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Collection and Extraction of Occupational Air Samples for Analysis of Fungal DNA
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Collection and Extraction of Occupational Air Samples for Analysis of Fungal DNA

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Emissions of Fungal Volatile Organic Compounds in Residential Environments and Temporal Emission Patterns:

Kyunghoon Kim1, Suyeon Lee1, Yelim Choi1

  • 1Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|October 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Fungi emit microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) from indoor materials. Passive air samplers better correlate mVOCs with airborne fungi in homes than active samplers.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Mycology
  • Indoor Air Quality

Background:

  • Fungi-derived microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) are linked to health issues, but their presence in homes and on materials is poorly understood.
  • Limited data exists on the emission patterns and detection of mVOCs from common indoor materials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify mVOCs emitted from fungi grown on PVC wallpaper, silicone rubber, and malt extract agar.
  • To investigate the temporal emission patterns of mVOCs.
  • To evaluate active and passive air sampling methods for estimating fungal concentration via mVOCs.

Main Methods:

  • Fungi (Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum) were cultured on different materials.
  • Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
  • Field studies in 11 residential environments compared active and passive air sampling for mVOCs and airborne fungal concentrations.

Main Results:

  • Silicone rubber yielded the highest diversity of mVOCs (106 from A. niger, 85 from P. chrysogenum, 35 from A. alternata).
  • Eight distinct chemical classes of mVOCs were identified across the three fungi.
  • Passive air samplers showed stronger positive correlations between mVOCs and airborne fungi (0.08–0.86) than active samplers (-0.99–-0.02).

Conclusions:

  • This study characterizes fungal VOCs emitted from indoor materials and their emission patterns.
  • Passive air sampling is more effective for correlating mVOCs with airborne fungal loads in residential settings.
  • Findings enhance understanding of fungal VOC occurrence and detection in indoor environments.
Keywords:
chamber experimentemissionfield experimentfungiindoor materialsmVOCs

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