Beyond the ERMI 36 · 18 species
Extended mold species beyond the standard panel.
Several commercial dust testing labs offer panels that add species beyond the EPA's standard 36-species ERMI. The species below address the most consequential gaps, three major mycotoxin families whose producer organisms aren't on the standard panel, and two of the most reliable building-moisture indicators in indoor mycology.
Each profile covers the species’ biology, mycotoxin production, moisture requirements (water activity, Aw), and lab availability. No national reference distribution exists for these species; interpretation is qualitative.
Xerophilic: Aw < 0.80
Primary colonizers. Grow in low-moisture conditions where most molds cannot establish. Detection often signals chronic humidity rather than active water damage.
Aspergillus terreus
Aw ≥ 0.78·Primary colonizer
Cosmopolitan thermotolerant Aspergillus often found on potted-plant soil and in HVAC dust. Produces citrinin and (some strains) gliotoxin.
Read profile →Aspergillus nidulans
Aw ≥ 0.78·Primary colonizer
Sterigmatocystin producer of section Nidulantes. The teleomorph (sexual stage) is Emericella nidulans; the canonical model organism for filamentous fungal biology.
Read profile →Penicillium decumbens
Aw ≥ 0.79·Primary colonizer
Cellulolytic Penicillium of industrial paper-pulp interest. Common soil isolate; occasional indoor dust detections.
Read profile →Penicillium oxalicum
Aw ≥ 0.79·Primary colonizer
Common soil saprophyte and substrate generalist. Produces secalonic acid D, a teratogenic toxin not common in modern indoor exposure scenarios.
Read profile →Mesophilic: Aw 0.80–0.89
Secondary colonizers. Grow on damp surfaces typical of condensation and freshly damp materials. Detection often points to intermittent or recent moisture events.
Aspergillus parasiticus
Aw ≥ 0.80·Secondary colonizer
Soil and grain-associated Aspergillus that produces the full aflatoxin set (B1, B2, G1, G2). Closely related to A. flavus and offered by several labs as an extended-panel add-on.
Read profile →Fusarium species
Aw ≥ 0.87·Secondary colonizer
Soil and plant-pathogen genus whose indoor presence indicates water damage on carpets, drywall, or HVAC. Source of fumonisins, trichothecenes (T-2/HT-2/DON), and zearalenone depending on species.
Read profile →Penicillium aurantiogriseum and P. viridicatum
Aw ≥ 0.80·Secondary colonizer
Cool-storage cereal colonizers and the historical Penicillium ochratoxin A route before P. verrucosum was distinguished in the 1980s.
Read profile →Penicillium expansum
Aw ≥ 0.83·Secondary colonizer
Postharvest 'blue mold' of apples and pears; documented indoors on gypsum board emitting patulin and chaetoglobosin guttation droplets.
Read profile →Penicillium citrinum
Aw ≥ 0.80·Secondary colonizer
Among the most ubiquitous Penicillia globally. Named for citrinin production; very common indoor isolate.
Read profile →Penicillium roqueforti
Aw ≥ 0.83·Secondary colonizer
Commercial blue-cheese starter culture and weak-acid-tolerant cereal spoilage species. Documented mycophenolic acid producer in moisture-damaged buildings.
Read profile →Penicillium citreonigrum
Aw ≥ 0.80·Secondary colonizer
Stored-grain Penicillium offered on extended panels for taxonomic completeness. Citreoviridin producer; limited modern indoor relevance.
Read profile →Aspergillus carbonarius
Aw ≥ 0.82·Secondary colonizer
Major ochratoxin A producer of wine grapes and dried fruits. Black Aspergillus section Nigri; offered on extended panels to fill the OTA producer gap left by the standard 36.
Read profile →Penicillium sclerotiorum
Aw ≥ 0.81·Secondary colonizer
Pigmented Penicillium producing sclerotiorin and related azaphilones. Soil and decaying-plant generalist; uncommon indoor isolate.
Read profile →Ulocladium botrytis
Aw ≥ 0.88·Secondary colonizer
Water-damage indicator closely related to U. chartarum. Strong substrate association with damp wallpaper, painted drywall, and textiles.
Read profile →Hydrophilic: Aw ≥ 0.90
Tertiary colonizers. Require sustained wetness on cellulose-containing or organic materials. Detection signals more than elevated humidity.
Cardinal Aw not published
Species for which formal cardinal water-activity values are not established in the indoor mycology literature.
Memnoniella echinata
Aw –
Stachybotrys's closest cellulose-degrading relative. Co-occurs with S. chartarum on wet drywall; produces simple trichothecenes (trichodermin, trichodermol) and griseofulvins.
Read profile →Aspergillus flavipes
Aw –
Section Flavipedes Aspergillus offered on extended panels. Limited indoor mycology literature; soil and stored-grain isolates dominate.
Read profile →Aspergillus puniceus
Aw –
Section Usti Aspergillus offered on extended panels. Limited indoor mycology literature; soil and decaying plant substrates dominate.
Read profile →Methodology anchor
Why these species aren't on the standard ERMI in the first place, and why a detectable level on a current dust test is meaningful relative to the EPA's national reference baseline.
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