Researchers examined the filling of ten pillows which had been used from one and a half and up to twenty years. They found thousands of spores in every gram of pillow filling. The number of species of fungus varied between four and sixteen. The highest number was found in pillows with synthetic filling.
The most dominant species of fungus was Aspergillus fumigatus, which seems to thrive best in pillows with synthetic filling, but there was also found mould, which is normally observed on old bread, in spots of wine and on the walls of bathrooms.
A Miniature Ecosystem
It is already known that house-dust mites live in pillows. House-dust mites eat our rejected skin flakes, but they also eat fungus. One theory is that the fungus benefits from the house-dust mites' excrements, which may provide them with a supplement of nitrogen and nutrition in such a way that it constitutes a miniature ecosystem.
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus fumigatus is a very common fungus. Its spores are airborne. It can be found in basements, flowerpot humus, compost, even in computers, in ground pepper and spices. In humans it mainly attacks lungs and sinuses in persons with a weakened immune system. Those especially vulnerable are therefore persons who have received an organ transplant, AIDS-patients and patients who receive hormonal treatment. Persons who have suffered from asthma for many years may experience a worsening of their symptoms, just as persons with damaged lungs after tuberculosis may have their health deteriorate further and may experience bleeding in the lungs.
Since we spend a third of our lives in bed, it may be a good idea to think about the condition of our pillows.
