2004 Research Highlights

Designing Mold Inhibitors for Interior Use »

Concerns about indoor air quality due to mold growth have increased dramatically in the United States. In the absence of proper moisture management, fungicides need to be developed that are safe for indoor use on cellulose-based building materials to add protection from mold. The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, is addressing this important issue by using compounds that are known as effective mold inhibitors in other applications, such as the agricultural or pharmaceutical industry, to design mold inhibitors that are safe for use indoors. This technology aims to improve the durability and environmental performance of our Nation’s housing.

On June 10, 2004, Carol Clausen and Vina Yang, Microbiologists, will present their research results before an international audience at the annual conference of the International Research Group on Wood Preservation in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Clausen and Yang have recently designed several combinations of ingredients that inhibit common mold fungi.

Mold growth on gypsum board. Photo by Advanced Energy, Raleigh , NC

Key ingredients include boric acid, a well known wood preservative and insecticide, a quaternary amine compound, specific azole compounds, and thujaplicin, an extract from Western Red Cedar. These ingredients effectively inhibit molds on wood at lower concentrations when used in combination than when tested alone. Mold inhibitors applied to the surface or incorporated into cellulose-based building materials provide protection from mold establishment.