Mould and Microparticles

It is well known that when mould grows in buildings it produces spores and emits them into the indoor air.

Mould, however, can also emit very large numbers of microparticles, which are much smaller than spores. Because they are so small, these particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs and are the likely cause of many of the health issues experienced by people occupying damp and mouldy buildings.

Unfortunately, these particles cannot be identified by the traditional methods of mould testing.

A pilot project undertaken by HouseTest showed that microparticles from certain mould species tested contained DNA, which means that they can be detected using HouseTest’s DNA analysis.

Together with Anne Mette Madsen from The National Research Centre for The Working Environment, HouseTest is now analysing the DNA content of microparticles emitted from a large number of mould species in order to determine which of them can be detected using DNA analysis