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Spalted Wood

The fungi that caused the spalting need moisture and oxegen to live under 20% moisture they die and the finish should cut off any oxegen.Without those 2 things fungi can not live.
 
bill easterling said:
I turned a salad bowl out of spalted elm and finished it with salad bowl finish
Is it safe to eat out of?
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Probably. The fungi were producing toxins against each other and bacteria while eating the wood, so people sensitive to similar antibiotics could be sensitive to residual toxins. Good finish, and no liquid laying/leaching should make sure the risk is further minimized to those not known to be sensitive. Say the risk of being hit by an asteroid while dining, rather than simply by lightning.
 
If I remember correctly from microbiology, the spores from the fungi can live on for a LONG time after the active fungal infection is dead. The danger comes not from eating out of the bowl (especially when covered in finish), but in breathing the dust from sanding the bowl into your lungs (warm & wet, and a good place for the spores to find new life).
 
Nate Hawkes said:
If I remember correctly from microbiology, the spores from the fungi can live on for a LONG time after the active fungal infection is dead. The danger comes not from eating out of the bowl (especially when covered in finish), but in breathing the dust from sanding the bowl into your lungs (warm & wet, and a good place for the spores to find new life).
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Lipids in animal tissue are very different from cellulose in wood. What eats one doesn't the other.

Evolution being the rigorous process it is, there would be little decay in the woods if the spores of decay were in the wood where they had to release when someone started sanding or cutting the wood. If, on the other hand, the spores were produced by the fruiting bodies under or outside the bark where they could release them into the air they'd be everywhere. 🙂
 
My professor thought differently, as do several articles I've read about the potential pathogenicity of wood fungi. Though many aren't dangerous, some are quite dangerous. I'm no mycologist, but the information is out there. As to the spore distribution in wood, not every fungal species produces big obvious fruiting bodies. I know that some species can produce spores on the hyphae, and as long as there is oxygen available, they can produce spores, which would extend into the sapwood. Plus, cutting a log with a chainsaw or turning is going to spread the spores all over the place, onto the surface of the wood, in the air, etc.
 
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