White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is a pathogenic soybean fungus that can dramatically reduce yield. At the University of Iowa's Institute for Rural and Environmental Health, investigation is underway to determine the potential health effects of breathing
White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is a pathogenic soybean fungus that can dramatically reduce yield. At the University of Iowa's Institute for Rural and Environmental Health, investigation is underway to determine the potential health effects of breathing dusts generated while combining soybeans. Dusts generated on the farm are different from many other kinds of dusts in that they contain a variety of microorganisms, plant and insect allergens, and in some cases, chemical residues. Breathing these "organic dusts" provides an avenue for microorganisms and their products to enter the lungs where they can cause disease. Because white mold has emerged in Iowa within the past 6 years, its presence in organic dusts may represent a new health hazard to Iowa's farmers.
With funding from the Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, exposure levels to white mold and other agents were measured during the 1997 soybean harvest. Air samples were collected on 10 farms in northwestern Iowa in Clay County and on 8 farms in northeastern Iowa in Floyd and Mitchell counties. White mold was identified on 8 of the 18 farms studied (44 percent), with the major incidence being in northeastern Iow