Occurence and hygienic/allergological relevance of mould from point of view of the environmental medicine
T. Gabrio, U. Weidner
Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-Württemberg im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart (LGA)
DOI 10.5414/ALX01296E
Abstract
Allergic skin and respiratory diseases range among the most frequent afflictions in industrialized countries. Due to this fact the importance of indoor mould pollution based on dampness is discussed. In a sentinel health study of the State Health Agency (LGA) children attending Class 4 of a primary school were tested by an in-vitro allergy screening (UniCap 100/Phadia) for the mould allergens mx1 (Penicillium chrysogenum m1, Cladosporium herbarum m2, Aspergillus fumigatus m3 und Alternaria alternata m6). Primarily about 5% of the children were sensitized against mould which are associated with the ambient air. The investigations showed that most of the children were sensitized against Alternaria alternata and concerning the IgE-concentration (kU/l) Alternaria alternata had the highest concentration among the tested allergens. Commonly children with sensitization against mould were polysensitized. It is unclear if the allergy screening against mould mx1 includes mould with indication for indoor mould pollution such as Acremonium spp., Aspergillus penicillioides, Aspergillus restrictus, Aspergillus versicolor, Chaetomium spp., Phialophora spp., Stachybotrys chartarum, Tritirachium (Engyodontium) album und Trichoderma spp. by means of crossreaction. Therefore such investigations do not admit any conclusion about health problems as a result of indoor mould pollution. At the present state of knowledge the exposure measurements of indoor mould pollutions are not possible, at most a semiquantitative assessment. Although it is generally accepted that dwellings with moisture and mould represent a health risk, knowledge about indoor mould pollution and the related health problems is lacking.
*Based on a lecture on the occasion of the 4th German Allergy Congress, Berlin, September 3 – 6, 2009.
German version published in Allergologie, Vol. 33, No. 3/2010, pp. 101-108
Author Details
Authors
Departments
- Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-Württemberg im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart (LGA)
Address
Dr. rer. nat. T. Gabrio
Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-Württemberg im
Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart
Nordbahnhofstraße 135
D–70191 Stuttgart
Email:
[email protected]
Citation
T. Gabrio and U. Weidner.Occurence and hygienic/allergological relevance of mould from point of view of the environmental medicine. 2018; 2: 10-16. doi: 10.5414/ALX01296E.
