Mycotoxins of Aspergillus fumigatus in pure culture and in native bioaerosols from compost facilities.

Exposure to secondary metabolites of airborne fungi in waste handling facil ities is discussed in regard to potential toxic impacts on human health. Th e relevance of mycotoxins has been intensely studied in connection with con tamination of food and feed. Toxic secondary metabolites are expected to be present in airborne spores, but exposure to mycotoxins in bioaerosols has not been studied sufficiently. Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most fre quent species in the air of compost plants. A wide range of secondary metab olites was found in pure cultures of freshly isolated strains of A. fumigat us. Tryptoquivaline, a compound with tremorgenic properties, and trypacidin , for which no toxic properties are described, were found in native bioaero sols in a compost facility. The highly toxic metabolites gliotoxin and verr uculogen were not found in the bioaerosols. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved