Methods of mycological analysis in buildings

Due to their properties and common occurrence, fungi constitute the most frequent cause of biodeterioration of building materials and a serious health hazard to occupants. The authors present the methods of mycological analysis used to assess contamination caused by moulds and their metabolites in buildings. The article focuses on culture-based methods for analysing mould activity in dividing walls and indoor air. The article also covers chemical methods for the determination of, e.g., ergosterol, volatile mould metabolites, as well as toxicity in buildings based on mycotoxin and cytotoxicity evaluation in MTT assays. In order to estimate the degree of mould contamination or activity as well as health hazard, several complementary methods should be applied. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.