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 Mobile ViewMOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGSS ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES BASEMENT MOLD BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSULATION MOLD MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURES OZONE HAZARDS OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SICK HOUSE IAQ QUESTIONNAIRE SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS VENTILATION in BUILDINGS More Information |
Vacuum cassette test methods for building dust or mold: this article explains the advantages and shortcomings of using vacuum cassettes or spore traps to collect mold test samples (or other dust or particle samples) from indoor surfaces such as carpets, couches, or multiple hard surface dust samples. In this article series discuss the validity of nearly all of the popular mold testing methods currently in use, pointing out the strengths and weakness of each approach to mold sampling in the indoor environment, beginning with air sampling for airborne mold levels indoors. Because mold test validity and mold test accuracy are often confused, readers should also see ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS. People who need to conduct mold inspection and testing indoors should see MOLD TEST PROCEDURES and TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman. A Guide to Using Vacuum Samples for Screen Buildings for Toxic 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. A collection device, slide, cassette, or tape are used with a calibrated air pump to collect surface particles. The lab prepares a slide from the cassette (of the types below) or if an MCE filter cassette was used to collect particles, 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. Our MOLD INFORMATION CENTER 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 INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED. 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.  Using a simple portable pump calibrated to a known flow rate allows rough estimation of particle density per square inch of surface tested if that analysis is needed. People using this approach may make use of a disposable paper square template that defines a precise surface area to be vacuumed (photo above left). In our opinion a precise quantitative approach to surface vacuuming is silly because there is normally large particle variation over building surfaces for many reasons. But the approach is useful to screen for high levels of particular particles (such as mold spores, animal dander, insect allergens). Our photo (left) shows five vacuum test areas on a hallway carpet during a study conducted by the author to examine the variation in particle deposition by foot traffic in a residential hallway. Our hypothesis was that more outside dirt and debris could always be found in the center of the main path of foot traffic even though that area also received more aggressive vacuum cleaning than the hallway sides. We have tested carpeting before and after various types of cleaning and after suffering various types of contamination. Surface vacuuming for mold
This is an effective and useful particle or mold sampling method. We are not referring building wall or ceiling cavity vacuuming methods that attempt to draw air and particles from the building cavity through a punctured opening and tube into a collecting device - an approach that our test found was ineffective. We discuss building cavity vacuuming below at Vacuuming building cavities.
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.
The Burkard personal air sampler (photo at left) can also be used to vacuum particles from surfaces provided that a strong air flow is not required to lift the particles from the surface (this device pumps at 10 lpm). Shortcomings of surface and carpet vacuuming for mold
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about using vacuum sampling to collect dust or particles from building carpets, fabrics, furniture, insulation or other surfaces... Ask a Question or Search InspectApediaUse the search box below to ask a question or to search the InspectApedia.com website. Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below. Technical Reviewers & ReferencesRelated Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
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