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Here we describe our in-house forensic microscopy and aerobiology test laboratory services by which we accept and test our own and client-submitted test samples for toxic mold, allergens, gases, odors, sewage backups, other indoor particles or other indoor contaminants. Our on-site field investigation services are described at FIELD INVESTIGATION SERVICES. Before hiring us or any onsite test or investigation expert for a field investigation, inspection, or testing, be sure to review MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE.

If you want to collect and send your own mold or other particle test samples to a lab, see MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS. Readers interested in laboratory procedures should also see TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES as well as DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY & the MICROSCOPE.

This website provides free, in-depth information and procedures for finding, testing, cleaning and preventing indoor mold, toxic black mold, green mold, testing building indoor air quality, and other sick house / sick building investigations. We give in-depth information about mold and other indoor air quality problems: causes of respiratory illness, asthma, or other symptoms such as neurological or psychological problems, air quality investigation methods, and remediation procedures such as mold cleanup, handling toxic mold contamination, and building or mechanical system repairs.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

OUR LABORATORY SERVICES - Laboratory Analysis Services by Daniel Friedman, American Home Service Co.

Our laboratory service includes analysis of our own expert-prepared field samples as well as processing of consumer-prepared adhesive-tape mail-in samples of mold or other particles.

Our mold testing lab provides identification services for bioaerosols such as mold, mildew, dust mites, pollen, and other allergens. We have considerable experience examining samples collected on tape, Zefon™ cassettes, MCE filter cassettes, slides, impaction air samplers, carpet, furniture, and other soft-goods vacuum samples, and in bulk material. Mold culture and bacterial surface contamination evaluation is available, and we also offer testing for carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and other gases.

Our laboratory education and experience include advanced indoor air quality, culture plate identification of fungal genera/species, house dust analysis, mold fungal spore quantitative analysis (spore counts in air), and qualitative analysis (particle types and what they mean), organic, and inorganic particle and fiber identification, mold culture methods and culture speciation. We have experience and special interest in identification of particles in building dust, paint failure field and lab analysis, paint sample analysis, and general forensic microscopy.

Our equipment education and experience include biological microscopy, forensic microscopy, particle identification using microscopic particle manipulation, microchemistry, transmitted light microscopy, polarized light microscopy, dispersion staining, determination of refractive index, interference patterns, phase-contrast, darkfield, focal screening, and other advanced techniques.

In the lab we make use of a variety of microscopes: low-power stereoscopic examination (photo at left) of samples for characterization and high-power microscopic examination (Page top photo, up to 1920x) for broad scope particle identification (not just mold) using transmitted and polarized light as well as darkfield and phase contrast microscopy.

Forensic particle identification can extend well beyond biological matter (mold spores, cat or dog dander, insect fragments, dust mites, mite fecals) to include both organic and inorganic particles and fibers.

Particle identification is supplemented by use of Cargille™ refractive index liquid particle differentiation for identification of biological particles such as mold spores, pollen grains, animal allergens, dog, cat, mouse dander, mite fecals, cockroach and other insect particles, and non-biological particles in house dust and debris such as road dust, tire particles, diesel soot, oil burner soot, copier toner, wood and paper fragments, skin cells, possible bacteria.

These methods help assure that the lab report accurately represents the character of the samples which were submitted.

Mobile Microscopy Lab: For immediate on-site particle determination where emergency response or remediation/salvage operation evaluation is necessary we offer mobile field microscopy lab service including field preparation of test samples and light microscopic examination for particle identification.

Field samples are used to prepare slides for examination by light microscope. Our own field work collects mold or biological particle samples using a variety of methods. From the public our lab also accepts mold surface samples using clear tape. Chemical treatment and mounting media are selected based on the sample type, often including potassium hydroxide, acid or basic fuchsin, Calberla's solution, lacto phenol cotton blue, or other preparations. When lab work is in support of legal proceedings or if otherwise appropriate we prepare permanent-mount slides using glycerine jelly or other media. Slides are examined at magnifications of 10x, 100x, 400x, and 1000x using tungsten and polarized light, darkfield, etc. as appropriate.

Identification of toxic, allergenic, or cosmetic mold genera/species in the Mold Test Lab

Genera/species identifications are made based on experience, education, reference texts, comparison with known samples, and when appropriate, consultation with fellow mycologists and other experts.

There are more than 70,000 mold species which have been identified and an estimated 1 million remaining to be identified, so it is common to encounter unidentified spores. (Our lab photo, left, shows an Pleospora sp., an Ascomycete, being released from its perithecium.)

However fortunately, in most areas there common protagonists which have been studied and which can be identified to genera and often to species.

Because mold toxicity varies widely within a particular genera, speciation is an important step, omitted by some high-volume labs and investigators who may fail to distinguish between harmless amerospores such as basidiomycetes and potentially harmful Penicillium/Aspergillus spores in samples.

A detailed written mold test laboratory report of laboratory finding, medical information, and recommendations is provided. The lab report describes:

• "Significant/dominant particles" in each sample examined: likely to be most important in the Building
• "Other spores/particles present" in each sample at notable but not dominant frequency, possibly important
• "Incidental spores or particles detected", which in special cases may still be diagnostic even though the absolute spore count is so low that many labs and consultants ignore this data. An example is the Aspergillus niger spore-chains in our lab photo (left). The presence of these spores in chains suggests nearby active indoor growth of this toxic mold, even though the actual spore count would be reported as just 31 spores!
• Our lab reports use clear, specific definitions of "mold levels" and we explain what certain particle findings suggest about the area or surface from which the sample was collected.
  
  Study of sample contents with special understanding of mycology and building science is important: Similarly, the appearance of certain fungal structures, such as Penicillium/Aspergillus spore chains in an indoor sample may be an important indicator of a local problematic mold reservoir, even though a quantitative analysis alone would produce an apparently low spore count and would fail to detect this problem indicator.
  
• Quantitative analysis such as fungal spore or particle counts per cubic meter of air sampled are also available when such measures are appropriate.
• Significant microscopic observations are documented in our reports using microphotography. These are our tips for taking digital photographs through the microscope - photomicrographs, or microphotographs if you prefer.
• Photographic documentation of site conditions and laboratory observations are included with our site and lab reports.
• Lab reports also include a summary of contemporary medical information about particles identified.

Independent inspectors as well as many Building owners or occupants may also use our mold testing laboratory service.

If you do not want to bring a professional investigator to your property, here are instructions explaining how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab for identification, analysis, and advice.

If you wish to send samples collected by other means than described in our guidelines, such as bulk mold samples or mold culture plates, please call first for special instructions and fees.

If you have questions about our instructions for mailing a mold sample to the lab or if you need to request special field or lab services, contact us to request onsite mold inspection and testing services.

This Low-Cost Do-it-Yourself Inexpensive Mold Test Kit Can Provide Most Accurate Results

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to a lab

Review MOLD CULTURES to learn why a particle sample from settled dust might be more reliable than mold culture kits.

At MOLD TEST PROCEDURES we review all of the popular mold test methods, explaining the pros and cons of each method.

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• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia^® Website
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

• Allergen Detection What various indoor allergens look like - identification photos to help identify pollen, dust mites, animal dander, toxic or allergenic mold - Common Mold and other Allergens, Irritants, Remedies & Advice
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Associations: A Directory of IAQ, Sick Building, Mold Allergen Testing, Building Investigation Service Providers
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
• Bibliography of Mold Identification, Aerobiology, Forensic Microscopy - References we use in our Laboratory
• Directory of Building Air Quality and Mold Investigators: field and lab work, sick Building syndrome, air quality measurements, cleanup
• Indoor Air Pollution : Introduction for Health Professionals- IAQ Indoor Air Quality Concerns - US CPSC Book
• Indoor Air / Toxic Mold Field Investigation & Lab Reports - what to look for in a toxic mold field investigation report and mold test laboratory report ©
• Indoor Air / Toxic Mold Test Lab Reports - what to look for in a toxic mold test laboratory report ©
• How to Report Mold Levels in Mold Test Samples of Surfaces in Buildings - suggested non-quantitative definitions
• Sick House Investigation Questionnaire used to collect occupant and Building information that may aid the investigator ©
• FAQs on Mold - Frequently Asked Questions About Mold -- check this FAQ List & Site Map to see if you can find a quick answer to your mold concern
• FAQs on Accuracy - Website/Author credibility
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• House Dust from an HVAC system frightened building occupants unnecessarily
• Lighting, using to find mold - proper use of a flashlight can help spot mold on paneling and other building surfaces
• Mold Detection - What Does Mold Look Like? Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• Mold Detection - Lighting Proper use of lighting discloses hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on building surfaces - read this if you're doing your own tape sampling for mold.
• Mold Detection - How to Find and Test for Mold in Buildings - Looking for Mold - A "how to" photo and text primer on finding and testing for mold in Buildings
• Mold Detection - Stuff that is Not Mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Not all "black mold" is toxic or harmful.
• Mold Detection - in Fiberglass Insulation Moldy fiberglass building insulation © 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• Mold Detection - Investigation Tips Mold Investigation Guide for Home Inspectors how to find mold, where to look, what is likely to be important. Advice to Building inspectors intending to inspect or test for toxic or problematic mold indoors, mold inspection methods, and mold test methods which are valid or invalid
• Meruliporia incrassata the house eating fungus or "poria" may be mistaken for wood rot.
• Prevention of Mold Mold-Resistant Building Practices some suggestions from an expert
• Products - Mold & Allergy Products: Allergy/Asthma, Air Quality, Cleaning, Filtering, Ventilating, Dehumidification
• Standards for Mold Cleaning, Remediation, & Clearance Testing Standards list of documents
• Contact Daniel Friedman, (author of this website) for expert field and laboratory investigative service

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Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

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