Importance of Mold Testing

Over the past few years, mold has been the environmental buzzword with air quality problems in homes and building environments. Mold follows a litany of other home pollutants that have caused extensive attention: asbestos, lead, radon, etc. We do not want to downplay mold as an issue in buildings. However, we feel that education is the best way to debunk any inaccurate, exaggerated, and simply untrue focus directed just to mold as the sole cause of poor air quality.
The indoor environment is a creation of the modern era. Previously, buildings were notable for the extent to which they were open to the outside air, known as "natural ventilation." But, technological advances have permitted us to seal buildings tightly, recirculate the air within them, and fill them with various particle and chemical-emitting materials and objects.

The Sick Building Syndrome

Sick building syndrome’s symptoms are associated with illnesses directly related to indoor environments. The symptoms are various and related to the many different items and factors that make up the indoor environment. The investigation starts by revealing a pattern of complaints that span multiple individuals. The chief clues to the building as the cause are:
  • The presence of symptoms while working or living in the building.
  • The symptoms clearing upon leaving the building and living/working elsewhere for a while.
  • The return of the symptoms upon return to the building.
  • The presence of the symptoms in multiple individuals. Typically, a few individuals will be severely affected, a larger number will have moderate symptoms, while others will have none.

What Factors Seem to Most Often Cause the Sick Building Syndrome?

Building Factors
  • Mechanical Ventilation
  • Relative Humidity
  • Fresh Air Ventilation Rates
Specific Environmental Factors and Pollutants
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Formaldehyde, Solvents, Etc.
  • Carbon Monoxide: Stoves, Heaters, Furnaces
  • Dust and Fibres: Asbestosis, Fiberglass, Dirt
  • Bioaerosols: Bacteria, Molds, Viruses, Pollen, Dust Mites, Animal Dander, Animal Excreta
  • Trapped Outdoor Pollutants: Vehicle or Industrial Exhausts
  • Physical Factors: Lighting, Vibration, Noise, Temperature, Crowding, Photoduplication
Personal Factors
  • Hypersensitive Senses (Chemically Sensitive Individuals)
  • History of Being Allergic (Atopic)
  • Job-Related Tensions
  • Job Dissatisfaction
Specific Illnesses
  • Allergic Reactions to Indoor Allergens Including Dust Mites, Plant Products, or Fungal Products
  • Irritation Due to (Volatile/Non-Volatile) Chemicals Released From the Environment
  • Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Related to the Recirculation of Cigarette Smoke or Exhaust Fumes
Non-Specific Illnesses
A Diverse Group of Work-Related Symptoms That Include Skin Irritation, Mucous Membranes (Mouth, Nose, Throat), Headache, Fatigue, and Difficulty ConcentratingA Variety of Factors Have Been Associated With Increased Rates of These Complaints: Younger Age, Female, Cigarette Smoking, Type of Work (e.g., Working Near a Photocopier), Level of Office Crowding, Presence of Carpets, and Type/Volume of Ventilation

Searching for Molds

A visual and olfactory (look and smell) inspection is the most important step in identifying a possible contamination problem. You are done with cleanup when:
  • There is no visible mold.
  • There are no mold odors.
  • You have fixed the moisture/water problem so that it will not recur.
If sampling of surfaces needs to be done, there are several possible strategies:
  • Air sampling utilizing culture tests and microscopic analysis
  • Tape Lift Sampling to inspect whatever sticks to the tape for the presence of fungal fragments
  • Swabbing the surface and culture the collected material
  • Vacuuming the surface and then inspecting the contents of the vacuum cleaner bag
  • Bulk sampling of surface or material and either culture it or inspect it microscopically
There are no widely accepted standards for what represents a good or bad level of fungus in the environment.
None of the CDC or EPA publications support any specific cut-off or threshold value. For example, as of September 2005, the EPA website states that "Standards or Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for airborne concentrations of mold or mold spores have not been set. Currently, there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants."
Our mold testing professionals cover issues in buildings that range from industrial settings to residential properties where human health is an issue. The significant issues frequently asked of our team when on an inspection are as follows:
  • How do you detect and measure the presence of mold?
  • What is an acceptable level of indoor fungi?
  • How do we relate this information to human health problems?
  • How do we control the level of fungi in our environment?
Molds are simply everywhere, and random sampling will almost always turn up at least a few colonies of molds. Thus, before sampling, you always want to think about what you'll do with the results. Always remember that we do not live in sterile conditions. Molds that aren't visible and aren't growing are usually not a problem!

Fungi Problems in Building Environments

First, building structural damage may follow from mold growth in walls, floors, ceilings, and other areas in the house. When molds have grown on walls, they may have also grown through the wallboard into the internal wall cavity. They can grow on carpets, furniture, and other items in a room simultaneously. The molds associated with indoor environment problems thrive on moist to wet items that contain cellulose and other nutrients.
Secondly, indoor molds can cause human illness, which is a matter of concern. Infection is unlikely unless the exposed individual has a weak immune system functioning (e.g., is on long-term therapy with high doses of corticosteroids). The diseases caused by indoor fungi can be either allergic, toxic, or a combination of both.

Environmental Mold Testing

Our company follows the procedure:ENVIROTEST MOLD ASBESTOS INSPECTION walks the establishment with either the owner or a person familiar with the place. During this inspection, our team visually assesses the walls and ceiling areas of the building. Inspection checks for apparent structural support disturbances and cracks at connection lines between additions are noted. Our team carefully observes for disorders between any discoloration and olfactory indications (mold smells).
Next, our company brings in the “tools”:
  • The thermal imager identifies micro-temperature differences in building materials and can easily identify hidden problems deep within walls.
  • Moisture-detecting equipment is then used to sense moisture on the surface and deep within wall cavities.
  • Ultra-fine airborne particle-sensing equipment is used to detect differences in airborne particles in different parts of the home.
  • Macro-particulate sampling equipment detects large suspended airborne particulate in the home.
  • Volatile organic compounds testing is done for micro-odor identification and localization.
  • Boroscopic examination is the visual inspection of the interior of wall cavities to determine the presence of mold colonies and or water marks inside building materials.
  • Roof ventilation checks are performed.
  • Exterior investigation is then performed utilizing the thermal imager and any other tools deemed necessary by the inspector.
Our team then performs the general air quality assessment, which includes the following:
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) in non-industrial facilities is found at 1.2 to 4.2 ppm (parts per million). The National Ambient Air Quality Standard for outside air is 9 ppm for an 8-hour exposure and 35 ppm for a one-hour exposure.
  • Carbon dioxide is a general indicator of IAQ. Levels greater than 900 ppm are often accompanied by complaints about air quality. Carbon dioxide itself is not the problem but is instead a marker of other pollutants that accumulate along with it.
  • Temperate and relative humidity should be ~70-75F and 30-50%.
  • Testing for ozone, nitrogen oxide, NH3 (ammonia), hydrogen sulfides, chlorine, and others is necessary to determine if the mechanical systems in the establishment are functioning properly or if the property is drawing pollutants from the outside.
  • If other air qualities or environmental testing tools are necessary to identify problems with the indoor environment, our company will most likely have them on-site or will advise the customer to set up a follow-up test.
If mold sampling of surfaces needs to be done, there are several possible strategies:
  • If we see a stain that might be mold, we place a piece of transparent tape on the stain, pull the tape off, bring it back to the lab and inspect whatever sticks to the tape for the presence of fungal fragments.
  • We can swab the surface and culture the collected material.
  • We can vacuum the surface and then inspect the contents of the vacuum sample.
  • We can cut out a piece of the surface or material and either culture it or inspect it microscopically.
Searching for Mold in the Air:
1. Particle Counts2. Particle Analysis3. Air Cultures
Remediation Plan
Once control has been established over moisture or vapor, we recommend enacting a cleanup plan (abatement plan). Small areas of an infestation can often be cleaned up with simple tools, and we offer a step-by-step approach below. However, you should hire a professional cleanup firm for larger areas—as the more extensive the contamination, the greater the personal risk of exposure during the process. Extensive containment procedures may be required to prevent damage to other building parts. The EPA document entitled “Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings” gives a great deal of insight into the possible complexity level of a large cleanup process.
Your remediation plan will also include a monitoring plan which will discuss moisture, humidity, and vapor reduction. Generally, one needs to reduce the moisture content of porous materials such as wallboard to <15%, and this can be monitored with a variety of hand-held moisture meters. Controlling humidity in the indoor environment is then discussed. The target here is 30-45% relative humidity, and again, a variety of hand-held meters are utilized. Don't rely on just one set of readings. Things change with seasons and the heating operation vs. the cooling aspects of the HVAC system. If you had moisture problems once, they might recur. Systematic surveillance may be needed!