Abstract
Mycotoxins are defined as the secondary metabolites of certain moulds and are toxic to vertebrates (warm-blooded). Their chemical nature is rather variable, non-proteinal and nonvolatile. Primarily, they contaminate plants, and through them, they reach animals and their products. The mycotoxins represent serious health risks for consumers, including genotoxic effect leading to mycotoxicosis, an ill health status. The hygienic limits for mycotoxins in foods and feeds are set legislatively all over the world. The adverse biological effects can be caused by the inhalation of a mycotoxin dose at a minimum level that is one tenth of the elementary one. Mostly, aflatoxins, ochratoxins, Fusarium mycotoxins and stachybotryotoxins have been identified in the air of occupational and dwelling environments so far. The precise measurements remain limited due to lack of sensitive and accurate methods of detection. The immunosuppressive, haematotoxic, cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of the complex mixtures of toxicants produced by Aspergillus versicolor and Stachybotrys chartarum of indoor origin have been discussed in this chapter. Complex toxic fungal metabolites break down the self-cleaning mechanism of the airways, induce systemic damages and are enhanced by simultaneous action of other indoor contaminants (cigarette smoke). They can finally result in the ill health of occupants of damp mouldy dwellings, starting with respiratory disorders and probably culminating in general intoxication especially in children with burning metabolism.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
WHO (2001) Safety evaluation of certain mycotoxins in food. WHO food additives series 47. FAO food and nutrition paper 74. WHO, Geneva
Berthiller F, Crews C, Dall´Asta C et al (2013) Masked mycotoxins: a review. Mol Nutr Food Res 57:165–186
Samson RA, Visagie CM, Houbraken J et al (2014) Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus. Stud Mycol 78:141–173
Yu J, Chang PK, Ehrlich KC et al (2004) Clustered pathway genes in aflatoxin biosynthesis. Appl Environ Microbiol 70:1253–1262
Perry LP, Iwata M, Tazelaar HD et al (1998) Pulmonary mycotoxicosis: a clinicopathological study of three cases. Modern Pathol 11:432–436
Kuhn DM, Ghannoum MA (2003) Indoor mold, toxigenic fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: Infectious disease perspective. Clin Microbiol Rev 16:144–172
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (2003) Mycotoxins. Task Force Report 139. Risks in plant, animal and human systems. Iowa, USA
Mayer Z, Bagnara A, Färber P et al (2003) Quantification of the copy number of nor-1, a gene of the aflatoxin biosynthetic 555 pathway by real-time PCR, and its correlation to the CFU of Aspergillus flavus in foods. Int J Food Microbiol 82:143–151
Alborch L, Bragulat MR, Abarca ML et al (2011) Effect of water activity, temperature and incubation time on growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius on maize kernels. Int J Food Microbiol 147:53–57
Andersen B, Nielsen KF, Jarvis B (2002) Characterisation of morphologically, chemically and physiologically different Stachybotrys species from water-damaged buildings. Mycologia 94:392–403
Nielsen KF, Hansen MO, Larsen TO et al (1998a) Production of trichothecene mycotoxins on water damaged gypsum boards in Danish buildings. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 42:1–7
Piecková E, Pivovarová Z, Hurbánková M et al (2004) Indoor Stachybotrys chartarum and its toxicity. In: Petráš D, Feketeová M, Šabíková J (eds) Indoor climate of buildings ´04: Health, comfort and safety by operation of HVAC-R system. Slovak Soc Environ Technol, Bratislava, pp 167–171
Ren P, Ahearn DG, Crow SA Jr (1998) Mycotoxins of Alternaria alternata produced on ceiling tiles. J Indust Microbiol Biotechnol 20:53–54
Viegas S, Veíga L, Figueredo P et al (2013) Occupational exposure to aflatoxin B1 in swine production and possible contamination sources. J Toxicol Environ Health 76:944–951
McCormick A, Loeffler L, Ebel F (2010) Aspergillus fumigatus: contours of an opportunistic human pathogenic. Cell Microbiol 12:1535–1543
Stanzani M, Orciuolo E, Lewis R et al (2005) Aspergillus fumigatus suppresses the human cellular immune response via gliotoxin-mediated apoptosis of monocytes. Blood 105:2258–2264
Lewis R, Wiederhold N, Lionakis M et al (2005) Frequency and species distribution of gliotoxin-producing Aspergillus isolates recovered from patients at a tertiary-care cancer center. J Clin Microbiol 61:6120–6122
Kupfahl C, Geginat G, Hof H (2006) Gliotoxin-mediated suppression of innate and adaptive immune functions directed against Listeria monocytogenes. Med Mycol 44:591–599
Ramos C, Martínez S, Olivares R (2002) Gliotoxin production in 10 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from clinical cases. Téc Pecu Méx 40:139–148
Domingo J, Nadal M (2009) Domestic waste composting facilities: a review of human health risks. Environ Int 35:382–389
dos Santos VM, Dorner JW, Carreira F (2003) Isolation and toxigenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus from moldy silage. Mycopathologia 156:133–138
El-Shanawany AA, Mostafa ME, Barakat A (2005) Fungal populations and mycotoxins in silage in Assiut and Sohag governorates in Egypt, with a special reference to characteristic Aspergilli toxins. Mycopathologia 159:281–289
Gravesen S, Frisvad JC, Samson RA (1994) Microfungi. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, p 168
Nielsen KF, Thrane U, Larsen TO et al (1998b) Production of mycotoxins on artificially inoculated building materials. Int Biodeter Biodeg 42:9–16
Gravesen S, Nielsen PA, Iversen R et al (1999) Microfungal contamination of damp buildings–examples of risk constructions and risk materials. Environ Health Perspect 107:505–508
Wilkins K, Piecková E (2002) Detection of ciliostatic activity in fungal growth on building materials. Environ Sci Pollut Res 9:105–106
Jesenská Z, Bernát D (1994) Efects of mycotoxins on in vitro movement of tracheal cilia from one-day-old chicks. Folia Microbiol 39:155–158
Piecková E (2003) In vitro toxicity of indoor Chaetomium Kunze ex Fr. Ann Agric Environ Med 10:9–14
Piecková E, Jesenská Z (1998) Molds on house walls and the effect of their chloroform-extractable metabolites on the respiratory cilia movement on one-day-old chicks in vitro. Folia Microbiol 43:672–678
Kováčiková Z, Piecková E, Tátrai E et al (2007) Use of the in vitro model for the evaluation of toxic effects of metabolites produced by fungi. In: Brebbia CA (ed) Environmental health risk IV. WitPress, Southampton, pp 79–84
Kováčiková Z, Tátrai E, Piecková E et al (2008) In vitro toxicity of indoor fungi from dwellings in Slovakia: testing on the isolated lung cells. In: Kungolos AG, Brebbia CA, Zamorano M (eds) Environmental toxicology II. WitPress, Southampton, pp 211–218
Piecková E, Kolláriková Z (2008) In vitro toxicity of indoor moulds from Slovak dwellings. In: Kungolos AG, Brebbia CA, Zamorano M (eds) Environmental toxicology II. WitPress, Southampton, pp 227–234
Larsen FO, Clementsen P, Hansen M et al (1998) Volatile organic compounds from the indoor mould Trichoderma viride cause histamine release from human bronchoalveolar cells. Inflamm Res 47:S5–S6
Korpi A, Pasanen AL, Pasanen P et al (1997) Microbial growth and metabolism in house dust. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 40:19–27
Piecková E, Pivovarová Z, Sternová Z et al (2007) Building materials vs fungal colonization – model experiments. In: Brebbia CA (ed) Environmental health risk IV. WitPress, Southampton, pp 71–78
Kováčiková Z, Tátrai E, Piecková E et al (2007) An in vitro study of the toxic effects of Stachybotrys chartarum metabolites on lung cells. ATLA 1:47–52
Piecková E (2015) Domestic environment–indoor mycobiota as a public health risk factor. In: Viegas C, Pinheiro C, Sabino R, Viegas S et al (eds) Environmental mycology in public health. Fungi and mycotoxins risk assessment and management. Elsevier–AP, London, pp 129–146
Hendry KM, Cole EC (1993) A review of mycotoxins in indoor air. J Toxicol Environ Health 38:161–182
Piecková E (2017) Indoor microbial aerosol and its health effects: Microbial exposure in public buildings–viruses, bacteria, and fungi. In: Viegas C, Viegas S, Gomes AQ, Täubel M, Sabino R (eds) Exposure to microbial agents in indoor and occupational environments. Springer, Cham, pp 237–252
Scott PM (2005) Biomarkers of human exposure to ochratoxin A. Food Addit Contam 22:S99–S107
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Piecková, E. (2019). Mycotoxins and Their Inhalatory Intake Risk. In: Singh, K., Srivastava, N. (eds) Recent Trends in Human and Animal Mycology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9435-5_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9435-5_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-9434-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9435-5
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)