Testing your House for Mold
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Mold is everywhere. It is in the air outside, on the leaves on the ground, on the drywall in houses, and in our bathrooms.
When Mold grows indoors, it increases the exposure, which is unhealthy for the family that lives in the house. Different people
have different tolerances for Mold. People with breathing difficulties, infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly can be more susceptible
to the effects of Mold.
The most critical step in solving a mold problem is to accurately identify and rectify the moisture sources that allowed the growth to occur. In order to prevent mold from growing, it is imperative that water damaged areas be dried within a 24-48 period. If mold is a problem in the home, the mold must be cleaned up and the excess water or moisture removed. There are many common sources of excess moisture that can contribute to indoor mold growth. Some of the primary means of moisture entry into homes and buildings are water leakage (such as roof or plumbing leaks), vapor migration, capillary movement, air infiltration, humidifier use, and inadequate venting of kitchen and bath humidity. Temperature must also be considered because of its role in moisture transfer and condensation. The key is to reduce indoor humidity and identify the molds’ point of origin.
Testing for Mold can be accomplished by taking samples, including: Air Sampling; Swab sampling; Carpet sampling; and Wall sampling. Once the appropriate
samples are taken, they are sent to a lab for analysis. The lab can determine whether unhealthy levels of mold spores are present. If a Mold problem exists, action should be taken to remediate the Mold.
Air Sampling Methods
Air samples are possibly the most common type of environmental sample that investigators collect to study bioaerosols. The physics of removing particles from the air and the general principles of good sample collection apply to all airborne materials, whether biological or other origin. Therefore, many of the basic principles investigators use to identify and quantify other airborne particulate matter can be adapted to bioaerosol sampling. Common to all aerosol samplers is consideration of collection efficiency.
Micro5
The Micro5 Microcell uses spore trap cassettes in conjunction with a portable air pump to rapidly collect airborne aerosols including mold, pollen and other particulates. Air is drawn through a small opening at the top of the cassette and spores are trapped on a sticky surface inside the cassette.
Swab Samples
These are very similar to tape samples except for a sterile wipe (looks like a long Q-tip) is used to test an area of suspected mold. Samples obtained using this method can be analyzed using culturing or direct microscopy.
Additional Mold Information
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Mold Sampling and Testing
