Your home can potentially be a hotbed for various mold and harmful bacteria which may cause serious health problems such as allergies, asthma, and respiratory illness. These contaminants can hide anywhere, turning your home into a health hazard without your awareness. Mold testing is a simple and essential step for ensuring the safety of your home or office.
Mold and bacteria are often found together. Bacteria release endotoxins into the environment and when absorbed by the human system can cause various adverse effects such as headache, diarrhea or in more severe cases fever and even septic shock. Molds release mycotoxins, which are known produce serious and even fatal effects in both humans and animals. Mold sickness is a medical classification and can affect ones nervous, respiratory, immune systems, sleeping patterns and overall health in bold and subtle ways.
Sampling and laboratory analysis may not be recommended for every project, but is mandatory for a definitive assessment. No inspector can state as a “legal fact” that a substance is mold without proper testing.
Three methods are used for collecting samples: Lift, Swab and Spore Trap. Of these three, Spore Trapping aka “air sampling” is most desirable for determining risk of exposure and linking adverse health symptoms to mold contamination. Whenever air samples are collected inside, at least 1 air sample must be collected outside for comparative analysis.
Lift and Swab samples are best for direct surface sampling. For example, swab samples may be better suited for drywall and studs; while lift samples may be employed for gathering carpet or drape samples for analysis. These methods are also excellent for post remediation testing. Samples are always categorized with proper chain of custody and sent to an INDEPENDENT LAB for analysis.
