Fungal Microbiomes Associated with Green and Non-Green Building Materials

Details

• Personal Author:
  Coombs K ; Green, Brett J. ; Reponen T ; Vesper S ; Yermakov M
• Description:
  Water-damaged buildings can lead to fungal growth and occupant health problems. Green building materials, derived from renewable sources, are increasingly utilized in construction and renovations. However, the question as to what fungi will grow on these green compared to non-green materials, after they get wet, has not been adequately studied. By determining what fungi grow on each type of material, the potential health risks can be more adequately assessed. In this study, we inoculated green and non-green pieces of ceiling tile, composite board, drywall, and flooring with indoor dust containing a complex mixture of naturally occurring fungi. The materials were saturated with water and incubated for two months in a controlled environment. The resulting fungal microbiomes were evaluated using ITS amplicon sequencing. Overall, the richness and diversity of the mycobiomes on each pair of green and non-green pieces were not significantly different. However, different genera dominated on each type of material. For example, Aspergillus spp. had the highest relative abundance on green and non-green ceiling tiles and green composite boards, but Peniophora spp. dominated the non-green composite board. In contrast, Penicillium spp. dominated green and non-green flooring samples. Green gypsum board was dominated by Phialophora spp. and Stachybotrys spp., but non-green gypsum board by Myrothecium spp. These data suggest that water-damaged green and non-green building materials can result in mycobiomes that are dominated by fungal genera whose member species pose different potentials for health risks. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Construction Materials Dust Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Fungi Hazardous Substances Microbiology Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Mycobiome Construction Materials Dusts Environmental Hazards Exposure Levels Floors Fungal Growth Green Product Gypsum Health Effects Health Hazards ITS Sequencing Microorganisms Risk Assessment Risk Factors

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• ISSN:
  0964-8305
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  251-257
• Volume:
  125
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050279
• Citation:
  Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 2017 Nov; 125:251-257
• Contact Point Address:
  Tiina Reponen, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, United States
• Email:
  Tiina.Reponen@uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:772498cee7cfa71aa16773078146c8ffc9a0d76695c115bcc4e92d0ad4b950742a88ccadce8bb97ba2e677c4f413e67f5b7daaeb83376954e99c875878fd3e74
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210697/cdc_210697_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 912.45 KB ]