Fungus-Detekt

Development of an innovative detection system to identify and quantify mould in indoor air

This project aims to develop an innovative detection system to identify and quantify mould pollution in indoor air.

In tandem with its partners from Bremen University’s departments for general and theoretical ecology and chemical process engineering, Bremer Umweltinstitut (Bremen Environmental Institute) aims to develop a prototype to measure the microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted by dampness or mould in a manner that maps the measurements online.

The IMS analysis system is to work in combination with software-based pattern recognition using hand-held equipment to identify MVOC patterns in indoor spaces.

This system is intended to replace the established but slow MVOC analytical methods which are generally used as reference methods in the Bremer Umweltinstitut and the Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology (each of which uses different methods). The aim is to establish the data basis for a mass-produced product which, in addition to the indoor space environment taken as an example here, can also be used in technical and industrial manufacturing sectors.

The project is financed with funding from the European Union and the State of Bremen – by the Senator for Climate Change Mitigation, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing Construction under the Applied Environmental Research funding programme.