Is a Mold Air Test Really Effective?

When it comes to mold testing, there are several alternatives available. Mold air test, often known as mold air sampling, is one such alternative, which is growing in popularity. The question however, if it's really effective, remains unanswered. Mold air test refers to taking samples of mold spores present in the indoor environment by releasing them into the air for a period of time and then testing them later on. So, Should you perform a mold air test or not? Hiring a reliable mold testing company like Quick Mold Labs is the best way to go about it. The next part of this blog post will help you understand why.

What is a Mold Air Test?

It's precisely how it sounds. It is a method of checking for the presence of mold by collecting spores from the surrounding air. Several devices are used to gather mold air test samples that may be examined for mold. The following are the most typical devices:

• Impaction samplers that impact spores onto a prepared microscope slide using a calibrated air pump.
• Cassette samplers that use pushed air to impact spores onto a collection medium.
• Airborne particle catchers that catch spores on a culture dish.

How Are Mold Air Test Samples Examined In The Laboratory?

Mold air test sample slides are made in the lab and inspected under magnifications ranging from 100x to 1920x to determine the dominant or other suggestive particles gathered. Particle counting, such as spores/M3 of air, is done at 400x, 480x, 720x, 1000x, and up to 1920x if available. Some companies additionally employ polarized light and dark field techniques, as well as a range of slide preparation chemicals and stains.

Do You Need a Mold Air Test?

Not necessarily. A mold air test can assist to determine whether there are high amounts of mold spores in the air, which can be an indicator of possible heightened moisture problems.

What is the Cost of a Mold Air Test?

That is dependent on the situation. The mold air test itself might cost between $70 and $500. The charge is determined on the number of samples taken, the type of equipment used to collect them, and the type of laboratory analysis performed. Each mold testing company will charge a different price.

What Are The Positives of a Mold Air Test?

• As A Screening Mechanism: If substantial quantities of airborne particles are discovered that were not previously detected by a visual inspection or bulk sampling, it may indicate that a more comprehensive or intrusive building examination is required. However, the lack of airborne particles in a screening examination does not indicate that harmful mold is not present in the structure.
• A Cross Check In Clearance Testing: After cleanup, a mold air test may be done to confirm that the mold levels have been adequately lowered to “tolerable” levels.

What Are The Negatives of a Mold Air Test?

• Mold Air Test Samples Only Give a Very Brief Snapshot Of What Might Be Going On In Your Building or Home: Mold air test samples are usually collected for 5 minutes. This implies that the sample just takes into consideration whatever happens to be floating about in the local air during that 5 minute period. This is a problem since the air around us is constantly changing based on the degree of recent activity in the home, if the HVAC is on, whether the windows were just opened, if the house was recently vacuumed, and so on. In fact, you can collect a sample in the same spot and obtain an entirely different response 20 minutes later. Mold air test samples are very variable and do not give a historical view of mold contamination in space. As a result, their results frequently produce a false negative.
• Fungal Fragments Are Not Accounted For In The Mold Air Test Sample: Mold colonies are made up of more than just spores. They are made up of complete development structures that, as part of their metabolic activity, produce spores. Fungal fragments can become airborne after breaking away from the colony. These particles contain the DNA of mold colonies and may also include mycotoxins, making them essential to evaluate as part of the mold air test process. Fungal fragments are entirely ignored when tested as part of an ambient mold test air sample since they are not spores. As a result, ambient mold air test samples only represent a small portion of the total possible exposure.
• Mold Air Test Tend To Find Particles That Are Naturally More Easily Airborne: Stachybotrys chartarum is a big, sticky mold spore that is difficult to disperse in the air. These spores are not typically detected in interior air, even in the presence of a big mold reservoir, unless the Stachybotrys chartarum is disturbed. This might happen as a result of poor demolition and cleaning, or by transporting highly moldy things through a structure. As a result, a mold air test may come back negative when there is a high amount of stachybotrys in the structure.
• It's Difficult to Compare Outdoor Mold Counts to Indoor Mold Spore Counts: Outdoor mold air test samples are frequently collected as a control for comparison with interior results. Two samples, one from the windward and one from the leeward sides of the house, can assist offer a more complete picture of what is in the air that may be entering the home through open windows and doors. Outdoor mold counts are difficult to compare to indoor mold spore counts since the same genera can be detected, but there are numerous distinct species within that genus. For example, a lab may discover aspergillus in both indoor and outdoor samples. According to the lab, there is a reduced spore count indoors, which is a positive thing in principle. The aspergillus found within, on the other hand, is a completely different and more deadly species than the aspergillus found outside. Most mold laboratories are unable or unwilling to distinguish to this degree of precision. As you can see, comparing these two spore counts is useless.

A Mold Testing Company Serving Florida

Contact Quick Mold Labs at 786-530-6653 today for 24 hour mold inspection, mold testing, or mold assessment along with any of our other services or get an instant quote from our website. Our Mold Testing Company will get to your Florida home and conduct a mold air test in 30 to 60 minutes.

What do you know about mold spores? Learn all about mold spores here.