The Growth of Aspergillus Niger on a Wood Based Material with 4 Types of Wall Finishing

Abstract

Buildings are a vital component in a human’s daily life. It provides shelter from the environment, weather and animals. Mold growth within the building might be caused by the moisture problems which directly act on it such as water leaks or indirect factor such as high humidity levels. This growth causes esthetic problems and deterioration of its wall coatings. Spores from the fungi also cause health problems to humans. The fungus species studied in this research is Aspergillus niger. The material is made of wood and its finishing is thick wallpaper, thin wallpaper, acrylic paint and glycerol based paint. ASTMD5590-00 standard was used to evaluate fungal growth and to determine if non antifungal agent was effective in inhibiting the amount of fungal growth on four types of wall finishing used on wooden walls. This research was conducted without using any antifungal agent. Highest percentage of growth of the fungi was found on acrylic paint, followed by glycerol based paint and thin wallpaper. Thick wall paper shows the least growth of fungi. The maximum growth is visible on day 12 which is more than 60% by all the wall finishing.