Wallpaper may contribute to sick building syndrome, a new study suggests.
Toxins from fungus growing on wallpaper can easily become airborne and pose an indoor health risk, the researchers said.
In laboratory tests, “we demonstrated that mycotoxins could be transferred from a moldy material to air, under conditions that may be encountered in buildings,” said study corresponding author Dr. Jean-Denis Bailly.
“Thus, mycotoxins can be inhaled and should be investigated as parameters of indoor air quality, especially in homes with visible fungal contamination,” added Bailly, a professor of food hygiene at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse, France.
Sick building syndrome is the term used when occupants start feeling ill related to time spent in a particular building. Usually, no specific illnessor cause can be identified, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
For the study, the researchers simulated airflow over a piece of wallpaper contaminated with three species of fungus often found indoors.
“Most of the airborne toxins are likely to be located on fungal spores, but we also demonstrated that part of the toxic load was found on very small particles — dust or tiny fragments of wallpaper, that could be easily inhaled,” said Bailly.
Mycotoxins are better known for their occurrence in food. But “the presence of mycotoxins in indoors should be taken into consideration as an important parameter of air quality,” he said.
The study was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Creating an increasingly energy-efficient home may aggravate the problem, Bailly and his colleagues said.
Related Posts
Such homes “are strongly isolated from the outside to save energy,” but various water-using appliances such as coffee makers “could lead to favorable conditions for fungal growth,” Bailly explained in a society news release.
Post Disclaimer
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information herein on this entire blog site is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how they may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to discuss the subject matter above further, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Graduate with Honors: ICHS: MSN-FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Degree Granted. Masters in Family Practice MSN Diploma (Cum Laude)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, MSN-FNP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card
