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The growth of indoor molds and their resulting products (e.g., spores and mycotoxins) can present health hazards for human beings. The efficacy of chlorine dioxide gas as a fumigation treatment for inactivating sick building syndrome-related fungi and their mycotoxins was evaluated. Filter papers (15 per organism) featuring growth of Stachybotrys chartarum , Chaetomium globosum , Penicillium chrysogenum , and Cladosporium cladosporioides were placed in gas chambers containing chlorine dioxide gas at either 500 or 1,000 ppm for 24 h. C. globosum was exposed to the gas both as colonies and as ascospores without asci and perithecia. After treatment, all organisms were tested for colony growth using an agar plating technique. Colonies of S. chartarum were also tested for toxicity using a yeast toxicity assay with a high specificity for trichothecene mycotoxins. Results showed that chlorine dioxide gas at both concentrations completely inactivated all organisms except for C. globosum colonies which were inactivated an average of 89%. More than 99% of ascospores of C. globosum were nonculturable. For all ascospore counts, mean test readings were lower than the controls ( P < 0.001), indicating that some ascospores may also have been destroyed. Colonies of S. chartarum were still toxic after treatment. These data show that chlorine dioxide gas can be effective to a degree as a fumigant for the inactivation of certain fungal colonies, that the perithecia of C. globosum can play a slightly protective role for the ascospores and that S. chartarum , while affected by the fumigation treatment, still remains toxic.

The Raman spectra of liquid and solid methyltriiodogermane [CH 3 GeI 3 ] and perdeuteromethyltriiodogermane [CD 3 GeI 3 ] have been recorded. The infrared spectra of the liquids were recorded from 33–4000 cm −1 . The spectra have been interpreted in detail and all twelve normal vibrations have been assigned for these molecules of C 3 v symmetry. The interesting torsional mode was observed at 123 cm −1 for the “light” molecule. The threefold barrier restricting rotation was calculated to be 1.1 kcal/mole. The assignments are tabulated and discussed in detail. The valence force field model has been utilized in calculating the frequencies and potential energy distribution for the molecules, and the results support the assignment presented. The force constants obtained in this study are consistent with those previously reported for other halo- and organogermanium compounds.