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This website answers most questions on what to do about mold contamination in buildings: how to find, test, remove, clean-up or prevent indoor mold contamination. These mold-action articles provide expert, un-biased information for owners, occupants, inspectors. How to recognize mold, how to test for unsafe mold, how to clean up or remove mold, how to prevent mold contamination in buildings, and what mold related illnesses and symptoms have been reported are all discussed in depth.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

Here is the Information You Need to Find, Test, Inspect For, Remove, & Prevent Indoor Mold Contamination: what to do about mold in buildings

Here we give detailed and authoritative 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 also provide research articles on mold hazards and on the accuracy and reliability of various mold testing methods. We suggest the most effective building inspection and testing procedures for mold and similar indoor contaminants, and we provide a directory for expert services.

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.

We offer advice on mold prevention and mold-resistant construction resistant to indoor problem molds such as the Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Stachybotrys chartarum groups.

For advice concerning all other indoor and building-related environmental and health hazards see ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY.

• MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? - does mildew grow in buildings or on building surfaces? What to do about mildew: mildew cleanup, mildew cure, mildew prevention, mildew in buildings vs. mildew on plants.
• Mold Age Determination - how old is the mold in a building? MOLD ACTIVITY in BUILDINGS - is it active mold growth?
• Mold Action Guide: follow this easy step by step outline of what to do about mold. We emphasize that for small areas of mold contamination, generally where less than 30 square feet of contiguous mold is present, simple building cleaning and renovation procedures are all that's needed and testing is usually not appropriate. Most building mold contamination falls in this first category. At DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP we provide suggestions for a do-it-yourself cleanup of small areas of mold.
• Mold Cleanup - How to Clean Up Mold or Remove Mold in Buildings.
• MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES - companies offering mold remediation services
• Mold Detection - Articles on Mold Identification Photos and Tips - How to Find and Recognize Mold in a Building - articles describing how to find problem mold. Also see MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE, and see MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF.
• MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE - At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we provide guidelines to help decide when it is probably justified to bring in a mold expert to perform mold inspection and testing in a building. At MOLD TEST REASONS we discuss when it is appropriate to test for mold.
• MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES provides an index to photographs and names of mold genera/species are frequently found on various building surfaces and materials
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• MOLD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION - How to Prevent Mold Growth in Buildings
• FAQs Frequently Asked Questions About Mold - this detailed list answers most questions about mold
• Mold Action Guide after Flooding: How to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
• Mold Odors, Musty Smells in Buildings: what causes moldy smells in buildings? Also see SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors.
• Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases how to find and identify sources of noxious or toxic odors and gases
• Online Mold Atlas of Indoor Clinical Mold, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles
• Renters and Tenants how can a tenant deal with a moldy rental apartment or rental home
• Field Inspection & Testing Services
• In-House Mold Testing Lab Service

If you suspect or know that there is a mold problem in a building you need to know the extent of cleanup needed, whether mold is cosmetic (inexpensive to clean), allergenic, or toxic (requiring special care). For small areas of mold contamination, generally where less than 30 square feet of contiguous mold is present, simple building cleaning and renovation procedures are all that's needed and testing is usually not appropriate. Most building mold contamination falls in this first category. At DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP we provide suggestions for a do-it-yourself cleanup of small areas of mold. Also see ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD and MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD.

You need to know whether or not to hire a professional to inspect, test, find the mold, and write a cleanup plan, whether or not to hire a mold cleaning company, how to clean up mold, how to test to be sure the cleanup was successful, and how to prevent mold in the future. At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we provide guidelines to help decide when it is probably justified to bring in a mold expert to perform mold inspection and testing in a building.

In addition, test results may be of assistance to physicians if mold related illness or other illnesses are involved. The "MOLD ACTION GUIDE" contains sufficient information to address these questions. This website offers more in-depth articles on these and related environmental and indoor air quality topics. At MOLD TEST REASONS we discuss medical and other more basic reasons to test for mold in buildings.

HIRE AN EXPERT - Do you need to hire a mold expert, bring in a mold remediator, hire a handyman, or clean up for yourself?

Readers should see WHEN TO HIRE A MOLD EXPERT for details about how to decide when hiring a mold expert is justified and appropriate. See MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS for a list of mold investigators whose work is familiar to us. Other mold investigators and test consultants may also be competent and qualified.

MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD gives basic advice for a do-it-yourself mold cleanup project, and detailed guidance about what to do about mold is provided at ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD.

• When to hire a professional to inspect, test, write a cleanup plan
• Find a mold inspector A Directory of well qualified Mold/IAQ Service Providers
• Associations Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Mold Clearance Inspections When & How to Perform a Mold Remediation Clearance Inspection
• MOLD LEVEL REPORTS Reporting the Results of Mold and IAQ Investigations & Clearance Inspections: what should be included
• Our Field Investigation Service our senior expert goes where no one else wanted to look, uses non-invasive tools and sophisticated testing equipment for mold, gases, moisture, air quality, contaminants, Building problem diagnosis.
  Contact Us to arrange mold/IAQ Building on site inspection and testing.
  
  

MOLD RELATED ILLNESS - Asthma, Allergies, Lung, Neurological, Other Complaints?

The following articles provide detailed information about mold-related illnesses.

• Allergen Tests in Buildings advice about how to test, what to look for, in evaluating the level of dog, cat, or other animal allergens in a building
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS provides a detailed guide to recognizing asbestos-containing materials in buildings and links to in depth articles about individual asbestos-containing building materials
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints - incredibly long list
• BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ
• Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens
• Clinical Atlas of Mold Toxicity - An Online Description of Toxic, Pathogenic, Allergenic Fungi, Fungal Diseases
• Fiberglass Insulation Contains Mold© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• MOLD CLINICAL REFERENCE TEXTS - texts on mold related illness, mold identification, mold pathology and toxicology
• Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases how to find and identify sources of noxious or toxic odors and gases
• Other environmental risks, Our much longer list: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, etc.
• Pollen Allergens: identification,
• Products to Reduce Mold & Allergy Problems to reduce indoor mold or allergen levels: air cleaners, air purifiers, dust mite covers, vacuum cleaners, crawl space vents
• Recognizing Allergens: 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
• Rodent control issues, including dander, fecal, and urine contamination of Buildings and Building insulation are discussed at our Mold Action Plan page.
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in Buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources

PREVENT MOLD - How to Prevent Mold Growth and Avoid Mold Problems in Buildings

The following articles provide detailed information about how to prevent mold growth in buildings and in their mechanical systems.

• Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
• Mold Action Guide after Flooding: How to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
• How to Prevent Mold: how to avoid mold growth in buildings: priorities, repairs, products
• Humidity Control to Avoid Mold: How Low Should You Keep Indoor Humidity to Avoid a Mold Problem
• Mold-Resistant Building Practices some detailed suggestions from an expert on preventing mold growth indoors
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Meruliporia incrassata - "Poria" the house eating fungus Meruliporia incrassata or perhaps a different mold, Serpula lacrymans - which one is the "house eating fungus" - what it house rotting mold like in a building and under the microscope

MOLD DETECTION - Mold Identification Photos and Tips

These articles explain how to find and recognize mold in a building. The articles include mold recognition photos, methods of visual inspection for mold, and explanation of how to cut your mold investigation cost and trouble by learning to recognize stuff that is not mold at all. We also explain that not all black mold is harmful. Some is cosmetic only. Visual inspection can answer some of these questions without mold testing.

• 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
• Choosing a Sampling Point to conduct a mold test
• SAMPLING DRYWALL for mold
• MOLD TESTING & SAMPLING MISTAKES when conducting a mold test
• Attic Mold how to recognize mold in an attic, when is it a problem?
• Basement mold how to recognize mold in a basement, is it a problem?
• BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
• Crawlspace mold how to recognize mold in a crawl space, where will it be, is it a problem?
• Do-It-Yourself-Warnings for people inspecting and testing for toxic mold
• MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS in basements and crawl spaces
• MOLD on or in CARPETS where to look for mold on and under carpeting
• MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF - table of common molds found on building surfaces
• MOLD GROWTH in/on BUILDING INSULATION - possible hidden reservoirs of mold in fiberglass or on other insulating products that have been wet or damp
• Hidden Mold a list and photos of other places to look for hidden or hard to spot mold contamination in buildings
• Hidden Mold: photo guide shows how to find hidden toxic or even simply cosmetic mold in buildings

• What Does Mold Look Like? Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• 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.
• TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES - do we need to look for, find, remove, or try to kill mold on mating wood surfaces such as between floor joist tops and subfloor underside, or between a wall sill plate and the subfloor surface? What about between layers of wood flooring and subflooring?
• 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.
• Lighting, using to find mold - proper use of a flashlight can help spot mold on paneling and other building surfaces
• Mold Investigation Tips 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
• Most Common Indoor Molds Found in Buildings, A Table of
• Meruliporia incrassata the house eating fungus or "poria" may be mistaken for wood rot.

MOLD TEST PROCEDURES - Valid and in-valid mold testing methods & protocols. Are some mold test kits junk science?

Please see Mold Sampling Methods in the Indoor Environment and in addition, the mold test critique articles listed just below.

• 
  How to Send A Mold Sample to Our Lab: 6 Easy Steps for a Mold Test: How to Collect Mold Samples Using Adhesive Tape and Plastic Bags - a low-cost high-quality and very easy method to send a mold sample to a mold laboratory for analysis Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to a lab. At MOLD TEST REASONS we discuss when it is appropriate to test for mold.
  
  
• Validity of Common Indoor Mold Sampling Techniques
• Examining the Validity of Current Indoor Mold Sampling Techniques, Daniel Friedman, (Illustrated Power Point Presentation) 15th Annual North Carolina/South Carolina Environmental Association Technical Conference
• Tape: Mold Testing by Tape of a Moldy Surface "bulk" or "tape" samples and their interpretation - a brief tutorial
• Tape: How to Report Mold Levels in Tape Samples of Surfaces in Buildings
• Air: Mold Testing by Air Samples & their interpretation - a brief tutorial on indoor air sampling for mold - are spore counts per cubic meter of air accurate and valid? Using air sampling to determine if a mold problem is "present" or "absent" and the role of cultures for "viable spore sampling" are criticized. Air sampling used alone is an unreliable way to look for mold and is highly questionable as a means of characterizing a precise mold exposure level indoors.
• BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
• Carpet Mold Inspection how to look for mold in carpets
• Carpet Mold Test Guide suggestions for alternative methods to test carpeting for mold
• Culture: Mold Testing by Cultures & "Home Test Kits for Mold" - Validity of Settlement Plates or Swabs to test for toxic mold in Buildings - a brief tutorial
• Mold Sampling Methods in the Indoor Environment a critique of popular mold testing methods - Is your "expert" using valid methods? Is your mold test kit worth the bother? (Technical Paper.)
• Toxic Mold Testing Methods Compared, also Toxic Gas Testing Methods and MVOC's - valid vs. invalid methods, recommendations compares air sampling for mold, surface or tape sampling for mold, culture or swab sampling for mold, and gas MVOC sampling methods for mold or other toxins, and organizes links to papers on each of these topics.
• A Comparison of Some Indoor Air Sampling Devices - simultaneous application of popular sampling cassettes and slide samplers allows comparison of typical particle collection variation by device in actual field use. A field study in process by DJF, 2008 - 2005 (Technical Paper)
• Burkard personal air sampler used by many residential investigators (we use multiple units simultaneously in some investigations). We also employ other residential building sampling equipment for surface, air, vacuum, and bulk sample collection methods as well as for gases.
• Alternative, low-cost air sampling equipment and methods such as the mini-vacuum pump and Zefon Air-o-Cell or Allergenco-d cassettes or MCE filter cassettes for viable, non-viable or other forensic particle identification in Buildings. A field study in process by DJF, 2005 - 2006 (Technical Paper)
• Allergenco Mk-III time-lapse impaction air sampling equipment - study changes in particle dispersion under varying conditions (furnace on/off) A field study in process by DJF, 2004 - 2010 (Technical Paper)

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• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman - Publisher & Editor.
• 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.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
• Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• US EPA - Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

Allergies, Allergens, Allergy Testing in Buildings - References & Products

• Air Conditioning System Blower Fans & Filters Cascading for Optimum Indoor Air Quality
• Allergen Tests in Buildings advice about how to test, what to look for, in evaluating the level of dog, cat, or other animal allergens in a building
• "IgG Food Allergy Testing by ELISA/EIA, What do they really tell us?" Sheryl B. Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, Clinical Laboratory Director, Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic - ELISA testing accuracy: Here is an example of Miller's critique of ELISA http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/282.cfm - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
  The critique included in that article raises compelling questions about IgG testing assays, which prompts our interest in actually screening for the presence of high levels of particles that could carry allergens - dog dander or cat dander in the case at hand.
  http://www.tldp.com/issue/174/IgG%20Food%20Allergy.html contains similar criticism in another venue but interestingly by the same author, Sheryl Miller. Sheryl Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, is an Immunologist and Associate Professor of Basic and Medical Sciences at Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington. She is also the Laboratory Director of the Bastyr Natural Health Clinic Laboratory.
• Allergens: Testing for the level of exposure to animal allergens is discussed at http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/animalallergy/diagnosis.shtml (lab animal exposure study is interesting because it involves a higher exposure level in some cases
• Allergens: WebMD discusses allergy tests for humans at webmd.com/allergies/allergy-tests
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints - long list of both documented, studied mold related illness, and complaints ascribed to mold contamination or allergens in buildings
• Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens
• Clinical Atlas of Mold Toxicity - An Online Description of Toxic, Pathogenic, Allergenic Fungi, Fungal Diseases
• Fiberglass Insulation Contains Mold© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation
• Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
• Mold Action Guide detailed guide on finding, removing, and preventing indoor mold contamination
• Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases how to find and identify sources of noxious or toxic odors and gases
• Other environmental risks, Our much longer list: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, etc.
• Ozone: The Use of Ozone Indoors for Control of Odors and Mold Removal in Buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims.
• Pollen Allergens: identification, plant pollen and indoor air quality
• Products to Reduce Mold & Allergy Problems to reduce indoor mold or allergen levels: air cleaners, air purifiers, dust mite covers, vacuum cleaners, crawl space vents
• Recognizing Allergens: 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
• Rodent control issues, including dander, fecal, and urine contamination of Buildings and Building insulation are discussed at our
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in Buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Action Guide: What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
• ...

Asbestos Hazard, Testing, Removal, References & Products

• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS How to find and recognize asbestos in Buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
• Asbestos Identification and Testing References
• Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
• Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
• Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
• Asbestos in Good Condition
• Asbestos in Good Condition
• Asbestos in Your Home U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019, December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460,original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
• Asbestos paper duct wrap
• Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print, text and images available at InspectAPedia.com).
• Asbestos Transite Chimneys, Flues, & Pipes in Buildings
• Asbestos under the microscope
• Asbestos Vibration Dampers & Asbestos in the Air Handler
• Ceiling tiles: How to recognize ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos
• Examples of unusual uses of asbestos in buildings
• Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
• Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
• "Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
• EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460

Fiberglass in Buildings: hazards, testing, cleanup, prevention: references & products

For more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:

• Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials (Asbestos is not fiberglass and vice versa).
• BASEMENT MOLD includes examples of moldy fiberglass insulation found in basements
• CRAWLSPACE MOLD includes additional examples of moldy fiberglass insulation found in crawl spaces
• Duct System Defects
• Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation, Indoor Air Quality Investigations, building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
• Fiberglass Particle Identification in the Fiberglass Test Laboratory
• Fiberglass References - Government Agencies & Authorities list of public documents on fiberglass
• Goodman Gray Flex Duct Deterioration and Failures
• INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Fiberglass insulation photos, yellow, pink, green, white fiberglass identification in building attics, walls, ducts, other locations
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Cellulose insulation photos, Mineral wool insulation photos, rock wool insulation photos, cotton insulation photos, balsam wool insulation photos
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Vermiculite insulation photos
• Lab Identification of Fiberglass photographs and text assist in laboratory identification of fiberglass fibers and fragments in air, dust, or material samples in the laboratory using forensic microscopic techniques.
• Mold in Fiberglass building insulation, when, why, and how fiberglass becomes a reservoir of problem mold in buildings.
• AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR
• Owens Corning Flex Duct Deterioration and Failures
• World Trade Center Dust Particle Identification
• Fiberglass carcinogenicity: "Glass Wool Fibers Expert Panel Report, Part B - Recommendation for Listing Status for Glass Wool Fibers and Scientific Justification for the Recommendation", The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) expert panel for glass wool fibers exposures met at the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel, Chapel Hill, North Carolina on June 9-10, 2009, to peer review the draft background document on glass wool fibers exposures and make a recommendation for listing status in the 12th Edition of the RoC. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is one of the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Toxicology Program is headquartered on the NIEHS campus in Research Triangle Park, NC. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is one of the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Toxicology Program is headquartered on the NIEHS campus in Research Triangle Park, NC.
  Following a discussion of the body of knowledge, the expert panel reviewed the RoC listing criteria and made its recommendation. The expert panel recommended by a vote of 8 yes/0 no that glass wool fibers, with the exception of special fibers of concern (characterized physically below), should not be classified either as known to be a human carcinogen or reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. The expert panel also recommended by a vote of 7 yes/0 no/1 abstention, based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in well-conducted animal inhalation studies, that special-purpose glass fibers with the physical characteristics as follows longer, thinner, less soluble fibers (for 1 example, > 15 μm length with a kdis of < 100 ng/cm2/h) are reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen for the listing status in the RoC. The major considerations discussed that led the panel to its recommendation include the observations of tumors in multiple species of animals (rats and hamsters). Both inhalation and intraperitoneal routes of exposure produced tumors, although inhalation was considered more relevant for humans.
• Fiberglass insulation mold: occurrence of mold contamination in fiberglass insulation can be impossible to see with the naked eye, but can be significant
• World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer - IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans - VOL 81 Man-Made Vitreous Fibers, 2002, IARCPress, Lyon France, pi-ii-cover-isbn.qxd 06/12/02 14:15 Page i - World Health Organization, 1/21/1998. - Fiberglass insulation is an example of what IARC refers to as man made vitreous fiber - inorganic fibers made primarily from glass, rock, minerals, slag, and processed inorganic oxides. This article provides enormous detail about fiberglass and other vitreous fibers, and includes fiberglass exposure data.
• http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol81/mono81.pdf - the article (large PDF over 6MB)
  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol81/mono81-6A.pdf - article details
  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol81/mono81-6C.pdf - studies of cancer in experimental animals in re vitreous fibers such as fiberglass;
  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol81/mono81-6E.pdf - summary of data reported & evaluation
  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol81/mono81-6F.pdf for the article references
  To search the IARC monographs on various environmental concerns and carcinogens, use http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/PDFs/index.php
• ...

Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products

• The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
• Aerobiology, Building Science, Microscopy, & Laboratory References, an extensive technical bibliography
• Allergens: what they look like in buildings
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon)
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and health, physical, neurological, psychological, and other complaint which people suspect may be mold or building-related.
• Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
• Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
• Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
• Clinical Mold References - Detailed bibliography of mold reference texts
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• "Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
• "Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens," Patricia Donald, Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology, Lewis Jett
  Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
• "Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Fiberglass: Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
• Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7 (English) (buy at Amazon)
• Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• Mold Action Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions, What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE Photos of what mold looks like in buildings
• MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD Photos of NOT-mold material that is sometimes mistaken for mold
• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• MOLD BY MICROSCOPE Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
• Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
• US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab or to any mold lab you wish
• Most Common Indoor Molds Found in Buildings, A Table of
• Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
• US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold

Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.

• Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Other environmental risks: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, environmental illness, fiberglass, MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity, toxic gases, etc
• Indoor Gas Sampling Plan for Residential Buildings lists a number of toxic indoor gases which we test for, depending on the building complaint and building conditions
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
• Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings, and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some help from a licensed pest control expert.

Paint & Fiber Forensic Analysis, Diagnosis, Conservation

• Analysis of Modern Paints, Thomas J.S. Learner, Research in Conservation, 2004 ISBN 0-89236-779-2
  [Chemistry of modern paints, overview of analytical methods, pyrolysis-gas chromatography signatures of basic modern paints and their constituents, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for paint analysis, direct temperature-resolved mass spectrometry, and analysis in practice - technical reference useful for forensic paint science, focused on art works. One of our most useful texts in forensic investigation of paint failures and paint problem diagnosis - for building investigators as well as art conservators. -DF]
  Although oil remains an important binding medium in artists' paints, today's synthetic resins are being used with increasing frequency. This was true during much of the twentieth century, when artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jackson Pollock, and Pablo Picasso used commercial or industrial paints based on synthetic resins. The growing popularity of synthetic resin materials carries important implications for the conservation, preservation, and treatment of modern art.
  This volume outlines the techniques that are currently employed to analyze the synthetic resins used in modern painting materials, such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, and direct temperature-resolved mass spectrometry. For each technique, results are given for standard samples of the principal classes of synthetic binding media, various pigments and extenders, tube paint formulations, and microscopic paint fragments taken from actual works of art.
  Primarily intended for conservation scientists, conservators, researchers, and students of conservation, this book will also be of interest to other museum professionals.
• Art, Biology, and Conservation: Biodeterioration in Works of Art, Robert J. Koestler et als. Eds., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003, ISBN 1-58839-107-8
  Series of excellent research and advice articles on art work conservation of special use to conservators and also to building, artifact, and art forensic investigators. MOMA. - DF
  Despite the perception that artworks are timeless and unchanging, they are actually subject to biological attack from a variety of sources—from bacteria to fungi to insects. This groundbreaking volume, which publishes the proceedings of a conference held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2002, explores how the development of these organisms can be arrested while preserving both the work of art and the health of the conservator.
  The richly illustrated text, containing the writings of over 40 scientists and conservators, is divided into sections on stone and mural paintings, paper, textiles, wood and archaeological materials, treatment and prevention, and special topics. The artworks and cultural properties discussed include, among many others, Paleolithic cave paintings, Tiffany drawings, huts built by early Antarctic explorers, and a collection of toothbrushes taken from Auschwitz victims. -- Robert J. Koestler is a research scientist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Victoria H. Koestler is a freelance writer and editor; A. Elena Charola is a freelance conservation scientist; and Fernando E. Nieto-Fernandez is a biologist at Old Westbury College, New York.
• Cultural Heritage and Aerobiology, Methods and Measurement Techniques for Biodeterioration Monitoring, Paolo Mandrioli, Guilia Caneva, and Cristina Sabbioni, Eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003 ISBN 1-4020-1622-0
  This is a translated and revised edition of the original Italian version. This book is the first to give a general overview of the application of aerobiology (the science that studies the biological components of the atmosphere) to the conservation of our cultural heritage. Aerobiological monitoring makes it possible to estimate the risks of degradation of artefacts of historical or artistic importance by airborne microorganisms (airborne spores and vegetative structures) according to the types of materials forming the artefacts, to the conditions of the microclimate and to the type of environmental pollution, thus enabling the planning of preventive or reparative intervention. Among the book's main features are: + Aspects of the biodeterioration of different materials (paper, wood, fabrics, parchment, leather, stone, glass, metals, plastic, etc.). + Methods for measuring environmental parameters, both physical (microclimatic) and chemical (pollutants). + Methods and techniques of aerobiological monitoring. + Specific problems concerning the different types of environments. Audience: The subject is thoroughly explored, thus supplying a useful tool to those who are in charge of the conservation of our cultural heritage (libraries, archives, museums, churches, hypogea, monuments, archaeological sites, etc.).
  See our book review of this reference.
• Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork, Kay D. Weeks and David W. Look, AIA, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service Preservation Brief No. 10. Web search 02/01/2011, original source: http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief10.htm
• Microscopy of Textile Fibres (Microscopy Handbooks, 32), P H Greaves, Garland Science; 1 edition (January 1, 1995), ISBN-10: 1872748244, ISBN-13: 978-1872748245
  [We ordered our copy from the British publisher - now it's on Amazon.
  These 3 fiber books have been essential forensic lab references supplementing our McCrone Research courses on forensic microscopy; also of use to textile conservators. - DF
  An up-to-date practical guide to the properties and characteristics of textile fibres, with clear advice on sampling, specimen preparation and examination procedures.
• Microscopy of Animal Textile Fibres, Alex Blakey Wildm, 1954
  Hard to obtain, useful for forensic microscopy - DF
• Modern Paints Uncovered (Getty Conservation Institute Symposium Proceedings), Thomas Learner, Getty Publications (March 1, 2008),ISBN-10: 089236906X, ISBN-13: 978-0892369065
  Over the past seventy years, a staggering array of new pigments and binders has been developed and used in the production of paint, and twentieth-century artists readily applied these materials to their canvases. Paints intended for houses, boats, cars, and other industrial applications frequently turn up in modern art collections, posing new challenges for paintings conservators.
  This volume presents the papers and posters from "Modern Paints Uncovered," a symposium organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, Tate, and the National Gallery of Art and held at Tate Modern, London, in May 2006. Professionals from around the world shared the results of research on paints that have been available to artists since 1930--the date that synthetic materials began to significantly impact the paint industry.
  Modern Paints Uncovered showcases the varied strands of cutting-edge research into the conservation of contemporary painted surfaces. These include paint properties and surface characteristics, analysis and identification
• Of Microbes and Art: The Role of Microbial Communities in the Degradation and Protection of Cultural Heritage, Kindle Edition, Springer; 1 edition (June 30, 2000), ASIN: B000VHV4FC
• Paint Handbook: testing, selection, application, troubleshooting, surface preparation, etc., Guy E. Weismantel, Ed., McGraw Hill Book Company, 1981
  [Excellent but a bit obsolete paint theory and practice, also a bit light on field investigation methods, out of print, available used. Very useful reference for paint testing, selection, and paint failure diagnosis - focus on non-artistic use of paints such as on buildings, roofs, marine coatings. -DF]
  How to select and apply the right paint or coating for any surface. The first major reference to help you choose the correct paint or other finish to do the job best on a particular surface exposed to a particular environment. Experts in the field give full advice on testing surface preparation, application, corrosion prevention, and troubleshooting. The handbook covers wood, metal, composites, and masonry, as well as marine applications and roof coatings. A ``must'' working tool for contractors, architects, engineers, specification writers, and paint dealers
• Paint Magic, Jocasta Innes, Frances Lincoln; 4th edition (August 17, 2006), ISBN-10: 071122272X, ISBN-13: 978-0711222724 - Paint advice for home decoration, including painting techniques such as antiquing, bambooing, bleaching, color washing, combing, decorative painting, dragging, dyeing, gliding, graining, japanning, lacquering, lining, marbling, porphyry, rag-rolling, sponging, staining, stencilling, stippling, tortoiseshelling, trompe l'oeil, and vinegar painting - DF
• Paint and Surface Coatings, Theory and Practice - [purchase at Amazon.com], R. Lambourne & T.A. Strivens, Ed., Woodhead Publishing Ltd., William Andrew Publishing, 1999 ISBN 1-85573-348 X & 1-884207-73-1
  [ This is perhaps the leading reference on modern paints and coatings, but is a difficult text to obtain, and is a bit short on field investigation methods. Encyclopedic reference on the composition, production, properties, use, and testing of paints and coatings - DF]
  Provides a comprehensive reference source for all those in the paint industry, paint manufacturers and raw materials suppliers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and industrial paint users.
  
• Plant Biology for Cultural Heritage: Biodeterioration and Conservation, Giulia Caneva, Maria Pia Nugari, Ornella Salvadori, Getty Publications (January 15, 2009), ISBN-10: 0892369396, ISBN-13: 978-0892369393
• Quality Assessment of Textiles, Karl Marshall, Kindle Edition, Springer; 2nd edition (October 31, 1993, ASIN: B00193F3BI
  The damage which can occur in certain fibrous raw materials or during the production and storage of textiles is expertly described in this book by Karl Mahall. He particularly shows how to find concealed textile defects by using microscopic analysis. The examples represent typical cases that the author encountered during forty years of experience in the industry. Well-illustrated with impressive photographs, they invite you to follow each step and learn to apply the same methodology in practice. This book is especially useful as a manual for both chemical and textile engineers and quality engineers. It is also a useful reference for others in the textile industry in general.
• Seeing Through Paintings, Physical Examination in Art Historical Studies, Andrea Kirsh, Rustin S. Levenson, Materials in Fine Arts, 2000 ISBN 99-051835 [ forensic science, technical reference, focused on art works - DF]
  One of the best texts available for forensic investigation of the history, authenticity, and condition of paintings - DF
• Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF - ** Particuarly useful text **
• Understanding Ventilation, John Bower, The Healthy House Institute, ISBN 0-9637156-5-8, 1995 [General building science-DF - ** Particularly useful text. Mr. Bower has retired from the field but his book continues to be important]
• Dampness in Buildings, Diagnosis, Treatment, Instruments, T.A. Oxley & E.G. Gobert, ISBN 0-408-01463-6, Butterworths, 1983-1987 [General building science-DF]
• "Moisture Control in Buildings: Putting Building Science in Green Building," Alex Wilson, Environmental Building News, Vol. 12. No. 5. [Good tutorial, "Moisture 101" outlining the physics of moisture movement in buildings and a good but incomplete list of general suggestions for moisture control - inadequate attention given to exterior conditions such as roof and surface drainage defects which are among the most-common sources of building moisture and water entry.--DJF]
• "Paint Failure Problems and Their Cure," Daniel L. Cassens and William C. Feist, National Forest Products Laboratory, online via Purdue University, http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/NCR/NCR-133.html
• Why House Paint Fails [on file as /exterior/Why_House_Paint_Fails_FPL1.pdf ] - , Mark Knaebe, US FPL, web search August 2010, original source: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/finlines/knaeb95a.pdf
• Why Paint Jobs Fail [on file as /exterior/Why_Paint_Fails_Bennett.pdf ] - , web search, August 2010, original source: http://www.bennette.com/pdf/whyfail.pdf, four pages describing alligatoring, bleeding, blistering, etc. Bennette Corporation, P.O. Box 9088, Hampton, VA 23670, Phone: 757-838-7777, Toll Free: 800-869-2929 Fax: 757-827-0529, Email: info@bennette.com, Website: www.bennette.com quoting:
  Bennette Paint Manufacturing Company, Inc. is a Virginia corporation which was founded in Newport News, Virginia in 1966 by James P. Bennette, Sr. In 1984, Mr Bennette sold the company to his employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Today the company has a modern manufacturing plant, research laboratory, central warehouse and general offices located at 401 Industry Drive, Hampton, Virginia. From these facilities the company is able to supply quality paints and coatings through its company owned distribution and service centers and authorized dealers located in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Bennette Paint Manufacturing Company, Inc. also owns and operates Bennette Equipment Company which specializes in the sale, service, and rental of paint spraying and pressure cleaning equipment.
• Supplemental Guidelines for Removing Paint From Interior and Exterior Wood Surfaces [on file as "/exterior/Paint_Removal_USGSA.pdf ] - , US General Services Administration, Historical Preservation Technical Procedures, 06400-02, web search August 2010, original source: //w3.gsa.gov/web/p/Hptp.nsf/0/40aff5a115b6a9e5852565c50054b4f4?OpenDocument
• "Common Paint Problems," http://www.parkerpaint.com/Common%20Paint%20Problems.html illustrates common paint failures - though their images and text appear to have been stolen from PPG - see http://www.ppg.com/getpaint/etraining/solver/exterior.html which catalogs paint failures and causes
• "Paint problem solver" from Lowes, http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/PntPrbSlv.html&rn=RightNavFiles/no.html
• "Mill Glaze: Myth or Reality," R. Sam Williams, Mark Knaebe, US FPL, http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/finlines/willi01a.pdf
• http://www.paintlab.com/failure.html is a lab offering paint chip failure analysis
• PPG Exterior Failures http://www.ppg.com/getpaint/etraining/solver/exterior.html
• "Peeling Back Paint Layers For a Glimpse Into the Past," James Barron, The New York Times, 25 Feb 2010, p. A26
• "Staining and Microbiological Infestation of Acrylic Paintings on Hardboard", Ulrik Runeberg, Conservator (Dipl. Rest./M.A.), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan Presented,April 2007 conference in Richmond Virginia, sponsored by the AIC (American Institute for Conservation), this paper discussed the staining and microbial infestation of acrylic paintings on hardboard. - private correspondence, ER <->DF 12 September 2006. The following quotation is from the paper's abstract:
  "Hardboard served as a common and popular support for many modern paintings that were carried out from the mid - 1920’s, and still is used occasionally in contemporary art. Many artists rejected hardboard as an inferior industrial construction material of low aesthetical value, whereas others considered the processed and compressed wood fiber boards to be a stable, light and economic alternative to solid wood panels and other rigid supports.
  "From the conservator’s critical point of view, the many disadvantages of this type of support include:  high acidity, hygroscope characteristics, tendency of ‘off-gassing’, (>tendency of) warping, occasional flaking of painting material in the case of tempered hardboard. The deterioration of paintings on hardboard depends on a number of factors including:  the quality of the hardboard, prevailing storage conditions, and the preparation of the support by the artist. While there are many paintings on hardboard that are in very good condition, this paper will focus on those paintings that are heavily deteriorated and damaged.
  "A very characteristic damage found on porous painting layers such as acrylic colour on hardboard, is the formation of stains. Generally, those stains are described without any differentiation as ‘fox-spots’. The examination of various paintings concerned led to the conclusion, that there exist different kinds of stains that need to be discriminated against each other, to ensure an appropriate conservation and restoration treatment.
  "This paper aims to characterize and differentiate the stains, and will provide preventive and practical treatment proposals for the conservation and restoration of affected paintings.  Questions such  as ‘What are the stains composed of?’ and ‘Which may be the causes?’ will be addressed.  Stains may consist of a variety of contents, such as: Ligneous residues, fungal infestation, bacterial activity, a combination of microbial and support induced discolouration [SID], a ‘symbiotic relation’ of ‘SID’ and fungal infestation, or the blooming of ingredients from the original painting materials. A range of microscopic analysis of the actual microbiological infestation of selected samples will be provided.  The paintings that were examined, sampled and treated, are part of the Puerto Rican heritage, and were all kept in excessive humid tropical conditions, before they entered the Conservation Department of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Puerto Rico.
  "Conservation treatment options of stained paintings on hardboard will be discussed.  A high level of acidity (caused from SID and/or micro-organisms) may require measures of reduction, disinfection and neutralization. Treatment methods that reduce the ligneous stains and residues of micro-organisms, and neutralize affected areas in painting layers include stain removal through the application of soaking compresses (poultices), and de-acidification through alkaline material.
  "Other aspects of deterioration, that do not have to do directly with the formation of stains, but also are typical for hardboard as painting support, will be mentioned briefly." - U.R.
• ...

Sewage Contamination, Septic Backups, Bacterial & Mold Hazards: references, products

• Safety: Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners
• Septic Contaminants, identifying - what are the Nitrogen contaminants produced by septic systems and what can be done about them if they escape initial treatment?
• Septic Tank Pathogens in Sludge and Floating Scum: what makes up the contents of residential sewage
• Measuring Septic Sludge & Scum Levels in Septic Tanks - Measuring the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks
• Sewage and Septic Contamination in Residential Buildings - inspecting and testing for bacterial contamination after a sewage spill: consumer information and expert resources
• Septic Flood Response when and what to do to a septic system after area flooding


• The Septic Information Website - Inspecting, Designing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems
• Remediation of Sewage Contaminated Crawlspaces - Byjim Holland, CR, "Cleaning and Restoration," July 1999, pp 22-24
• Escherichia coli O157:H7- US CDC
• Demistifying Ecoli - Federation of Ontario Cottagers
• Microbiology home page - US EPA
• Cost effective testing for blackwater contamination in buildings Aerotech Labs
• Indicator organisms, testing for sewage contamination in buildings Aerotech Labs
• SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION
• SEPTIC BACKUP REPAIR
• Septic Contaminants, identifying - what are the contaminants produced by septic systems and what can be done about them if they escape initial treatment?
• Sewage and Septic Contamination in Residential Buildings - consumer information and expert resources (this web page)
• Sewage Pathogens in Septic Tank Sludge and Floating Scum: what makes up the contents of residential sewage
• The Septic Information Website - Inspecting, Designing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems
• Septic System Flood Response - what to do when a septic system has been exposed to flood waters

MOLD TEST KITS - Home Test Kits for Black or "Toxic" Mold using Clear Scotch Tape: Bulk & Surface Sampling Protocols for Mold Testing

Useful, inexpensive tools which are reliable for characterization of Building conditions include the adhesive tape method described below. Questions about the validity of alternative "home test kits" based on mold cultures are discussed below. Questions about and limitations of air tests and virtually every other mold testing method are discussed at our in-depth "Mold Sampling Methods" article.

• How to Send A Mold Sample to Our Lab: 6 Easy Steps for a Mold Test: How to Collect Mold Samples Using Adhesive Tape and Plastic Bags - a low-cost high-quality and very easy method to send a mold sample to a mold laboratory for analysis
• 
  Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to a lab
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Mold Testing: Bulk or Tape Surface Samples and their interpretation - a quick tutorial A brief introduction to using adhesive tape to collect particle samples such as from mold-covered surfaces; scrapes onto microscope slide and other methods also used by do-it-yourselfers and by experts
• Vacuum Samples of Building Cavities: Wall Check type vacuum pump and canister permits "sampling" of mold and allergens in wall, ceiling, and floor cavities but our direct field testing indicates that this method is highly unreliable.
  
  Working with Louis Relle, a Louisiana mold remediation expert on a New Orleans Building which was to be demolished we collected wall-check samples from every suspect Building cavity.
  
  When the building interior surfaces were demolished we then performed a visual inspection and collected bulk surface samples using tape. The wall check samples were completely unable to detect large and significant mold contamination in the cavities of this building.
  
  We postulate that even with mechanical agitation (banging on the wall during wall check sampling) the flow rate of the sampling method does not move enough air to reliably pick up surface contamination unless the mold genera/species happens to be at a particularly high state of active sporulation. The tool remains in the professional's arsenal, to be used with discretion.
• Vacuum samples of Soft Goods of carpeting, drapes, furniture, clothing permits testing for mold contamination. We use this method for screening of areas where mold is not visible, and in clearance testing.

MOLD CULTURES - Validity and Usefulness of Mold Cultures & Culture-Based Home Test Kits for mold

For a quick to understand overview of the validity and usefulness or perhaps not-usefulness of culture tests for mold, see Validity of Cultures (settlement plates or swabs) to find toxic mold in Buildings which is an overview and critique of using mold cultures, settlement plates, petri dishes, and cultured swab samples, and air sample testing limitations for determining what's in a Building, and which tests are useful in different situations.

For more thorough detail see Shortcomings of cultured mold samples which lists a number of detailed concerns about viable spore traps and culture media for Building problem detection

MOLD CLASSES, LEVELS - Mold Hazard levels, Mold Spore Count Validity, Interpreting Mold Counts, and Classes of Mold

Please see MOLD CLASSES, LEVELS for the full text article on this topic.

• Airborne Mold Spore Counts: Airborne Mold Spore Counts - are indoor fungal spore counts valid?
• Mold Exposure Standards: Exposure Standards for Mold, Levels of Severity of Indoor Mold Contamination - Various Published Standards of Permissible Mold Exposure Limits: at what level is toxic or allergenic mold a problem? - What does your "spores per cubic meter of air" or "spore count" really mean - if anything?
• MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS: How to Determine Mold Contamination Probability or Mold Exposure Risk Levels in Buildings Based on Visual Inspection
• MOLD LEVEL IN AIR, VALIDITY: Mold Spore Counts - are indoor fungal spore counts valid?
• Mold Hazard Levels: Mold Classes, Levels of what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
• Mold Reporting: How to Report Mold Levels in Mold Test Samples of Surfaces in Buildings
• Mold Spore Count Per Cubic Meter: airborne density counts of mold spores per cubic meter of air - how to interpret low mold spore trap count results

MOLD REPORTS - Mold and IAQ Investigation Reports

• 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 ©

Robigus, Lord of Fungus - a brief history of the Legend of Wheat Rust Fungus

Robigus, the Roman God and Lord of Crop Fungi, is by legend the power who arranged that wheat rust, a crop destroying fungus, would plague humanity. This punishment was in retribution for the cruelty of a boy who set fire to straw he had tied to a foxes tail. Indeed, wheat rust leaves crops looking burned, and leaves as much as 40% of the crop destroyed. Robigus, a fertility god, protected crops against diseases. At the Robigalia festival each April 25th, red-colored offerings (wine) were made to appease this god of the rust-red colored wheat rust fungus or wheat leaf rust a parasitic fungus, Puccinia recondita.

TECHNICAL PROCEDURES - Technical & Laboratory Procedures

Good Laboratory and Microscope Procedures are critical in making sense of field samples. Competent, trained, experienced aerobiologists, mycologists, and microbiologists can identify sample contents with good accuracy. Depending on the experience of the laboratory, it is also possible to interpret the meaning of the sample for the Building and its occupants. Laboratory professionals who have also performed the field inspection can make useful extrapolations from lab results. Hasty work by disinterested parties may be less useful for Building occupants and owners.

Please see TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES for the full text article on this topic.

• Air Sampler Specifications Required for Airborne Particle Calculations
• Airborne Particle Concentration Calculations - Spores per Cubic Meter for airborne mold or other particles - Lab SOP and Examples
• 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 used in our Laboratory for Aerobiology, Mycology, Indoor Air Quality Investigations, Particle ID, Forensic Microscopy, etc.
• Digital photography for microscopists - getting the image from the microscope slide to the computer to the database or printer
• Light-microscope examination methods, education, references, suppliers
• Museums & Restorations: Cultural Heritage and Aerobiology Mandrioli, Caneva, and Sabbioni (English version), museum artifact preservation from mold, acid gases etc. - book review in Pan American Aerobiology Association Newsletter
• Slide preparation methods, formulas, suppliers
• Slide Preparation - Permanent Slides, A Method For Preparing Cargille meltmount™ Permanent Microscope Slides for Rapid Field or Laboratory Use
• Tape Sample Analysis for Mold - How to Report Mold Levels in Mold Test Samples of Surfaces in Buildings

OTHER IAQ CONCERNS - Other Indoor Air Quality Concerns

• Air Filtration Suggestions: see these articles
  • AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS - about air filters
  • BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
  • AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR - optimum filter designs for best filtration
  • CONTINUOUS BLOWER FAN OPERATION - advantages of continuous air filtration in improving indoor air quality
  • AIR FILTER EFFECTIVENESS - how air filter effectiveness is measured
  • FIBERGLASS & AIR FILTERS - questions and opinions about fiberglass shedding hazards from air filters
  • SOURCES FOR AIR FILTERS - where to buy air filters
  • OTHER AIR CLEANERS
  • Other Switches on a Room Thermostat - how to set the HVAC blower fan to continuous operation, and what to do if the blower fan won't turn on or won't turn off
    
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Asbestos: visual identification of asbestos-suspect materials in Buildings - a photo guide
• Carpet Dust or Dust from HVAC? An Investigation of Indoor Dust Debris Blamed on a Heating/Cooling System Reveals Carpet Dust
• Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens
• Environmental Hazard Main Web Page: Environmental Hazard Detection, Testing, Repair, Illness, Symptoms, & Prevention in Buildings - research and "how to" articles
• Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Fiberglass hazards in Buildings: fiberglass HVAC duct work and fiberglass Building insulation, topic outline and references to expert sources regarding this carcinogen
• Toxic gases, indoor exposure levels, testing, identification
• Toxic Gas Testing: A Sampling Plan for Residential Buildings lists some of the toxic indoor gases for which we test, depending on the Building complaint and Building conditions
• Gas Exposure Hazard Levels: for Toxic Gas Exposure to Ammonia, Arsine, Arsenic, Bromine, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Hydride, Ozone - allowable exposure levels and hazard levels
• Carbon Dioxide Gas Toxicity hazard levels & testing
• Carbon Monoxide Gas Toxicity hazard levels & testing
• Formaldehyde: US EPA. UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation) was previously considered a hazard (formaldehyde outgassing). Subsequent research virtually closed concern regarding this material; however formaldehyde appears to remain a health concern for sensitive individuals.
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Sampling for gases in air such as VOC's, MVOC's, toxic chemicals, and combustion products.
  
  Unfortunately no single test or tool can detect all possible Building contaminants. We use methods and equipment which can test for common contaminants. If the identity of a specific contaminant is known in advance we can also test for a very large number of specific contaminant gases in Buildings.
  
  We use gas sampling equipment provided by the two most reliable companies in the world, Draeger-Safety's detector-tubes and Drager accuro bellows pump, the Gastec cylinder pump and detector-tube system produced by Gastec or Sensidyne, and we also use Sensidyne's Gilian air pump. For broad screening for combustibles and a number of other toxic gases and for leak tracing we also use Amprobe's Tif8850. All of these instruments, their applications, and sensitivities (minimum detectable limits) for specific gases are described in our Gas Sampling Plan online document.
• Radon Gas U.S. EPA Radon level maps
• Legionella sp. Health Concerns and advice, cleaning air conditioning systems, when to test for Legionella
  

Mold Testing: Examining the Validity of Current Indoor Mold Sampling Techniques

The complete and most current version of this paper is found at MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY. Excerpts are below.

This paper presents a summary and critique of some popular methods used to examine indoor air quality to test for presence or absence of problematic levels of toxic or allergenic mold or other bioaerosols. we will describe and critique specific "testing" or "sampling" methods used to "test" Buildings for mold in the course of a Building investigation. The appropriateness of testing at all is discussed on this and other pages at our website. our website InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse.htm includes more broad discussions of the overall approach to Building investigation, as do many expert references cited at that web. For a more comprehensive collection information about mold test methods see http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/IAQMethods.htm. For more on "mold classes" (Cosmetic mold vs. allergenic mold vs. toxic or pathogenic mold) see MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS and more references such as a Mold Action Guide are at the end of this document.

The full-text version of this presentation is at InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/SampMeth.htm - © 2010 - 2005 Daniel Friedman. An illustrated power-point version of this document is at InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/SampMethPPT.htm - © 2010-2005 Daniel Friedman, but involves larger files of images and data - if you are viewing this document from a low-speed line you should stick with the text version.

MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY
Introduction
  Air samples
    Shortcomings of air sampling
    Mold in Air: Quantitative Analysis
  Tape sampling for mold
    Determination of mold genera
    Determination of mold species
    Shortcomings of tape sampling
  Vacuum samples
    Surface vacuuming
    Shortcomings of surface and carpet vacuuming
    Vacuuming building cavities
    Vacuuming exposed insulation
    Shortcomings of vacuuming insulation
  Cultures to "Test for Mold"
  Shortcomings of culturing
  Swab sampling
  Shortcomings of swab sampling
  PCR methods for Mold Identification
  Mold "Testing" vs. Mold "Problem Identification"
  Are Mold Test Kits Useful?
  Reasons to Test for or Identify Mold
    1. Save Money if it's Just Cosmetic Mold
    2. Mold Related Illness
    3. Mold Cleanup Data baseline

Introduction to mold testing and sampling

An IAQ or "mold investigator" cannot reliably identify a mold genera or species growing on a Building surface by the naked eye. Despite the recent public fear created by media attention, including a now-refuted "Toxic black mold" Stachybotrys chartarum study involving infant illness and death, it is simply not the case that "black mold" in Buildings is necessarily a danger to occupants. In fact, having investigated many Buildings quite carefully, I assert that in most cases the "black mold" that you see in Buildings is most often an "indicator organism" telling you that conditions are right for mold formation. we have often found more problematic molds in such properties, such as species of Aspergillus sp. or Penicillium sp. which are airborne, travel in the Building, and are more likely to be bothering the occupants than a large, sticky, non-easily-airborne spore like S. chartarum. These harder to see, often light-colored molds, are quite often missed entirely by inexpert owners and amateur "mold inspectors" who go on to collect, over-report the occurrence of, and react to the "black stuff." One result has been unnecessary expense for "mold testing" and in some cases unnecessary mold remediation. Some of our articles, as well as writing by others who study this field, address these problems and offer help in deciding what level of trouble and expense are appropriate.

In any case, mold in a Building should be cleaned-up, and large amounts might require professional inspection and advice. Before doing anything drastic or costly, get some competent advice.

Opinions Expressed in This Article

This is a working document and is incomplete. These views are undergoing and are subject to peer review and revision. (Critique from any reader is welcome).

Trained in Building science, we perform on-site Building investigations to evaluate the need for and extent of mold remediation in Buildings in order to give mold remediation and prevention advice. Also trained in mold and other particle identification (forensic microscopy), we operate our own aerobiology laboratory where samples, collected during an investigation, are examined. In the course of our field surveys we often collect multiple samples even at the same surface or Building area, in order to study the relative effectiveness and consistency of the various methods, just as we test and compare other tools used to find hidden moisture and similar problems. (These extra samples, collected for purposes of scientific study, are not billed to our client.) our opinions about the usefulness of various methods derive from both study by other experts and by our own ongoing field and laboratory testing. Does everyone need to hire an "expert" like us to examine their home? Of course not. This article offers help in choosing mold sampling and testing methods and devices. Other articles at our website offer help in determining when it's appropriate to hire an expert. The Minnesota Department of Health has useful advice about hiring an investigator too.

Consultant certification - who's an "expert" and do you even need one?

Where the extent of mold damage and/or the risk to Building occupants justifies a professional survey, the inspection, sampling and testing performed, the laboratory determination of sample contents, and mold cleanup must be performed competently, lest the Building owners/occupants face an unexpected health risk (someone makes a mess of problematic mold) or cost (a poor remediation plan or bad clearance testing leaves a mold problem and the work has to be done all over again). Whoever performs sampling or testing needs to use effective methods for inspection and testing. For professional inspections, education and experience are required for this work as substantial costs and the health of present and future Building occupants can be at risk. Consumers should review experience and education of whomever they hire to survey a Building or to clean up an environmental problem.

Regrettably various mail-order "certifications" are available which are confusing to consumers, and even within organized professions such as industrial hygiene, environmental inspection firms, engineering firms, and home inspection companies, individual training, experience, and depth of knowledge vary enormously. Consumers hiring an inspector or remediation company should consider the education, experience, and track record of people they may employ and should not rely only on a professed "certification." (Years ago our dog Katie became a "certified inspector," and received a full diploma from a national "certification" agency. Try going to the "certifying" agency's website to see if, for simply mailing in a fee, or perhaps taking a weekend course, you, too, could become "certified" as a "mold remediator" or "environmental inspector.")

The CIH designation is a real credential as is P.E. "real" for certain specialties. But some CIH's and P.E.'s do not know Building failures and leak tracing, and may match other "mold investigators" who are not familiar with mycology, aerobiology, air and particle movement indoors, microscopy, chemistry, proper ways to use equipment, how to evaluate the expertise of their "mold lab," or even what mold looks like.

The Pan American Aerobiology Association http://www.paaa.org/ has recently completed and turned over to an independent testing agent http://www.paacb.org a national examination specifically to test the competence of people identifying fungal spores, a test which was offered beginning in 2004. Look for this and other pertinent professional associations or certifications provided they are from "real" professions and professional associations. And look at the background and experience of the investigator. AIHA is also interested in further investigator and lab certifications.

A Description & Critique of Contemporary Indoor Mold Sampling/Collection/Testing Methods

Air samples to "test" for mold

A collection device, slide, cassette, or tape are used with a calibrated air pump to collect airborne particles. we are not referring to culture plates which rely on passive collection or settlement of particles as these have even worse inaccuracies and errors than the reservations I describe about active air sampling described here. Some common examples of air samplers include:

1. Impaction samplers (Burkard™, Allergenco™) collect airborne particles through a venturi-slit onto a prepared microscope slide using a equipment incorporating a calibrated air pump and a static or moveable slide permitting single-use or time-lapse sampling.
2. Cassette samplers (Air-o-Cell™) use a patented 37mm cassette connected to a calibrated pump (typically at 15 lpm). The cassette is used to collect airborne particles through a venturi-slit onto a proprietary media on a cover-slip which is in turn mounted onto a microscope slide in the laboratory.
3. Cassette samplers using an MCE filter cassette connected to a calibrated pump. The filter can be cleared and examined microscopically (qualitatively, counting is tough except with the Bi-Air™), or used to prepare a culture, or both.
4. Cassette-like samplers use a calibrated pump connected to a patented stainless steel venturi-device which accepts a microscope slide prepared with a collection media.
5. Anderson-type samplers which collect particles directly onto a culture dish - for "viable sampling" to "test" for mold. Culture samples may be useful in some cases to better identify or to speciate mold which has already been found in a large reservoir. Otherwise it has limitations we discuss elsewhere in this document.
6. Anderson-type impaction samplers which collect particles on tape wrapped around on a drum or Rotorod samplers which collect particles on glass rods are used for outdoor pollen and spore counting and reporting in the IAAA allergy network. They are not well-suited for indoor Building assessment though some folks use the high-error rotorod sampler indoors.

Shortcomings of air sampling for mold - some specifics

But as a "mold test" for the presence or absence of a mold problem in a Building, a negative air sample result is of little confidence. As a measure of "mold exposure" quantitative analysis (spores/cubic meter) is invalid unless long-term time-weighted average measurements are made under all varying Building conditions. While this is an important diagnostic tool, and one which we apply regularly, it cannot be relied alone on in the way some investigators would use it: dashing into a Building and grabbing an air sample.

Air sampling as a "pass/fail" or "present/absent" test for mold in Buildings is unreliable as a "mold test." Many variables cause a wide range of particle levels in air over short intervals. However this method has a place in a thoughtful Building investigation: air sampling can be useful as a background check for the possibility that there is a large reservoir source which has not yet been found in a Building. But a negative result is of absolutely no confidence, and quantitative work (spores/cubic meter) is invalid unless long-term time-weighted average measurements are made under all varying Building conditions. our own time-lapse sampling proves that particle levels vary by a factor of 10,000 due to common variations in Building conditions such as fan on off, human activity, mechanical disturbance of moldy stuff, etc. While this is an important tool it cannot be relied on in the way most "inspectors" would use it, dashing into a Building and grabbing an air sample. See "Quantitative Analysis" comments below for an elaboration or see Mold Testing: Air samples and their interpretation - a quick tutorial.InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/tutorial.htm

1. Spores are collected but not spore producing conidiophores, hyphae and other components are collected, making identification incomplete and more difficult than with tape or cultured samples.
2. Spores are desiccated and may be damaged by the collection method, interfering with culture efforts if this follow-up step is needed.

In sum, air sampling is useful as a background screen for the possibility that there is a large reservoir source which has not yet been found in a Building, and may be useful to compare relative particle levels between a problem area and a control area, or in an area before and after cleaning. Independent from spore counts, a qualitative analysis of an air sample by an expert technician can provide compelling evidence of a nearby problem mold reservoir in certain cases, for example if the indoor sample contains long chains of Penicillium or Aspergillus spores. These spore chains are so fragile that they break apart quickly while traveling through the air. So spore chains found in (a pre-remediation) indoor sample, even if the total count is low, deserve some further thinking and investigation.

Mold in Air: Quantitative Analysis - "Spore counts"

Examining particles on a slide to count Mold spores/Meter³ of air, Mold Spores/M² of surface area, or Mold CFU's - colony-forming units is a common practice in Building investigations. These measures can be used to describe the results of some sampling or "mold testing" methods in Building.

While there is no fixed (nor fix-able) standard of absolute allowable "spore counts" in air (we'd need a standard for every genera and species by toxicity, weight, mobility, etc.), investigators have now seen so many moldy and not-moldy Buildings, and complaint and non-complaint areas that it's reasonable to have some general guidelines about what levels are probably a problem and what levels may not be a problem.

Acceptable Mold Levels: While there is no well-established quantitative standard for fungal spores on surfaces or in air, mold contamination is considered present in a Building when the total mold spore concentration per cubic meter of air is above 10,000. (Baxter, ETS). Acceptable levels for individual species vary since species toxicity varies widely as does spore size, weight, and other features which affect risk to Building occupants. E.g. Aspergillus/Penicillium in a "clean" residential Building study was at a mean of 230, in Buildings known to have a moisture or flooding problem it was at 2235 and in mold contaminated Buildings the figure was 36,037.

Surface samples of mold: the presence of toxic or allergenic mold as a dominant particle in any sample (surface or air) is usually a cause for further investigation or remediation. The presence of incidental occurrences of toxic or allergenic material in surface samples requires interpretation in light of other Building conditions, type of particle (spore chains), and other factors. For example, in a pre-remediation Building where occupants have Building related complaints and mold contamination is suspected, even a modest indoor level of 500 spores/M3 of air might suggest a problem if those spores formed a high percentage of the total indoor spore count and only a low percentage of the corresponding outdoor spore count taken as a control. our own field experience is similar to the counts suggested by Baxter. Since indoor environments in the U.S. and many other parts of the world are similar in conditions and often in Building materials, it is likely that these levels are not very dependent on region of the country.

Watch Out: interpret all quantitative data with great caution. Individual samples of particles in air show tremendous variation from minute to minute, making "ok" test results a thing to view with care. In situations of particular risk additional or periodic testing should be considered.

However, because indoor conditions of mechanical disturbance, ventilation, occupancy, and use vary widely over short intervals of just a few minutes, an indoor "mold spore count" is at high risk being inaccurate, incoherent, and confounding. Recipients of such reports are may not realize the distinction between highly precise results (lots of decimal places) and results which are fundamentally accurate or inaccurate, depending on the design of the sampling plan and the variation in Building conditions during the sampling interval. Unless there is good experimental design, quantitative results are precise (lots of decimal places in the answer) but almost certainly wrong (off by a factor of thousands) as a characterization of a Building.

Therefore quantitative studies are most useful as part of a more broad qualitative approach, indicating either relative differences in mold levels between a control area and a problem area or the relative change in Building conditions before and after cleaning. They are much less reliable as an absolute pass/fail criteria. Other substantial quantitative report issues other than accuracy include wide variation among labs in counting and skill levels, and more interestingly, the lack of and virtual impossibility of establishment of valid quantitative standards for mold exposure. For example, two different particles have different toxicity, different air movement; two of the same particle can vary in toxicity depending on supporting growth surface.

Shortcomings of Quantitative Analysis of Mold Spores in Air

1. Quantitative Analysis producing low results is unreliable: Building conditions vary enormously, causing huge variations in what particles may be found in the air at any given time. our own time-lapse sampling suggests that particle levels vary by a factor of at least several orders of magnitude due to common variations in Building conditions such as fan on off, human activity, mechanical disturbance of moldy stuff, etc.
2. Quantitative results which are superficially similar between indoors and outdoors may be misleading: An outdoor "Pen/Asp" count of 500 spores/M3 may have captured a genera or species which is completely different from a corresponding indoor "Pen/Asp" count which also found 400 spores/M3.
3. Quantitative results which seem "low" and qualify as a "clean Building" may be misleading: a lab reporting an outdoor "Pen/Asp" count of 700 and an indoor "Pen/Asp" count of 450 may look like an acceptably "clean" Building - the indoor count is "below the outdoor count." But suppose in fact the outdoor "Pen/Asp" is actually an unidentified amerospore, or a basidiomycete mis-classified, or is a common outdoor species of Penicillium, while the indoor "Pen./Asp" is actually representing Aspergillus niger? This is an argument for doing some subsequent culture work or better lab microscopy (Aspergillus niger can be identified by light microscope alone.) In this case the "low" level of 450 spores may in fact be a weak indicator of a large problem mold reservoir in the Building.

For more about air sampling, spore count methods, and their validity
Spore Counting Methods and ValidityInspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/sporecounts.htm
Mold Testing: Air samples and their interpretation - a quick tutorial.InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/tutorial.htm
Mold Levels - how much is bad? http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/Mold_Standards.htm
Mold Levels in Mold Test Samples of Surfaces in Buildings http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/moldtapes.htm - how to interpret surface tape samples.

Tape sampling for mold

Clear cellophane tape is pressed into a sampled surface, then removed and affixed to a clean surface such as a plastic bag or a microscope slide for mailing to a lab. The lab prepares the tape for microscopic examination. For mold genera and species identification the tape is examined in the laboratory. Tape samples can also be cultured (see Culture discussion below). This is the least-expensive collection method available, and is a preferred tool.

Using clear adhesive tape pressed into a surface to be tested is the first choice recommended method for identifying mold in a Building, particularly when combined with visual inspection as part of a mold investigation, per AIHA and other expert sources. This method permits rapid identification of genera (family name) and very often species (individual member name), particularly when the mold sampled has uniquely-identifiable spores or where the sample collects the conidiophore or spore-producing body as well.

In some cases genera determination alone is quite sufficient as the some of the common problem-genera (Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp.) do not have non-problematic members which grow in Buildings. Speciation is more likely to be needed when doing medical diagnosis. Tape samples can also be cultured if additional speciation is needed. Since tapes can collect the conidiophores and hyphae (when tape spot is chosen with some thought) they give more data than an air or vacuum sample.

For Building where large amounts of mold are found or suspected, tape sampling is a qualitative approach which is usually quite successful in addressing the basic question: is there a problematic genera which requires professional remediation? Combined with a visual inspection to locate target areas of risk and to find visible problems, it is the most essential component of a Building mold investigation and is the method recommended by experts writing in the field and by the AIHA's own training materials.

Tape samples are the preferred method of collecting surface samples in Buildings. Tape pressed into appropriate portions of suspected mold growing on a surface collects the most material from the surface and often includes sufficient structural material to identify the dominant problematic genera and species present. A properly collected sample is likely to contain both fungal conidia, conidiophores, and hyphae, the latter two of which are important aids for speciation. Tape samples of Building dust and even tape samples of moldy carpet are also generally useful in this manner but have some limitations discussed below.

Determination of mold genera:

Nearly all Building mold genera can be determined by light microscopic examination of tape samples. In the majority of Building investigation cases the key question is "is there a problematic genera (toxic or allergenic) requiring containment and professional remediation?" This can almost always be completely answered from genera alone. This is because within the more common troublemakers, their non-problematic member species may not occur in Buildings. For example, Penicillium notatum, used for the drug penicillin, does not grow in Buildings! If you find Penicillium sp. in a Building in quantity it needs to be remediated.

Determination of mold species:

Speciation of many mold genera can also be determined from tape sample material alone in many but certainly not 100% of cases. Some examples of easily speciated molds from among the most common genera and species found in Buildings: Cladosporium sphaerospermum, C. cladosporioides, Ulocladium chartarum, Taeoniella rudus, Pithomyces chartarum, Stachybotrys chartarum, Chaetomium globosum, Chaetomium aureum, Aspergillus niger are just a few examples. A good tape sample which collects the conidiophore and hyphae makes speciation possible for many molds. Many other airborne spores appear in Buildings and can be similarly speciated, but are not Building molds. Other airborne molds such as the Aspergillus and Penicillium families are probably a sufficient hazard in Buildings that if they are present in a large reservoir, speciation is not needed to decide to remediate.

Shortcomings of tape sampling:

1. Everything depends on where you stick the tape. Investigators and ordinary Building occupants tend to collect that which is easy to see - "black mold" and may miss more important, more health-risky light-colored and highly airborne genera (Aspergillus, Penicillium) which are also present but more difficult to see. An expert looks for mold-suspect material that seems to represent the dominant presence in an area by color, texture, and growing surface material. It would be unusual for there to be only a single genera/species of mold in a mold-problem Building. Looking and taping requires some guidance and education.
2. Some smaller airborne mold spores do not settle out of air rapidly and might appear equally as plated-out on walls as in dust on horizontal surfaces. In Building inspection to search for an unidentified problem source, samples of surface dust may under-represent the presence of these molds, though where a substantial airborne presence exists we have always found a surface dust presence as well. By contrast, properly collected tape samples from visible mold growing on a surface does not suffer this shortcoming.
3. Speciation of genera may be needed for special medical diagnostic reasons. From spores alone in any sample method, two of the most widespread problematic genera can be speciated only to a few cases. (Aspergillus niger for example.) Therefore for medical use, tape speciation of some genera is too limited, in particular if the sample collects only spores - a problem which can occur if tape is pressed into dust rather than into an area of growing mold, or when tape of a mold colony is pressed into a spore-packed center of a mature colony instead at the edges where the new colony growth and conidiophores are easier to find. A little knowledge of mycology is useful to professional Building inspectors.
4. When growing conditions become unfavorable some molds change form into an encysted or encapsulated dormant state, forming fungal perithecia, cleistothecia, or pycnidia which may be collected as "black stuff" from Building surfaces (particularly wood). While often one finds identifiable material among perithecia that cant' be assured. Culturing of such samples may produce an identifiable fungus if by luck the right culture media is selected.
5. Tape sampling is qualitative, not quantitative. Most experts and competent labs will offer a description of the density of fungal material found in the sample using non-standardized terms like Level 1-2-3-4 or Light, Medium, Heavy, or Dominant, Present, and Incidental. These terms lack a standard definition but are of some use provided the lab has and can provide their own standard and definition.

In sum, the determination of the presence of a Building mold problem (toxic or allergenic) vs. cosmetic mold can usually be made from tape samples alone.

For more information on tape sampling methods
http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/tutorial2.htm about tape sampling
http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/bulksamp.htm how to collect and send a tape sample to a laboratory

Vacuum samples for mold

A collection canister is connected to an air or vacuum pump which is used to draw particles onto a filter-surface or into a special collection container. The lab clears the filter onto a microscope slide, washes the filter onto a microscope slide, or uses another method to transfer particles for examination by microscope for preparation by culture.

Surface vacuuming for mold

Vacuum samples can be useful for testing soft goods (clothing, bedding, curtains, carpets) for high levels of contaminated spores in a qualitative approach. We particularly like vacuuming a number of surfaces in an area using a single collection device as a less-costly way to make a more confident inspection of the level of contamination by moldy dust in Buildings with a known problem. We also use this method as part of a mold clearance inspection to evaluate the thoroughness of both the containment system and the general cleaning effort. For example we may collect a sample of vacuumed surface dust from 10 different surfaces in 5 rooms on a floor of a home, forming a more broad screen for moldy dust than single tape lifts of surface dust.

We've found wide variety in levels of mold found growing in or on carpets, depending on a number of variables including even the level of other dirt present in the carpeting. Some experts question this measure. Carpet vacuuming for mold is interesting as a pre and post remediation baseline data source for areas out of the remediation/containment area, but for any carpet this method quickly overloads a particle sampler.

Shortcomings of surface and carpet vacuuming for mold

1. vacuuming will not collect identifying structural components of mold as well as tape and will almost certainly damage or destroy the structures which it collects, imposing some limits on identification
2. vacuuming will not collect all of the material on a hard surface (which tape handles well). Particles which are easily lifted by the airflow into the canister will be over-represented compared with sticky particles which are adhered to the test surface. This problem is particularly sensitive to the flow rate (LPM) used. A low-flow rate (1LPM) avoids a sample overload problem (too many particles, can't read the sample) but may fail to collect or under-collect certain particles. A high flow rate improves particle pick-up but then limits the number of sample sites (increasing test cost) in order to avoid sample overload. we suspect that no vacuum method we have tested could reliably pull mold or debris reliably from deep inside a heavy upholstered couch.
3. Carpet vacuums and some furniture or drapery vacuums will either be overloaded or restricted to culture (to which we have already objected).

Shortcomings of vacuuming insulation for mold

We love this method, but one must take care not to overload the sample. If insulation is not exposed for testing one needs to make a sufficiently large opening to agitate and then vacuum the insulation - we use a 4" square opening and take care to avoid vacuuming up simply a collection of drywall dust.

Vacuuming Building cavities for a mold screen

Vacuuming Building cavities is a popular screening practice to look for mold reservoirs. The investigator is trying to explore wall cavities while doing minimal or no visible damage. A wall-check system has been marketed for this purpose and several manufacturers have copied the basic idea: a receiving Air-o-Cel or MCE filter cassette is attached at its inlet side to a tube which is inserted as a probe into a wall cavity, permitting creation of only a small hole. The outlet or pump side of the test device is connected to a pump and operated, typically at 15 lpm. Where we have tested this method we have experimented with both passive collection (what most investigators use) or aggressive collection (banging on the wall/ceiling at various points to attempt to dislodge and stir particles).

Short duration samples, 1-2 minutes using an Air-o-Cell permit a comparatively large number of samples to be collected in a reasonably short interval. Long duration samples, perhaps for up to two hours, are collected using an MCE filter cassette.

Shortcomings of vacuuming Building cavities through a tube but our testing strongly suggests that this method is very unreliable for characterizing wall contents. we do not believe that enough air movement is created in the wall cavity (sucking any lpm flow through a small diameter tube) to reliably collect what could be a severe mold reservoir that happens not to be right next to the probe. Further if the cavity is insulated there will be virtually no air or particle movement except from very close to the probe.

Vacuuming exposed insulation for mold

At many investigations we have found a large hidden mold reservoir in Building insulation, particularly fiberglass insulation in attics under roof leaks over drywall, and in crawl spaces which have been damp or wet. we have also found very moldy fiberglass in basement ceilings after moldy surfaces and debris have been removed (such insulation should have been removed during the remediation). our method is to agitate the target insulation (simply poke it with your flashlight or a ruler), followed by holding our vacuum cassette an inch or two away from the insulation surface. This reliably picks up particles from the insulation without overloading the sample with fiberglass. (A baseline comparison sample collected in nearby Building air before any such agitating sampling is also needed.) This method has been remarkably successful in finding and allowing the removal of several "mystery" problems in Buildings where severe mold-related complaints were heard.

Any of several types of vacuum cassettes are used to collect dust from a surface. we use Air-o-Cel cassettes and MCE filter cassettes. we am experimenting with vacuum cassettes loaded with high-adhesive tape. The contents of the cassette may be examined by light microscope or may be used for preparation of cultures. One special (and costly) cassette method collects dual samples permitting both direct examination and culturing. This method may be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis, depending on collection method details. It is best suited for sampling dust from surfaces and from soft goods such as carpeting or upholstered furniture. It's strength is its use in examining multiple hard surfaces with relatively low levels of debris (avoiding sample overload) or individual soft surfaces where tape may not collect particles imbedded in the surface, and in collecting dust from multiple locations in a single cassette as a Building dust scan for mold.

Cultures to "Test for Mold"

Mold cultures involve the collection of particles by air sampling pump, by gravity settlement, or by lift from a surface using a swab or tape. Some sampling equipment (Anderson spore traps) can collect spores directly into a petri dish of culture medium, and are used for "viable spore sampling in air." The sample by pump, gravity, tape or swab is in any case applied to one or more petri dishes of culture media for incubation and subsequent examination of the growth product. Mold Culturing is useful for genera speciation once you have collected a single or dominant sample whose importance (frequency in the Building) you already know. As a "home test kit" for the presence of problematic mold in a Building this is an unreliable method, as we describe below at "shortcomings."

Mold Cultures are useful for:

Identifying the genera/species of a mold which was not readily named by (faster, cheaper) light microscopy

Identifying a problem genera to the species level for medical diagnostic purposes - i.e. pass this (possibly accurate) data along to your doctor if you're sick

Distinguishing apparently similar outdoor mold counts from indoor mold counts of "look-alike" spores that may really be different genera/species

Shortcomings of culturing mold samples

While this is an important tool which has a place in our arsenal, mold culturing is questionable as a means to characterize a mold risk in a Building, particularly if it reports the absence of a mold problem. The objections listed below mean that field investigators must collect samples with some care and interpret lab reports with some caution.

1. Roughly 90% of all molds on earth will not grow on any culture under any condition. Others are quite difficult to coax into growing on culture, even with careful methods. So if you buy a "home test kit" that uses a single culture plate, you're 90% wrong when you open the container. To be fair, it might be that many common indoor problem-molds will show up in certain cultures, but these numbers still hold.
2. The toxicity or allergenicity of a specific mold (genera/species/strain) may vary widely depending on what it's growing on. So even a "toxic" Building mold might be low or non-toxic when growing on certain substances. Molds that grow on cultures may produce very different structures and have different medical characteristics than when growing in nature or in a Building.
3. Cultures may name the wrong mold as "the problem": Cultures have a high risk of both missing the problematic spore and of indicating that some other spore is the dominant or problem in a Building. For example, to speciate one of the more than 100 members of the Aspergillus genera requires culturing the sample on four different media, simultaneously, comparing subtle things like growth rate among morphologically similar species. we believe that virtually no lab uses that troublesome procedure outside of university research and medical laboratories.
4. Settlement plate cultures (such as "home test kits") rely on gravity, making any comparison of "spore counts" dead wrong - different spores are of different sizes and masses, and settle out of the air at different rates. This over-states the presence of big heavy spores (like Stachybotrys chartarum) and under-states the presence of small light spores (like Aspergillus versicolor) in a given sample. These small spores (2-3u) tend to stay airborne due to very slight indoor convection currents (e.g. heat from lighting and natural Building stack effects).
5. Swab and tape samples for cultures may collect the wrong mold. Swab or tape samples used for culture for identification of what's on a surface have the same viable-non-viable question we have already raised. Everything depends on where you collected the swab or tape sample. Moving a tape or swab over as little as one inch on a surface, and certainly moving it a few feet, can collect a completely different mold genera and species! An "expert" should know what's probably representative of the Building and should know where the important genera/species are likely to be growing. Many investigators are quick to sample the highly-visible "black" mold on a surface and under-sample very important but hard to see light colored molds often found higher on a wall, for example, where the surface was less wet.
6. Cultures are probably not really being done with full accuracy in some labs, especially for Aspergillus: Culturing on one or even two media risks that the important genera/species in the sample does not grow at all on the medium, that it grows in a different form and is identified differently than it appears in the Building, or that it is overgrown by another genera/species present which likes the culture more than the target species. we have demonstrated this culture-media variation in a study we am pursuing about mold in tea. In a problem-tea sample cultured on the most commonly used culture media, MEA, the culture produced an overwhelming growth of Cladosporium sp., while a parallel culture (from the identical sample) made on DG-18 produced a single Cladosporium colony and grew an overwhelming collection of Aspergillus niger!
7. Non-viable spores, that don't grow on culture may still be toxic or allergenic particles which are a problem for some people exposed to them.

While we enjoy growing mold cultures in our lab (it makes for nice, photogenic mold colonies), it is less often useful than direct microscopic examination of a field-collected surface or vacuum sample. Without the added step of mold culturing, from a good surface sample using adhesive tape, a trained microscopist can identify mold genera and mold species as well in many cases. In many instances, knowing the mold genera is enough to decide on a course of cleanup action without further expense. For example, if we agree that there are no harmless Aspergillus species or Penicillium species that grow indoors, then for purposes of deciding on the need for remediation, only the size of the reservoir is important. P. notatum, used for making the drug Penicillin, has not to our knowledge been found growing on Building materials.

For more discussion about mold cultures from settlement plates or swabs see "The Validity of Cultures at InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/cultures.htm

Swab sampling

Swab samples can be used to pull particles for microscopic exam but destroy the identifying conidiophores and hyphae; They are more often used to prepare cultures which have the shortcoming cited above. We make use of swabs to sample for bacteriological contamination.

A sterile swab is wiped across a sampled surface, the inserted into a sterile tube for mailing to a lab.
Swabs are processed in one of two ways:

1. Direct examination: The lab can lift particles from the swab using tape or other methods to make a direct particle examination similar to tape sampling above.
2. Culturing: The lab rolls the swab across a culture plate to culture the sample for identification.

Shortcomings of swab sampling for mold

1. Direct examination: determination of species by direct examination is nearly impossible as the collection method destroys or fails to collect identifying structures such as conidiophores and hyphae. "Rubbing" and possibly even "rolling" the swab on a surface to collect a sample will often destroy key structural components (the conidiophores and hyphal details) which would have been more easily preserved using adhesive tape.
2. Culturing from swabs (or tape): risks misidentification of the dominant species present and may completely miss species which are present due to choice of culture media and growing conditions, as stated above about mold cultures.
3. Swabs used to collect particles from insulation, fabric, upholstery, carpets, may fail to collect representative material as they only touch surface particles. Vacuuming such surfaces is more representative of what particles are aerosolized by human activity in a Building.

Swabs are great for testing for bacteriological contamination testing but in our opinion they are of less use in fungal work.

PCR methods for Mold Identification

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used to identify individual genera/species with good accuracy and fairly quickly. The method requires costly equipment and is not available at most laboratories. Perhaps more important is that the data base of PCR identification information is limited to a small set of species compared with the wide range of genera/species which occur. At least one excellent national laboratory offers this service for mold speciation. Depending on how rapidly technology drives down the cost and how rapidly the identification data base is expanded, I suspect that this method will see increased use. The limitations of this tool are currently two: first, it is quite costly to perform per sample, and second, it is excellent at identifying the presence or absence of a specific mold you're looking for. It is less useful as a broad spectrum scan expected to pop up with a result of what's present out of the 1.5 million possible candidates - of which only a few are yet even in the PCR database.

The Usefulness of Mold Testing vs. Mold Identification

Are Mold Home Test Kits Useful? Accurate? Worth the cost?

Settlement plates, culture media, or swabs which are later cultured, used alone for Building mold risk analysis are invalid methods which risk both false positive results (saying there's a problem when there is not) and false negative results (missing an important problem). More about this is in this article and you can read in greater depth at The Validity of Cultures. http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/cultures.htm

What about other do-it-yourself tests? Amateur mold "testing" by a homeowner, using a tape lift of visible mold, perhaps with some good advice on where to look, might be an inexpensive way find out that the "black mold" on the floor joists is a "cosmetic-only" mold, thus avoiding the cost of a more expert professional Building investigation/remediation. However anyone using this approach should understand that it is incomplete and superficial: you might collect your sample from a spot which is not representative; you will not address the risk of hidden mold in Building cavities; you will not have expert mold remediation advice; you will not have baseline data to support a later clearance test after cleanup, finally, you risk leaving another problem in the Building. These warnings should be considered carefully where large areas of mold are already visible or at-risk occupants are involved.

Of the mold samples sent to our lab by owners who have had no collection advice, we find that "black molds" seem to be over-represented and I suspect these are often not the real problem in the Building. The mold the owner sees may be simply the indicator of moldy conditions. Lighter, harder-to see molds in the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. families, for example, are under-represented in owner-collected samples (based on our field experience and on our review of statistics of samples sent to Dr. J. Haines at the N.Y. State Museum for identification) because these genera are often more difficult to see.

Mold "Testing" vs. Mold "Problem Identification"

We are making up this temporary distinction to make clear an important point.

Mold Testing a Building for the presence or absence of a problematic level of mold is unreliable if by "testing" one means a simple air test, an arbitrary surface or vacuum test, a swab test, or any culture method used alone and without a careful and complete inspection of the property. In particular, failure to detect problem levels of problem mold with an air, culture, swab, PCR or similar test (used alone) is not sufficient to conclude that there is no problem.

1. Airborne particle levels vary widely over short time intervals. What's in the air in a Building varies enormously, possibly by a factor of thousands, over just a few minutes, depending on things like the level of activity, mechanical disturbance of dust, fans being turned on or off, hot air heat or central air being on or off, and more subtle changes in humidity, etc.

2. Cultures whether from a "home test kit" culture plate or a swab are unreliable as a characterization of presence or absence of mold because first, only about 10% of all of the 1.5 million mold species on earth will grow in any culture under any condition, second because what grows on a particular culture may be what likes that culture not what is the dominant problem, and third, because accurate speciation of some of our problem groups such as Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. require arduous multiple cultures under very controlled conditions for reliable results.

3. PCR tests are highly accurate in identifying individual molds, if you know what you're looking for. PCR is not reliable as a broad spectrum scan to find what's in a Building.

Mold Problem Identification, as I'm speaking here, is an important part of a Building investigation for mold (or other allergen) problems. By this we mean, an investigator should be charged to identify the presence of problematic mold, including no less than the following: first, the evidence that problematic levels of mold are present and that the predominant genera/species are ones which can be expected to be toxic or highly allergenic; second, the evidence that a large problem reservoir exists; third, the location(s) of the problem reservoir; fourth, the underlying causes for the presence of the problem reservoir. This information permits preparation of a remediation plan to specify the cleanup needed and the Building repairs needed to avoid simply producing more mold.

Key in a Mold Problem Identification investigation is the actual visual examination of the Building, its history, its leaks, and other physical evidence. As a part of such an investigation, samples are collected of visible mold to distinguish cosmetic from problematic material, and other samples might be collected to examine the level of moldy dust settled in Building areas where mold is not present. Additional samples may be collected for comparison baselines such from outdoor areas or from non-complaint areas in the problem Building.

A thorough Building investigation will include sampling or "tests" to identify the presence of mold and to identify the dominant problem molds by genera and often species. By contrast, a quick and simple "mold test," particularly a random spot check, is of little value by itself: grabbing a 90 liter air sample or putting a settlement plate in a closet for an hour is not a reliable Building characterization for mold, and a tape sample of the single square foot of mold in a Building is unnecessary.

Clean up small areas without testing:
If there is no large mold area, no leak history, no at-risk occupants, in sum, if you simply have a little moldy area, just clean it up, and spend your "test kit" money on cleaning supplies or dinner out. Small amounts of mold can often can be cleaned-up by the occupant or owner provided that person has no special allergy or risk regarding mold. Some states define "small" as less than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous mold. Your own area may use a different criterion. Larger areas of non-cosmetic mold are likely to require work by a cleanup professional. If you think you need to hire someone, see "When to hire a professional" for more detailed help in deciding when and how to proceed.

When is it useful to identify mold?

Why try to identify mold at all. Some practitioners argue that no testing is needed, mold should simply be found and cleaned-up. we agree with this approach for small areas of mold where there are no larger issues such as occupant complaints or BRI (Building related illness).

Why identify mold - Reason 1: Cosmetic-only vs. problematic mold
But if mold present in the Building is only of "cosmetic" concern, it is unlikely that special cleanup methods such as negative air, establishment of a containment system, and special personal protection for workers is needed. If these special methods can be avoided, the cost to remove mold will be substantially less. Therefore it cases where a large amount of mold is present it may be appropriate to have an expert perform testing and to prepare an appropriate remediation plan to guide the remediation contractor. The same expert may be used to perform clearance testing later to assure that the cleanup was proper and successful. Also see Can mold make you sick?"

Harmless "Black Mold": A very common example is the Ceratocystis/Ophistoma group which appear as "black mold" on framing lumber and which are more commonly known as "blue stain" or sapstain molds. This mold is found on lumber as it arrives from the lumber yard - a condition that is readily apparent to a Building expert and which can be confirmed by sample identification.

Allergenic mold: Other dark molds, including the most common genera Cladosporium sp. are often allergenic: a potential respiratory irritant or a problem for people with allergies, asthma, or other sensitivities.

Toxic/Pathogenic mold: a third broad group are molds which we call "toxic" and includes species which are toxic, pathogens, or infectious agents which in some cases may be capable of infecting humans or of producing disease in humans. Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, are two examples.

We find in many cases that large areas of "black mold," about which owners/occupants may be unduly frightened, are Ceratocystis/Ophistoma, a common mold that is found on framing lumber from time of construction, and which is known to be only of cosmetic concern, and which is not an indicator of mold-conducive conditions in the Building - it came in on the lumber and is inactive and cosmetic. Without knowing what this is, people may make large and inappropriate expenditure on "professional remediation" - in one case in CT a client was about to launch a $600,000. complete re-framing of the first floor of a Building, a totally inappropriate step which was completely unnecessary with a little knowledge of mycology and Building science.

Ambiguous airborne mold counts: A second example of this sort is the need to distinguish between two "mold counts" that appear to be the same but actually mean very different things. An outdoor 500 Pen/Asp spores/M3 of air and an apparently low indoor 400 Pen/Asp spores/M3 may take on a new meaning if the outdoor spores are a different genera/species than the indoor ones.

Why identify mold - Reason 2: convey possible health effects to a physician:
Proving that mold in a Building caused a health concern is so arduous and costly as to be inappropriate in most cases. If a lot of allergenic or toxic mold is present, it needs to be removed. But information about what was found in a Building may be useful: a number of our clients have health complaints for which IAQ problems are a potential cause or contributor - information which they want to convey to their physician. For example, a delay in diagnosing fungal infections in two of our clients led each to have permanent loss of eyesight. we acknowledge that these cases are not common, but they occur enough for caution to be in order. we don't submit that we should be practicing medicine nor diagnosing ailments, rather that information about a sick person's environment might be useful to their physician. Harriet Burge at the Harvard School of Public Health has taught us that the cost of proving that a specific illness is caused by a specific mold or allergen in a particular environment is so arduous as to be impractical. However we agree, as we expect you do too, that if a large area of allergenic or more toxic mold is present in an environment it should be removed.

Can Mold Make You Sick? We live in a sea of mold, and other stuff in the air we breathe, on cushions we sit on, clothes we wear, pools we swim-in, and so on. Most mold is not hurting anyone, and some of it makes us well when we're sick(Penicillium notatum, for example). Fear of mold (mycophobia) is unjustified and in our opinion, more a result of media hype, enviro-scare, and gouging consumers. A healthy person walking through a room of moldy air is not likely to die. On the other hand, there is a wealth of less rigorous empirical data matching occupant complaints with indoor mold and allergens. Finally, for certain people, mold can be a serious problem if it's at high levels indoors. It's probably an overstatement by those authorities who assert that "... there are no proven links between mold and illness." we refer readers to some of our lab's references for descriptions of illness-related molds, some of which are found in Buildings:

1. Identifying Filamentous Fungi, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7
2. Fundamentals of Diagnostic Mycology, F. Fisher, N.Cook, W.B. Saunders, 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6
3. Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., G.S. de Hoog, J. Guarro, J. Gene & M.J. Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2000 ISBN 90-70351-43-9.
4. InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/bibliog.htm contains a more extensive reference list.

Why Identify mold - Reason 3: establish a data baseline and later, evaluate the success of a professional mold remediation project.

Where large areas of remediation are needed, using professional cleaning services, we find that in many cases the "professional" does not properly maintain containment, and actually increases the level of allergens in the Building. In Buildings where occupants are at particular risk (elderly, immune-impaired, infant, asthmatic) we have had cases where an occupant entered an area contaminated with high levels of allergenic mold and suffer severe asthma attacks. In Ellenville, NY we are aware of a fatality involving just such an instance.

For large remediation projects we find it very useful to have a base-line of data on what areas need to be cleaned and which are acceptably clean before the remediation project. Then a quick test after the remediation can confirm not only that it was successful, but that the remediator did not inadvertently fail to contain. If the containment was unsuccessful and other Building areas have become contaminated enough to want to have additional cleaning (typically HEPA vacuuming or wiping), having the baseline showing that the contamination followed the remediation rather than preceded it protects the property owner or occupant from additional unnecessary expense.

The usefulness of samples depends on the knowledge and thoroughness of the person collecting the sample as part of a Building investigation. Arbitrary or random samples are unlikely to be a reliable characterization of a Building. Choice of method as well as how the method is applied (for example, just where to stick the tape to collect a surface sample) makes a large difference in the quality and representativeness of the sample.

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