A Water-Damaged Home and Health of Occupants: A Case Study

Table 3

This table summarizes the bacteria and endotoxins identified in various bulk samples taken from the home (EMSL Method M009) and by RealTime Laboratories (RTL), Dallas, TX.

(a)

Sample	Sample #	Media	Temp (°C)	Analytical sensitivity CFU/g	Bacteria	Colony count	CFU/g
Plastic sheeting, crawl space	#34	SBA	35	98.000	Bacillus sp; Streptomyces sp.; Actinomycetes	25	2.450.000
Moist gravel, crawl space	#27	SBA^1	35	885	B. megaterium; Bacillus sp.; Total	10; 7; 17	8.850; 6.190; 15.000
Moist dirt, crawl space	#28	SBA^1	35	8130	B. megaterium; Bacillus sp.; Total	4; 6; 10	32.500; 48.800; 81.300
Swab of wood, crawl space	#25	SBA^2	35	10.000	Microbacterium hominis; Staphylococcus sp (not aureus); Total	972; 2; 974	9.720.000; 20.000; 9.740.000
Dirt crawl space	#28	Blood Agar	35^3	—	Bacillus sp.; Proteus sp; Pseudomonas sp.	TNC^4	TNC^4
Gravel, crawl space	#27	Blood Agar	35^3	—	Bacillus sp.; Proteus sp.; Pseudomonas sp.	TNC^4	TNC^4
Sandal, under master bed	#36	Blood Agar	35^3	—	Bacillus sp.; Proteus sp.; Pseudomonas sp.	TNC^4	TNC^4

(b)

Endotoxins	Sample #	Sample type	Location	Concentration (EU/Swab)^5
	#3	Swab	J-Tube, Under Sink	4930
	#4	Swab	Top, Kitchen Cabinet	24.800
	Blank	Swab	Field Blank	None Detected
	Blank	Swab	Lab Blank	None Detected

¹These samples were tested to determine the major species of Bacillus.
²This sample was tested for Actinomycetes because of white mycelia type growth on wood truss.
³These samples were tested by RealTime Laboratories for the presence of bacteria species on samples tested for mycotoxins.
⁴CFU was not determined. TNTC: too numerous to count.
⁵Endotoxins were analyzed by ESML using LAL Kinetic Chromogenic Assay.