Mold Air Sampling Procedures
Hydration procedures for air or direct contact methods 3m petrifilm plate hydration storage aerobic count coliform count e.
Mold air sampling procedures. Closed building conditions are necessary for in order to stabilize the air that may contain mold spores or mvocs and to increase the reproducibility of the air sampling and measurement. A consumer focus faqs about spore trap air sampling for mold for direct microscopical examination mold and dampness in the built environment position statement. In most cases if visible mold growth is present sampling is unnecessary. Non viable air sampling for fungal spores which sampling method should one use for airborne fungal spores.
Testing and remediation of dampness and mold contamination there are no established health based standards for acceptable levels of biological agents in indoor air. Coli coliform count rapid coliform count enterobacteriaceae count yeast and mold count rapid yeast and mold count rapid e. The centers for disease control and prevention. Health and safety issues in natural disasters publication guidelines for selecting an indoor air quality consultant.
Concerns about health issues especially allergic reactions from inhaling fungal spores has made air sampling an important component of indoor mold investigation. Coli coliform count hydrate plates with 1 ml of appropriate. Mold air o cell sampling guide. It is helpful to think of air sampling as just one tool in the tool belt when inspecting a house for mold problems.
Air o cell sampling guide air o cell cassettes 199 50 pack buy now. We do not recommend routine air sampling for mold with building air quality evaluations because air concentrations of molds cannot be interpreted with regard to health risks. An air sample alone is not enough to confirm or refute the existence of a problem and such testing needs to be accompanied by visual inspection and other methods of data collection. 5 6 indoor air sampling 5 6 1 closed building conditions indoor air sampling should be made under closed building conditions.
Source air sampling is specifically effective at identifying hidden sources of mold in areas where we cannot see physical mold growth like behind walls and ceilings. Air can either be sampled onto some growth media for culture analysis a k a viable or culturable samples or on a sticky. Since no epa or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores sampling cannot be used to check a building s compliance with federal mold standards. Final thoughts most mold inspectors rely primarily on ambient mold air samples but that doesn t mean it s the best way to understand what someone may be exposed to in the home.
Procedure for air o cell sampling download sampling guide pdf the air o cell air sampling cassette is a sampling device designed for the rapid collection and analysis of a wide range of airborne aerosols.