In the book, The Autoimmune Solution, under “How to Test for Toxic Mold,” the author says to, “Check for a company that can do what is called and ERMI test, which specifically seeks the type of mold that releases mycotoxins.” This statement contains misinformation. The ERMI does not seek molds based on mycotoxins. Rather, the types of mold in an ERMI panel were chosen by the EPA based on their association with water damage and mold growth in buildings, not mycotoxins.
The author makes additional statements about mycotoxins and VOCs which are incorrect. This includes saying mycotoxins are volatile organic compounds given off by certain types of mold: “Certain types of mold give off gases known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Not all mold produce these toxins, but the ones that do are obviously of a high concern.”
Rather, the following are true:
- Mycotoxins are not volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are compounds which readily off-gas (evaporate) at room temperature. If mycotoxins were VOCs they would evaporate.
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Mycotoxins are secondary, non-enzymic metabolites. These secondary metabolites are not required for growth. (Reference “Mycotoxins.” J.W. Bennett and M. Klich. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, July 2003, p. 497-516.) The significance of this is that a mold considered to be toxic by those who consider only certain types of mold to be toxic, any of those mold may or may not contain mycotoxins at any given time.
- All molds are capable of producing mycotoxins. Alternaria is an example of a common mold considered allergenic, not toxic, that in fact is capable of producing mycotoxins. The species Alternaria alternata produces tenuazonic acid, a “important mycotoxin.” (Introduction to Food and Airborne Fungi. Sixth Edition. Robert A. Samson, Et al., 2000.)
- Another example of a common mold capable of producing mycotoxins is Cladosporium, capable of producing the mycotoxin Cladosporin used in products to treat Athlete's foot. (Table 24.1 Some Common Fungi, Mycotoxins. Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control.)
- All molds produce VOCs as part of their normal metabolisms.
- The VOCS produced by organisms associated with water damage are referred to as microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Bacterial and other organisms in addition to mold produce mVOCs / VOCS.
- It is not possible for a lab to distinguish the mVOCs and VOCs produced by mold from those from other sources, including but not limited to, bacteria, non-fungal and bacterium microorganisms, building materials, and contents (personal belongings).
- There are laboratories that claim to be able to test a home for mVOCs and report if there is mold or not based on the results. The results of such tests are not accurate. Other sources emit the same VOCs, resulting in false-positives. The lab does not test for all of the mVOCS a mold is capable of producing, something that can result in false-negatives. I know this from experience . I’ve had both false positives (there was no mold - the source of VOCS was the contents of the homeowner) and false negatives (there was mold and the test looked perfect.) After two such cases I stopped using the mVOC test to test for mold. I’m sure the same applies to mold-sniffing dogs - there are things that smell as mold that are not mold; and mold can be present when it doesn’t smell like a dog is trained to think it should smell if mold were present.