Finding Causes of Sick Building Syndrome.

• Position: Penicillium and Stachybotrys fungi - Brief Article

A study at Texas Tech Medical Center, Lubbock, has pinpointed two fungi as possible causes for sick building syndrome. The finding is a major step toward uncovering what causes breathing difficulties, headaches, flu-like symptoms, watering eyes, and allergic rhinitis.

Researchers Danny Cooley, William Wong, Cynthia Jumper, and David Straus analyzed the indoor and outdoor air quality of 48 U.S. school buildings where complaints had been made about air quality and respiratory problems were common. More than half of the school occupants who responded cited increased levels of respiratory infections such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, and even pneumonia.

In the complaint areas, two types of fungi--Penicillium and Stachybotrys--were significantly more common in indoor air and building surfaces. A high...