ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI GROWING ON FIBRE HEMP SHIVE BASED THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS

Abstract

Green thermal insulation materials are ecological materials with hemp, linen, jute, wood waste, maize starch, and other types of waste added to polymer-based composites. Such kind of materials are susceptible to the microbial action which can lead to changes of physico-chemical properties of materials, their destruction and also health problems in humans. Here, we isolated and identified several fungal strains that grow on fibre hemp shive based materials. Three isolates were identified as belonging to Trichoderma (Hypocrea) genus. Our further experiments will be concentrated on the monitoring of growth of newly isolated fungi on and/or inside the materials of interest, isolation and characterisation of the hydrolytic enzymes as well as following the mode of material destruction caused by the fungal growth.