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Technical Procedures for Building Investigation & Forensic Microscopy:
This article series answers most questions on what to do about mold, providing expert, un-biased information for owners, occupants, inspectors.
How to recognize mold, how to test mold, how to clean up or remove mold, how to prevent mold in buildings, and what mold related illnesses and symptoms have been reported are all discussed in depth.
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Forensic & Environmental Test Lab Technical Procedures & SOPs
Good Laboratory and Microscope Procedures are critical in making sense of environmental test field samples just as good and thorough field investigations produce more useful results than a quick "air test for mold" or "culture test for mold" performed with no building inspection and no client history collection.
Competent, trained, experienced aerobiologists, mycologists, and microbiologists can identify mold or other particle sample contents with good accuracy.
Depending on the experience of the laboratory, it is also possible to interpret the meaning of the sample for the building and its occupants.
Laboratory professionals who have also performed the field inspection can make useful extrapolations from lab results. Hasty work by disinterested parties may be less than accurate or useful for building occupants and owners.
BIBLIOGRAPHY of MOLD Identification, Aerobiology, Forensic Microscopy - References used in our Laboratory for Aerobiology, Mycology, Indoor Air Quality Investigations, Particle ID, Forensic Microscopy, etc.
MUSEUMS & RESTORATIONS:Cultural Heritage and Aerobiology Mandrioli, Caneva, and Sabbioni (English version), museum artifact preservation from mold, acid gases etc. - book review in Pan American Aerobiology Association Newsletter
MOLD CLEANUP - How to Clean Up Mold or Remove Mold in buildings
MOLD DETECTION - Articles on Mold Identification Photos and Tips - How to Find and Recognize Mold in a Building - articles describing how to find problem mold
HIRE AN EXPERT - Do you need to hire a mold expert, bring in a mold remediator, hire a handyman, or clean up for yourself?
See WHEN TO HIRE A MOLD EXPERT for details about how to decide when hiring a mold expert is justified and appropriate.
See MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS for a list of mold investigators whose work is familiar to us. Other mold investigators and test consultants may also be competent and qualified.
MOLD LEVEL REPORTS Reporting the Results of Mold and IAQ Investigations & Clearance Inspections: what should be included
Our Field Investigation Service our senior expert goes where no one else wanted to look, uses non-invasive tools and sophisticated testing equipment for mold, gases, moisture, air quality, contaminants, Building problem diagnosis.
MOLD TEST PROCEDURES - Valid and in-valid mold testing methods & protocols.
Are some mold test kits junk science?
Please see
AIR TESTS for MOLD Samples & their interpretation - a brief tutorial on indoor air sampling for mold - are spore counts per cubic meter of air accurate and valid? Using air sampling to determine if a mold problem is "present" or "absent" and the role of cultures for "viable spore sampling" are criticized.
Air sampling used alone is an unreliable way to look for mold and is highly questionable as a means of characterizing a precise mold exposure level indoors.
CARPET MOLD TEST suggestions for alternative methods to test carpeting for mold
CULTURE TESTS for MOLD CONTAMINATION - Validity of some home test kits for mold including Settlement Plates or Swabs to test for toxic mold in buildings - a brief tutorial
TOXIC MOLD TEST METHODS COMPARED, also Toxic Gas Testing Methods and MVOC's - valid vs. invalid methods, recommendations compares air sampling for mold, surface or tape sampling for mold, culture or swab sampling for mold, and gas MVOC sampling methods for mold or other toxins, and organizes links to papers on each of these topics.
A Comparison of Some Indoor Air Sampling Devices - simultaneous application of popular sampling cassettes and slide samplers allows comparison of typical particle collection variation by device in actual field use. Field study by DJF, 2008 - 2005 (Technical Paper)
Burkard personal air sampler used by many residential investigators (we use multiple units simultaneously in some investigations). We also employ other residential building sampling equipment for surface, air, vacuum, and bulk sample collection methods as well as for gases.
Alternative, low-cost air sampling equipment and methods such as the mini-vacuum pump and Zefon Air-o-Cell or Allergenco-d cassettes or MCE filter cassettes for viable, non-viable or other forensic particle identification in buildings. Field study by DJF, 2005 - 2006 (Technical Paper)
Allergenco Mk-III time-lapse impaction air sampling equipment - study changes in particle dispersion under varying conditions (furnace on/off) Field study by DJF, 2004 - 2006 (Technical Paper)
MOLD TESTING: Bulk or Tape Surface Samples and their interpretation - a quick tutorial A brief introduction to using adhesive tape to collect particle samples such as from mold-covered surfaces; scrapes onto microscope slide and other methods also used by do-it-yourselfers and by experts
Vacuum Samples of Building Cavities: Wall Check™ type vacuum pump and canister permits "sampling" of mold and allergens in wall, ceiling, and floor cavities but our direct field testing
indicates that this method is highly unreliable.
Working with Louis Relle, a Louisiana mold remediation expert on a New Orleans Building which was to be demolished we collected wall-check samples from every suspect Building cavity.
When the building interior surfaces were demolished we then performed a visual inspection and collected BULK SURFACE DUST SAMPLES using tape.The wall check samples were completely unable to detect large and significant mold contamination in the cavities of this building.
We postulate that even with mechanical agitation (banging on the wall during wall check sampling) the flow rate of the sampling method does not move enough air to reliably pick up surface contamination unless the mold genera/species happens to be at a particularly high state of active sporulation. The tool remains in the professional's arsenal, to be used with discretion.
Vacuum samples of Soft Goods of carpeting, drapes, furniture, clothing permits testing for mold contamination. We use this method for screening of areas where mold is not visible, and in clearance testing.
SEND A MOLD TEST SAMPLE TO A LAB: 6 EASY STEPS for a Mold Test: How to Collect Mold Samples Using Adhesive Tape and Plastic Bags - a low-cost high-quality and very easy method to send a mold sample to a mold laboratory for analysis Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to a lab
TOXIC GAS TESTING: A Sampling Plan for Residential buildings lists some of the toxic indoor gases for which we test, depending on the Building complaint and Building conditions
GAS EXPOSURE HAZARD LEVEL for Toxic Gas Exposure to Ammonia, Arsine, Arsenic, Bromine, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Hydride, Ozone - allowable exposure levels and hazard levels
Formaldehyde: US EPA. UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation) was previously considered a hazard (formaldehyde outgassing). Original source: epa.gov/iedweb00/formalde.html. Subsequent research virtually closed concern regarding this material; however formaldehyde appears to remain a health concern for sensitive individuals. Original source carsondunlop.com/OBS/pdf/uffi.pdf .
OZONE WARNINGS - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
Sampling for gases in air such as VOC's, MVOC's, toxic chemicals, and combustion products.
Unfortunately no single test or tool can detect all possible Building contaminants. We use methods and equipment which can test for common contaminants. If the identity of a specific contaminant is known in advance we can also test for a very large number of specific contaminant gases in buildings.
We use gas sampling equipment provided by the two most reliable companies
in the world, Draeger-Safety's [web page] detector-tubes and Drager accuro ellows pump, the Gastec cylinder pump
and detector-tube system produced by Gastec or Sensidyne, [web page] and
we also use Sensidyne's Gilian
air pump. [web page]
For broad screening for combustibles and a number of other
toxic gases and for leak tracing we also use Amprobe's Tif8850. All of these instruments, their
applications, and sensitivities (minimum detectable limits) for specific
gases are described in our GAS SAMPLING PLAN online document.
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In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
AIRBORNE PARTICLE ANALYSIS METHODS - Airborne Particle Calculations,
How to calculate airborne particle concentrations for mold, IAQ, allergens, or other forensic particle studies - Mold Test Laboratory SOPs
LAB PROCEDURES MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES - Microscope techniques and laboratory procedures for indoor air quality, toxic mold identification, & bioaerosol investigations
LAB & FIELD IAQ EQUIPMENT SOP - Forensic Microscopy, Particle Identification & IAQ Investigation Field Equipment Specifications, including physical properties (such as particle trace dimensions) and calibration data for air sampling and other test equipment
TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES - Technical Procedure Articles on Testing for Mold and other Indoor Air Quality IAQ Contaminants
For most-recent microscope optical measurements: field width data and calibration see: Olympus-CH-2.xls & Polam Optics.xls Calibration is repeated no less than when an objective is removed/replaced or other microscope optical or
stage components are removed/replaced, or if a new technician is employed.
For most-recent calculations of % of trace represented by n cross-scans see: Particle Counts.xls
For automated calculations of particles or spores per cubic meter of air (spores/M3)
from raw airborne particle counts see: @SporeCountWork.xls
For spore count worksheets see: sheet 2 of @SporeCountWork.xls
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
A BRIEF GUIDE to MOLD, MOISTURE, and YOUR HOME, [PDF] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
A BRIEF GUIDE to MOLD, MOISTURE, and YOUR HOME, [PDF] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
"Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens [PDF], Patricia Donald,Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology,
Lewis Jett Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
"Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-
US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [Copy on file at /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6
In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.