Effects of a Novel

Compound on Fungal
Contamination
Estelle Levetin

Novel Compound

Composition not totally revealed

Described as Catalyst Altered Water
Dilute solution of electrolytes
Working name pH Balancer
Reported to inhibit mold and bacteria
and other beneficial effects
pH subsequently measured at 12.63

Other Compounds Tested

In addition to pH Balancer, we were

asked to test various amendments:

50/50 Solution
50/50 Plus Solution
pH Balancer Plus

Methods

Saturation experiments
Spore germination experiments
pH experiments
Pretreatment experiments
Spray application
Growth in liquid culture

Ceiling Tile Saturation

Soaking ceiling tile squares (CTS) in

50% and 100% solutions of pH
Balancer inhibited fungal growth

Growth of fungi on Ceiling Tile Squares

saturated with 100% solutions of test
compounds
Alternaria
alternata

Stachybotrys
chartarum

Cladosporium
cladosporoides

Aspergillus
versicolor

Penicillium
sp.

Mean colony diameter (cm)*

Solution
50/50
Solution

0.23

2.33

1.10

0.90

0.23

50/50 Plus
Solution

0.17

0.77

0.70

6+

6+

4.40

4.38

3.42

Control

*Although CTS are 6 cm in length and width, diagonal measurements are

approximately 8.5 cm.
Growth of the colony beyond 6 cm is indicated as 6+ in the table but plotted as 6.0 in
the graphs.

Growth of fungi on Ceiling Tile Squares saturated

with 100% solutions of test compounds
5-Feb

12-Feb

18-Feb

26-Feb

4-Mar

Mean colony diameter (cm)

Alternaria-Control

5.28

6.00

6+

6+

Alternaria-pH Bal

Alternaria-Bal PLUS

Stachybotrys-Control

2.87

4.77

5.72

6.00

Stachybotrys-pH Bal

Stachybotrys-Bal PLUS

Cladosporium-Control

1.57

2.23

3.13

3.90

Cladosporium-pH Bal

Cladosporium-Bal PLUS

Aspergillus-Control

1.33

2.13

2.90

3.60

Aspergillus-pH Bal

Aspergillus-Bal PLUS

Penicillium-Control

1.78

2.37

3.97

4.10

Penicillium-pH Bal

Penicillium-Bal PLUS

Sheetrock Saturation

Comparable experiments on
sheetrock squares produced very
different results

Growth of fungi on Sheetrock Squares saturated with

100% solutions of test compounds
21-Jan

28-Jan

4-Feb

11-Feb

18-Feb

Mean colony diameter (cm)

Alternaria-Control

2.60

3.82

5.20

5.93

Alternaria-pH Bal

2.17

4.23

4.70

4.92

Alternaria-Bal PLUS

1.92

4.00

4.70

5.17

Stachybotrys-Control

3.00

4.52

4.85

5.13

Stachybotrys-pH Bal

0.85

2.30

3.92

4.30

Stachybotrys-Bal PLUS

1.00

2.80

3.87

4.47

Cladosporium-Control

3.33

4.17

5.12

5.50

Cladosporium-pH Bal

1.07

1.30

1.87

2.13

Cladosporium-Bal PLUS

1.38

2.10

2.55

2.83

Aspergillus-Control

3.50

3.80

4.50

4.60

Aspergillus-pH Bal

1.83

2.13

2.78

3.07

Aspergillus-Bal PLUS

2.27

2.67

3.37

3.48

No inhibition on Sheetrock

Could gypsum interfere with pH

Balancer?
Gypsum (calcium sulfate) used as a
soil amendment for alkaline soils
Gypsum has a neutral pH but
significant buffering capacity and will
lower soil pH
pH Balancer has a pH of 12.63

Effect of pH Balancer on Spore Germination

pH of
Solution

Alternaria
alternata

Cladosporium
cladosporoides

Stachybotrys
chartarum

Aspergillus
versicolor

Control 1
100% MEB

5.19

90+

90

90+

90+

Control 2
50% water
50% MEB

5.18

90+

90

90+

90+

Control 3
75% water
25% MEB

5.13

90+

90

90+

90+

50% pH
Balancer
50% MEB

11.82

50

46.7

75% pH
Balancer
25% MEB

12.28

50% Balancer
Plus 50% MEB

11.80

32.3

5.7

75% Balancer
Plus 25% MEB

12.22

Solution

Is it only a pH effect?

Pre-treatment

Ceiling Tile Squares were soaked in pH

balancer and allowed to dry to simulate its
use in manufacturing
Tiles were stored for varying lengths of time
Tiles were later soaked with sterile distilled
water and inoculated with fungi
Pretreated tiles completely inhibited fungal
growth

Other experiments

Spray applications of pH Balancer

failed to inhibit actively growing fungi
on both substrates

Growth of various fungi (including

several plant pathogens) was
completely inhibited in liquid medium
(50% malt extract broth and 50% pH
Balancer)

Conclusion

pH Balancer inhibited fungal growth

on ceiling tiles
May be a useful addition to
manufacturing process
Other applications for pH Balancer
require further testing

Acknowledgements

Assistance of Claudia Owens, Laura

Wacker, and Christin Townsend is
greatly appreciated.