical reduced the amount of sterigmatocystin produced by A. versicolor with statistical significance. No remediation treatment eliminated all the toxins from the damaged materials. These results emphasize the importance to work preventively with moisture safety throughout the construction processes and management to prevent mould growth on building materials.
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