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Mitigating indoor air quality risks from Cladosporium sphaerospermum-induced biodeterioration of oil-based paints using silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles

Research Abstract

Indoor air quality is significantly compromised by the biodeterioration of building materials, such as oil-based paints, which facilitates the release of fungal bioaerosols posing health risks to occupants. This study examines the role of Cladosporium sphaerospermum as a key airborne contaminant in paint degradation and evaluates metal nanoparticles as antimicrobial additives to mitigate associated bioaerosol emissions. Cladosporium sphaerospermum was isolated from deteriorated oil-based paint samples and identified via phenotypic and genotypic analyses. Microscopic evaluations, including stereomicroscopy, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confirmed its primary involvement in paint degradation through surface invasion and colonization. The fungus displayed robust lipase and urease activities, with specific activities of 43.2 and 824 units per milligram protein, respectively

Research Authors
Ismail R Abdel-Rahim, Nivien A Nafady, Magdy MK Bagy, Ahmad M Abd-Alkader, Mohamed Hemida Abd-Alla
Research Date
Research Journal
Aerobiologia
Research Pages
12
Research Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Research Rank
Q2
Research Vol
42
Research Year
2026