« Previous AbstractGeographical discrimination of Chinese winter wheat using volatile compound analysis by HS-SPME/GC-MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis    Next AbstractMethyl benzoate as a marker for the detection of mold in indoor building materials »

Indoor Air

Title:		Determination of microbial volatile organic compounds adsorbed on house dust particles and gypsum board using SPME/GC-MS
Author(s):		Wady L; Larsson L;
Address:		"Department of Medical Microbiology, Dermatology and Infection, Lund University, Sweden"
Journal Title:		Indoor Air
Year:		2005
Volume:		15 Suppl 9
Issue:
Page Number:		27 - 32
DOI:		10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00293.x
ISSN/ISBN:		0905-6947 (Print) 0905-6947 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Adsorption of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) on house dust was analyzed by performing solid phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Settled dust samples were exposed to five selected MVOCs and to cultures of the molds Stachybotrus chartarum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Chaetomium globosum. Considerable desorption of the MVOCs adsorbed on the dust occurred spontaneously within a few hours at room temperature and within several days or weeks after storage at -20 degrees or -80 degrees C. Similar results were found for a sample of a gypsum board cultivated with A. versicolor. SPME/GC-MS analysis performed immediately after sampling revealed several of the studied MVOCs on gypsum board and settled dust collected in a house garage with visible mold growth. MVOCs adsorbed on respirable particles of house dust can be inhaled and reach deep into the respiratory system, which may partly explain health effects that have been found to be associated with the presence of low concentrations of MVOCs in air. Particle-bound MVOCs can easily be detected by SPME/GC-MS analysis, thus this technique may prove to be very useful in indoor air research for identifying factors that affect human health. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: We used SPME combined with GC-MS to study the adsorption and desorption of MVOCs on house dust particles that had been exposed to cultivated molds and molds in a damp building. Adsorbed MVOCs desorb spontaneously but this process can be slowed down by storing samples at -20 degrees or -80 degrees C. This opens up a possibility to apply SPME/GC-MS to reveal mold growth in buildings and to determine MVOCs in respirable dust particles that may reach deep in the respiratory system and lead to respiratory illnesses"
Keywords:		"*Air Microbiology Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis Aspergillus/chemistry Calcium Sulfate/*analysis Chaetomium/chemistry Dust/*analysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods Housing Humans Microchemistry/methods Organic Chemicals/*analysis Stachybotr;"
Notes:		"MedlineWady, L Larsson, L eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2005/06/16 Indoor Air. 2005; 15 Suppl 9:27-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00293.x"