Summary

Many New Zealand homes are known to suffer from mould and dampness. This may pose a health hazard due to the production of fungal infections, or mycoses, but also due to the production of toxic chemicals known as mycotoxins. Mycotoxin exposure in humans is usually associated with contaminated foods, but can also occur through inhalation and dermal contact in mould contaminated indoor environments. Traditional methods for assessing human exposure to mycotoxins primarily focus on dietary exposure. This report assesses the feasibility of specifically assessing exposure to mycotoxins present in the indoor environment using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE).