The filamentous (mould) fungi belonging to Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes group are an cosmopolitan organisms which attacks wooden elements disfiguring them, dropping their value and causing environmental and health hazard. The fungi in a short time cause mainly disfigurement of wood does not effect on strength properties of wood, but with strong prolongation of duration of conditions favourable for their growth, some of them may cause even soft rot of lignocelluloses materials. The using of fungicides is one of the easiest methods to protect wood and other susceptible wood-based materials against mould fungi attack. So, good recognition of natural or given resistance of wood to mould fungi may be regard as important matter. There are some, mainly descriptive, laboratory methods for susceptibility of wood to mould fungi attack determining, however there are not European standards concerning the method. The aim of the research was an attempt of comparison of standard visual grading of mould fungi growth on wood surface with results of instrumental measuring of changes in wood colour and ergosterol content in wood resulting from the fungi growth. The samples of natural and treated with a model wood preservative Scots pine sapwood were the examples of tested materials. The test and control samples were exposed to the individual fungi: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, Paecilomyces variotti, Trichoderma viride, and Alternaria tenuis, and their Mixture (Set I) or set II: Chaetomium globosum fungus. It was observed that results of determinations of ergosterol concentration, seems to be between used methods more detailed and to show even greater differentiation of wood infestation grades than the evaluation based on the descriptive methods. The evaluation of wood infestation by fungi which was based on the measurements of colour changes of wood surface were also more detailed as visually evaluation, but the differentiation of wood infestation grades was not so distinct. The results of the instrumental measurement of the growth of mould fungi on wood may be considered at the moment as supplement to descriptive evaluations expressed in grades of fungi growth. Ergosterol content determination after further investigations may be an alternative to descriptive evaluations.

Download document (498 kb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document