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Any Input Relative To The Spore Levels Identified?

Question: My daughter and her room-mate have been housed in a room that has an elevated mold count. The outside mold count on the day of the test was 2,600 spores per cubic meter of air while the count in the dorm in the dorm room was 10,300. The preliminary test identified three different types of mold spores with readings elevated above outdoor readings. These spore types and readings were as follows:

  • Penicillium/Aspergillus:
    • Outdoor count: 907 spores/cubic meter of air
    • Dorm room count: 6,880 spores/cubic meter of air
  • Cladosporium:
    • Outdoor count: 533 spores/cubic meter of air
    • Indoor count: 3,150 spores/cubic meter of air

    • Both girls are experiencing some health issues. My daughter is currently in the hospital with some respiratory issues and an infection of the colon. Can you provide me with any input relative to the spore levels identified? Also, I realize that most problems associated with mold are of the respiratory nature, but I am concerned that the colon infection could also be a result of mold toxins. Is this possible? Any input would be appreciated.

    Answer: Currently there are no acceptable levels of airborne mold spores. However, it’s generally agreed that mold is a health hazard and should not be allowed to grow in occupied indoor environments. The common indoor molds are unlikely to cause infection to health individuals. People with weak immune system (immunocompromised), however, could be infected by opportunistic pathogens such as some species of Aspergillus and Fusarium. As for mycotoxins, it is not known whether the indoor air concentrations of airborne mycotoxins become high enough to cause any significant health effects.

Seed Pathogen Testing

Question: Hello, I represent a very important agro-industrial group in Mexico. We have several roles such as wheat mills, fruit, and vegetable processing.

Right now we have a situation in one of our facilities that we want to resolve. We have a hydroponic greenhouse where we produce lettuce, mainly 3 different varieties (Boston, Lollobionda, Lollorosa). We have had several problems in the production of lettuce. We did some analysis and we have found that the root cause of the problem is in the seed.

This seed comes from Holland, and the seed is encapsulated by some material that is supposed to protect the naked seed and improve the shelf life. In our studies we have found that the encapsulation material is contaminated with some fungal pathogens and bacteria, so this is why we are requesting your support.

In a research institute in Mexico they found in the encapsulation material the following fungal pathogens and bacteria:

– Fusarium
– Verticillium
– Acremonium
– Phythium
– Aspergillus
– Stenotrophomonas
– Acinetobacter
– Bacillus cereus

So we want to confirm with your labs if these microorganisms are present in the seed or in the encapsulation material. So we need to know if your labs are able to do this analysis, the cost of the analysis and how much time you think this will take. If by some reason MBL are not able to do this kind of analysis, could you recommend some laboratory that could help us with this request.

I’ll wait for your comments, thanks and best regards.
Answer: We can you determine the fungal and bacterial pathogens present in the seeds and the encapsulation material. However, since this material is coming from outside of Canada, an import permit from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) would be required. We would suggest you use a lab in Mexico for this kind of testing.

Bacterial and Fungal Contamination of Metalworking Fluids (MWFs)

Metalworking fluids are used to cool and/or lubricate metal works during machining, grinding, cutting, milling, etc. MWFs can get contaminated when good hygiene practices are not followed or when fluids are not properly managed or maintained. Bacterial and fungal contamination of metalworking fluids (MWFs) is a major concern in the industries which use these fluids. Contamination may cause equipment malfunction, off-odors, degradation in the fluid quality, economic losses and finally, they pose as a major health hazard. Several Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria are found as contaminants. These include Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp. and Coliforms. Fungal contaminants include, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. and Cephalosporium sp.

Major health concerns of bacterial and fungal Contaminated metalworking fluids include skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and, occasionally, breathing difficulties such as bronchitis and asthma. Learn more about contamination of metalworking fluids.

How Dangerous Is Mould In Your Basement?

Basements tend to be damp thus encouraging mould growth. Some of the common moulds in basements include Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium spp, Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium spp. However, the types of moulds present in a basement would depend on how damp the basement is. For example, under extremely damp conditions the dominating moulds would be those that require high levels of moisture for growth such as Ulocladium, Stachybotrys, Fusarium, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Under relatively dry conditions, the dominating types of moulds would be those that can grow at low moisture levels such as Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium chrysogenum, Eurotium species and Wallemia sebi.

Are These Moulds Dangerous?
Allergenic and toxic hazards of common indoor moulds are dependent on the quantity of mould present and the health status of individual person. However, regardless of the amount of mould present or the health status of occupants, mould should never be allowed to grow indoors.

Types Of Mold

Many people often ask what are the types of mold commonly found indoors. Generally the prevailing conditions determine the types of mold prevalent in a given environment. A highly humid environment is likely to be dominated by those molds that require a lot of water such Aspergillus fumigatus, Chaetomium globosum, Stachybotrys chartarum, Ulocladium chartarum, Fusarium solani, Trichoderma sp, while a relatively dry environment may be dominated by those molds that require less moisture to grow such as Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium spp, and Wallemia sebi. For a more detailed discussion on the types of mold commonly found indoors and their hazard classes, visit the website http://www.mouldfacts.ca/mouldtypes.html.

If you have a question concerning indoor mold or bacteria, give us a call at (905)290-9101.

Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms

Salmonella food poisoning has been a growing concern in recent news. It has frequently lead to recalls of beef, salads and organic products and, even peanut butter products. Salmonella food poisoning occurs when one eats raw or undercooked foods such meat, poultry, eggs or egg products. Properly cooked food can get contaminated with Salmonella if […]

Legionella pneumophila – Guidelines for Laboratory Interpretation

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram negative, aerobic bacteria that is characterized as an opportunistic pathogen. It is the cause of Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia and, it is the cause of Pontiac fever, a non-pneumonic form of L. pneumophila infection. Legionella spp.’s mode of transmission is through aerosols or aspiration of contaminated water. The Public Health […]

The Indoor Mold Is An Early Warning Device

The mold (or mould, in the Queen’s English) has been the victim of a bad press. Mention the word and it conjures up an image of something rotting or in the process of decomposition. And yet, were it not for the mold that inspired the discovery of penicillin millions of lives would have been lost. […]