Stachybotrys chartarum

''Stachybotrys chartarum'' (, ), also known as black mold is a species of microfungus that produces its conidia in slime heads.

Because of misinformation, ''S. chartarum'' has been inappropriately referred to as toxic mold. A variety of health problems have been misattributed to ''S. chartarum''.

Taxonomy

The fungus was originally described scientifically in 1818 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as a member of the genus '' Stilbospora''. His diagnosis emphasized the form of the spores, which he described as minute, sub-opaque, ovate, and agglomerated into subconcentric, water-soluble irregular clusters. He noted that the fungus adheres to paper, sometimes forming circles dotted with black. Stanley Hughes transferred the taxon to '' Stachybotrys'' in 1958. This genus was circumscribed in 1832 by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda, with ''Stachybotrys atra'' assigned as its type species. The species concept of ''Stachybotrys chartarum'' has been controversial, as several studies showed that there were several closely related species and cryptic species all under this name.

There are two chemotypes in ''S. chartarum'', one that produces trichothecene mycotoxins such as satratoxin H and one that produces atranones.

Habitat

''S. chartarum'' is a slow-growing mold that does not compete well with other molds. It is only rarely found in nature, sometimes being found in soil and grain, but is most often detected in cellulose-rich building materials, such as gypsum-based drywall and wallpaper from damp or water-damaged buildings. It occasionally encounters human habitats with large amounts of cellulose, large temperature fluctuations, low nitrogen, no other molds, no sunlight, and ample constant humidity. The spores are released into the air when the mold is mechanically disturbed, particularly when wet. It is considered an uncommon contaminant of most indoor air.

Not all strains of ''S. chartarum'' produce mycotoxins, and under certain conditions some of these may gradually lose the ability to produce such toxins. The presence of high indoor humidity does not imply that mycotoxin-producing ''S. chartarum'' is also present.

Potential toxicity

Claims of health problems in humans and animals related to this mold have been made since the 1930s. More recently, ''S. chartarum'' has been linked with so-called sick building syndrome. However, the link has not been firmly established in the scientific literature.

In 1994 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asserted that a number of infants in Cleveland, Ohio became sick, and some died from acute idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (AIPH) following exposure to unusually high levels of ''S. chartarum'' spores. A subsequent review done by the CDC found the previous investigation incorrectly analyzed data, and there was no evidence directly linking ''S. chartarum'' to AIPH. This was further supported by a lack of ''S. chartarum'' in a similar cluster of infant AIPH that occurred in Chicago, Illinois.

See also

* Bioaerosol
* Mold growth, assessment, and remediation
* Mold health issues

References

Further reading

*
*
*

External links

*
*
*

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2069249

Stachybotryaceae
Fungi described in 1818
Taxa named by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
Building biology
Fungus species