Mold

Karen Motylewski writes:

>Ala's comments seem to indicate that even "killed" spores remain
>hazardous to people--can you provide me with a citation, or is this
>a common sense precaution based on the absence of evidence to the
>contrary?

I gleaned the following information from Jim Vincent, a mycologist
with the Province of Manitoba's Workplace Safety and Health
Division:

Without stating the organisms are dead (which, by context they
obviously are) most articles talk about the mycotoxins and allergens
and volatiles in the context of [being] hazardous in themself, i.e.
in the absence of the viable organism.

For example, the guideline from Health Canada, Fungal Contamination
In Public Buildings, defines:

    beta-1,3,glucan as "a constituent of fungal cell wall suggested
    as one of the possible causative agents of adverse effects in
    buildings with a history of water damage", and

    Endotoxin as "a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component of the
    membrane of gram-negative bacteria and algae that is heat stable
    (resists autoclave conditions) and toxic."

And also states, "Mediators of disease include mycotoxins,
allergens, biologically active cell wall components, and polyclonal
cell activators."

    S. Heinemann, H. Beguin and N. Nolard. "Biocontamination in
    Air-Conditioning," Health Implications of Fungi in Indoor
    Environments. by R. A. Sampson, et al. (Air Quality Monographs,
    vol 2)

states:

   "With regard to indoor air quality and building related illness,
    it is also important to consider non-viable contaminants as
    these retain all their possible antigenic properties."

Ala Rekrut
Acting Chief Conservator
Provincial Archives of Manitoba

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:45
                 Distributed: Monday, November 17, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-45-005
                                  ***