Can mycotoxins contaminate building materials?
There has been much attention placed on mycotoxin contamination of building materials. Although contamination of building materials by the presence of toxic spores is well recognized, the transfer of toxins from spores to actual building materials is an entirely different matter. In support of this theory are those who cite an article documenting the presence of mycotoxins in over 40% of the indoor substrates tested (Tuomi et. al. 2000. Appl. Env. Microbiol. pages 1899-1904). This study correlates mycotoxin presence with the occurrence of culturable (viable) molds, including mycotoxin-producing species. On some occasions, mycotoxins were detected in areas where viable toxin-producing molds were not present; however, the presence of non-viable spores was not appropriately assessed. The incorrect assumption drawn by some experts and lay-persons alike is that mycotoxins may be transferred from the spore to certain types of building materials. In our opinion, such conclusions should not be
