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You are here: Home / Archives for Trichoderma

Mold On Books

Jackson Kung'u

Books are prone to dampness if the relative humidity is not maintained below 60%. Prolonged damp conditions results to mold growth on the paper and on the bindings. Mold growth on books leads to damage of books through staining and or breaking down of paper and other book components. Besides the damage, many molds isolated from books are a health hazard capable of causing serious respiratory diseases and allergies of various degrees. Molds commonly isolated from moldy books include species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, Stachybotrys, Epicoccum and a number of others. Trichoderma, Chaetomium, and Stachybotrys are strong producers of the enzyme cellulase that breaks down the paper.

Procedure for cleaning moldy booksMold growth on a book

If the books are not extensively damaged (i.e, the paper is still intact), they can be saved. Below is a brief procedure that can be used to clean moldy books.

  • Workers must wear appropriate personal protective equipment when handling contaminated books. This includes wearing coverall or other protective coat over street clothing, a respirator (i.e. N95 or better) and vinyl examination gloves. Unprotected individuals risk aggravating or developing allergic sensitivities to the mold spores.
  • Cleaning must be conducted within a temporary containment unit away from air intakes, other building openings and public areas.
  • Moldy books must be HEPA vacuumed on the following areas: outside front and back covers, joints between the covers, spine, text block and inside back and front covers. A soft-bristled brush may be used to remove stubborn mold growth. (NB: Care must be taken not to damage the books).
  • Once cleaning of books is completed, book carts that were holding moldy books must be cleaned with disinfectant and paper towels. Refer to the material safety data sheets (MSDS) of the disinfectants before use.
  • Before re-shelving, the cleaned books must be given a quick wipe down with an appropriate disinfectant solution, the floors and shelf areas must be cleaned and disinfected and the shelves and flooring must be cleaned with disinfectant and paper towels.
  • After completing the cleaning, the exterior of the HEPA vacuum cleaner is wiped down with a disinfectant to kill any settled spores.
  • Workers must remove protective coveralls, eye protection, respirator, and gloves outside and wash hands with soap and hot water after completing the cleaning session.
  • A record of where the problem areas are, the cause of the problem, a list of the cleaned books, the time and day when the cleaning took place must be kept for future reference.
  • Implement a preventative cleaning program to address the continuing mold problem in the library.

Filed Under: Fungi, Mold Tagged With: Aspergillus, books, chaetomium, cladosporium, Epicoccum, mold growth, mold on books, penicillium, relative humidity, stachybotrys, Trichoderma

Stachybotrys And Ulocladium: Indicators Of Moisture Problem In A Building

Jackson Kung'u

Stachybotrys chartarum and Ulocladium chartarumDifferent categories of moulds have different water requirements. Some moulds such as Stachybotrys, Ulocladium, Acremonium, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Chaetomium thrive well on very wet building materials. Some of these moulds have come to be associated with water damaged buildings and their presence in a building is an indication of a moisture problem.

The picture on the right shows both Stachybotrys chartarum and Ulocladium chartarum on the same lift tape sample taken from a water damged building. Stachybotrys is also commonly found together with Chaetomium spp, particularly Chaetomium globosum.

Do you have a mould question? Call (905)290-9101

Filed Under: Fungi Tagged With: Acremonium, chaetomium, Fusarium, moisture problem, stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Ulocladium, water damage

Health Problems Associated with Indoor Moulds

Jackson Kung'u

Exposure to indoor mould has been associated with the following health problems:

  • respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing
  • respiratory infections such as aspergilloses
  • allergic diseases, including allergic asthma and bronchitis
  • unspecific symptoms, e.g., eye and skin irritation, fatigue, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

The moulds most frequently encountered in indoor environment are Penicillium, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Ulocladium, Stachybotrys, Cladosporium, Acremonium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, Alternaria, and Trichoderma. These moulds are all known to cause different types of inhalation allergy. Some moulds such as Chaetomium, Stachybotrys and Ulocladium thrive under very wet conditions. Their presence in indoor environment is an indication of water problem.

Do you have a mould question? Call us at (905)290-9101.

Filed Under: Fungi Tagged With: Acremonium, allergy, Alternaria, aspergillosis, Aspergillus, bronchitis, chaetomium, cladosporium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, penicillium, stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Ulocladium

Common Indoor Moulds & Their Hazard Classes

Jackson Kung'u

This is a list of some of the most common indoor moulds and their hazard classes. For an explanation of these hazard classes, read the May 24 post entitled “Indoor Moulds: Hazard Classes And Associated Health Effects”. The list is not exhaustive. At least 150 moulds have been reported from buildings.

Acremonium spp (hazard class B).
Alternaria spp (hazard class B).
Aspergillus flavus (hazard class A).
Aspergillus fumigatus (hazard class A).
Aspergillus versicolor (hazard class A).
Aureobasidium pullulans (hazard class B).
Chaetomium globosum (hazard class C).
Cladosporium cladosporioides (hazard class B).
Cladosporium sphaerospermum (hazard class C).
Fusarium spp (hazard class A).
Mucor spp (hazard class A).
Paecilomyces spp (hazard class B).
Penicillium aurantiogriseum (hazard class B).
Penicillium chrysogenum (hazard class B).
Scopulariopsis spp (hazard class B).
Stachybotrys chartarum (hazard class A).
Trichoderma spp (hazard class B)
Ulocladium botrytis (hazard class C).
Wallemia sebi (hazard class C).

These moulds are commonly found on water damaged or damp surfaces in kitchens, basements, bathrooms, ceilings, and other drywalls. Occurrence of some of these moulds such as Stachybotrys, Fusarium, Ulocladium and Trichoderma in a building is an indication of serious water damage.

Do you have a question concerning indoor moulds? Send your question to My Question.

Filed Under: Fungi Tagged With: Fusarium, mould hazard classes, stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Ulocladium, water damage

Which Moulds Grow in Buildings And Why Do They Grow?

Jackson Kung'u

The level of moisture (usually referred to as water activity) in building material determines not only whether mould will grow or not but also the types that colonize the material. Damp materials with a water activity value equal to or greater than 0.90 are usually colonized by strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma spp., Exophiala spp., Stachybotrys spp., Phialophora spp., Fusarium spp., Ulocladium spp., and yeasts such as Rhodotorula spp. Materials with a water activity value ranging from 0.90 – 0.85 are colonized by Aspergillus versicolor while those with water activity values of 0.85 or slightly less are colonized by Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium spp., Wallemia spp., and Penicillium spp., such as Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium aurantiogriseum.

Water leakage through roofs, defective plumbing installations and condensation are the main sources for water damage with subsequent mould growth. The building materials most susceptible to mould attacks are water damaged, aged organic cellulose containing materials such as wood, jute, wallpaper, and cardboard. Moulds that are most frequently encountered in buildings are Penicillium (68%), Aspergillus (56%), Chaetomium (22%), Ulocladium (21%), Stachybotrys (19%), Cladosporium (15%), Acremonium (14%), Mucor (14%), Paecilomyces (10%), Alternaria (8%), Verticillium (8%), and Trichoderma (7%). These moulds are all known to cause different types of inhalation allergy.

Do you have a question concerning indoor moulds? Send it to us at My Question.

Filed Under: Fungi Tagged With: Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, chaetomium, cladosporium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, penicillium, stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Ulocladium, Verticillium, water activity, water damage

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March 2023
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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. […]

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