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This expert-recommended mold test kit is easy, inexpensive, and accurate *IF* you sample from a representative spot and *IF* you use a competent mold analysis laboratory!How to Collect a Dust or Surface Mold Sample Using Adhesive Tape

Six Easy Steps to Get and Mail a Dust, Particle, or Mold Sample to a Lab for Analysis

Easy, inexpensive test procedure to collect settled dust samples or surface samples of dust, dirt, debris, or mold for analysis by a laboratory.

If you need a test or test kit to determine the presence of harmful particles such as asbestos, fiberglass, mold, or other debris in your home or office, you can try this screen of building dust for the presence of harmful particles (such as animal allergens, asbestos dust or asbestos fibers, dust mites, fiberglass, insects, mold, or other unusual debris).

Here is a simple and very inexpensive procedure recommended by experts in the field of IAQ, mold inspection, public health and industrial hygiene. This article describes an easy, inexpensive step by step procedure using clear adhesive tape and a plastic bag to collect surface samples of building dust, mold, suspected mold, or other particles for examination by a qualified mold or forensic laboratory.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Basic Advice About Collecting a Settled Dust, Debris, Particle or Mold Test Sample

On this page, following some basic advice about environmental sampling of dust or particles, we give six easy steps to collect a dust or particle or mold sample to send to a qualified forensic or mold test laboratory.

The tape sampling procedure described on this page produces high quality surface samples of building dust, particle samples, mold or mold-suspect material, or other particles for identification by a qualified laboratory.

The simple, low-tech and inexpensive adhesive adhesive tape procedure described here can be used to collect surface mold, settled dust, surface debris suspected of containing asbestos, fiberglass, or almost any other particles that need to be examined microscopically in order to identify the presence or absence of substances in buildings.

According to virtually every expert, after a client interview and a detailed visual inspection for evidence of indoor environmental hazards, the bulk or surface sample collected by the method we describe below is the most preferred starting point in any investigation for harmful particles. Most indoor harmful particles can not be identified by the naked eye.

5 Easy Steps to prepare & mail an environmental (particle) sample using Scotch™ tape

To collect and mail your own mold test sample to a mold test lab, all you need is clear tape and a plastic bag. Follow our instructions below, then send your mold sample to a competent laboratory to identify the mold you found and to find out if what is growing in your building is toxic mold, allergenic mold, or simply a cosmetic problem.

What lab to use?

You can use any forensic lab or mold testing laboratory. This list may be helpful.

Please do not send samples to us.

And don't send bulk or material material samples such as pieces of wood, drywall, carpeting, etc. to your laboratory without first calling to make the necessary arrangements. Unless you make prior arrangement, such samples may simply be discarded as there is risk of lab contamination.

Why don't the national mold home test kit retailers tell you how to use Scotch Tape™ to collect and mail a mold sample? Perhaps because what you need is free or cheap, and not patented.

Warning for people at extra risk:

if there is a significant amount of mold present, or if you have allergies, suffer from asthma, have a compromised immune system, are elderly, or if there are infants or others with those conditions or any other medical risk in the building, do not attempt to collect or disturb mold. Consult your physician in any case before proceeding.

Do you need an expert?

This document describes a fast, low cost, highly effective procedure to collect and send a "bulk" or tape mold sample to a mold testing laboratory. Sending a do-it-yourself mold test sample to a laboratory is not a substitute for consulting with or using the services of a qualified professional to inspect your building. An expert is likely to find conditions most people would not recognize.

But if you simply want to know about mold which you see yourself, the procedure below is inexpensive, scientifically sound, and easily within the ability of a typical home owner or tenant.

See MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? for help in deciding if you need to bring in an expert to inspect or test your building for mold.

See MOLD SAMPLING METHODS for a discussion of the validity of various "home test kits" and "toxic mold test kits" on the market.

What about hiring someone to just do an "air test" or "swab" or "culture" for mold:

You can NOT rely on air testing, settlement plates, swab testing, or culture plates to accurately and fully characterize the presence of mold in a building.

Such mold test kits are unreliable and are discussed

at MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY.

While air testing and culture tests for mold can be useful tools, they are fundamentally inaccurate in characterizing mold risk in a building.

Thorough visual building inspection by an experienced building scientist who also has expertise on mold, aerobiology, and mycology, accompanied by appropriate types of testing of visible mold are key in any such investigation.

In addition to tape samples (procedure described in this document), a typical mold testing lab also accepts spore traps such as AllergencoD® and Zefon® air sample cassettes and provides the same rapid turnaround as for tape samples.

Environmental inspection and testing service may make use of Burkard™ Personal Air Sampler slides, spore traps, Allergenco™ air sampling equipment, vacuum samples, and bulk material samples as well as smoke testing, air flow examination and measurement, and certain gas measurements such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde.

Choose your Sample Collection Locations

If you are not experienced in screening a building for mold contamination, base your building inspection and sampling location choices on:

  1. Large areas of visible mold growth or other particle or dust contamination.

    If you are collecting a surface mold sample, note that more than one mold genera/species may be present so sample those that by color, texture, growth substrate, are dominant;

    See MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE - where to look for mold

    See also MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  2. Settled dust that represents building airborne debris in spaces where people spend the most time, or on surfaces that represent building air such as air filters and fan blade edges.

    See DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE - how to choose dust that represents building condition
  3. Building areas that are most suspect such as where there are occupant complaints
  4. Building cavity surfaces that are at highest risk for hidden mold due to building leak history, design, moisture traps.

Settled Dust Collection Strategy

Asbestos dust or fiberglass particles may simply look like or be mixed in with ordinary house dust. Toxic mold might be black, gray, green, brown, or virtually colorless.

But don't panic. Simple allergenic or even totally harmless molds might look just the same. How do you know what you've got? Use this simple collection method, a competent building inspection, and a competent forensic laboratory to identify the particles that you have collected.

Should You Be Testing At All? 

If you see mold or some other easily identified contaminant in a building or on indoor surfaces, NO lab testing is needed just to confirm that the harmful substance is present in the building and that cleanup is needed.

But if a large remediation project is planned, tests may be needed for project control, to detect cross contamination out of the work area, or to provide specific exposure information to your doctor.

Details are at WHEN to IDENTIFY MOLD?.

Dust, Mold, Particle Sample Test Supplies Needed

Here is what you need to collect and mail a mold or settled dust or harmful particle test sample to a lab:

SIX EASY STEPS - to Collect and Mail a Mold Test Sample

Assuming you are testing mold growing on surfaces in your living area, please consider using the protective gear described above.

Instructions are for right-handed people; reverse hands if you're a Leftie. Follow these steps to collect a mold test sample to send to your test laboratory.

Step 1 CHOOSE SAMPLE SURFACE - the location to be tested

CHOOSE a representative spot of mold growth on a surface such as a wall, cabinet, ceiling or floor. Collect one tape sample per location; do not use the same tape to sample from multiple locations.

Photograph of tape samples of mold on drywall .There are always multiple mold species present in any environment.

Typically we sample mold which looks different (color, texture), which is growing on different surfaces (drywall, paneling, wood trim, ceiling tiles), or which is growing in widely different areas of the building (basement, living area, inside a wall cavity) as often these will be different species.

Don't collect and send 50 samples. You're looking for

1. the dominant species present and

2. particularly allergenic or toxic species present in your environment.

Our photo (above-left) shows three tape samples being collected from mold on drywall.

Each of these mold samples collects surface mold of a different color and texture: most likely each of the samples will identify a different genera/species of mold.

[Click to enlarge any image]

At MOLD LEVEL REPORTING we explain the errors you can expect if you do not choose a properly representative area of a surface when collecting mold or dust samples and

at MOISTURE GRADIENTS & MOLD we explain why we find different mold genera/species at different locations on moldy drywall.

How to find mold and where to stick the tape:

When testing suspected mold on building surfaces, it is important to choose carefully just where to collect a tape sample. Samples are more accurate when they collect particles which represent the large areas of mold that may be present.

Watch out: for example, if you are sampling mold on drywall, we have found very different mold genera/species dominating different areas on drywall depending on its moisture level. If the drywall was wet from a wet or flooded floor, the wettest drywall will be nearest the floor, with more dry areas higher up on the wall surface.

So first choice: collect samples from surfaces in areas where visual inspection shows the dominant mold by color and appearance and type of surface.

See details at MOISTURE GRADIENTS & MOLD

Our advice on how to look for mold reduces that chance that you'll miss important but hard to see toxic or allergenic mold on building surfaces.

See MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE

and MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD.

Watch out: keep in mind that when looking for mold contamination, there can be a significant hidden mold in building cavities. So relying only on sampling surfaces of mold that you see may be incomplete.

See HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND

Collecting settled dust

for a mold or allergen particle screen: if you are preparing a screening sample (as opposed to sampling actual visible mold) the sample area can be just about any horizontal surface that will have settled dust on it. We prefer to screen areas where people spend the most time, such as bedrooms or a family room, or areas of suspected but not visible problems such as basements.

Sample a surface that has not been cleaned recently so that it represents particle settlement over a longer time interval. Do not sample surfaces that are so dirty that the tape will be thick and opaque with debris.

Collecting dust or debris from an air filter

 or from a return air register inlet grille is another useful way to perform a rough qualitative analysis of what particles and debris have been present in the building's indoor air.

Have ready tape, scissors, and new clean plastic ZipLok® type bags. (Heavy-weight quart size freezer-type is best but any will do).

Step 2 GET TAPE READY

Including the "non-stick tab" the total tape length will be 2 1/2 to 3".

If the tape flops over and sticks to itself throw it away and start over with a shorter piece or use tweezers to keep the free end out of trouble.

If you are not sure if your adhesive tape is good for dust, surface, or particle sampling,

review HOW to TEST ADHESIVE TAPES just below.

Otherwise continue with Step 3 PUSH TAPE ON SURFACE.

How to Test Adhesive Tapes for Suitability for Mold, Dust, or Particle & Debris Sampling

Before using tape to collect a dust sample, try this test of your clear adhesive tape:

  1. Get a plastic bag:

    Select one of the plastic baggies onto the outside of which you intend to place one or more tape samples.
  2. Pull out and prepare a few inches of your tape using the method we describe starting

    at Step 2 GET TAPE READY above.
  3. Stick your test-tape onto the plastic bag as we describe

    at Step 4 STICK TAPE ON BAG (yes we are skipping step 3 which describes using tape to actually collect mold or dust.)

    Press the tape onto the bag surface along its length. Just smooth it down with your finger.
  4. Now try to pull the tape off of the baggie

    using the folded-to-itself tape tab.
    • Good mold sampling tape:

      If you can completely remove the test-strip of adhesive tape and it does NOT leave any of its adhesive stuck to the baggie, this is a good type of tape to use for surface and particle sampling.
    • Bad mold sampling tape:

      If when you pull off the tape from the plastic baggie it comes away but leaves some or all of its adhesive stuck to the plastic bag, then this is not a great tape to use for sampling.
    • Bad plastic bag:

      If when you pull off the tape it tears the baggie and leaves plastic stuck to the tape, either your plastic bag is too thin and weak to use, or the tape adhesive is too strong

Labs work with whatever tape and samples people send in. But if the sampling tape won't separate from the plastic bag in the lab, or if the tape pulls away leaving its adhesive stuck to the bag, then preparing good microscope slides from the sample is difficult, hydrating the particles with our lab chemicals may be impossible, and the process of particle identification will be less thorough.

Step 3 PUSH TAPE ON SURFACE - to be tested

ONE TAPE SAMPLE PER SAMPLE LOCATION please.

Step 4 STICK TAPE ON the OUTSIDE of the BAG - on the outside of a plastic freezer bag

How to provide a good tape sample of mold or dust particles:

We repeat because people do weird things with tape and ZipLok™ bags: please just stick the TAPE sample onto the CENTER of the OUTSIDE OF THE BAG on the side of the bag that has no printing on it.

You now have 1-2" of moldy tape stuck mold-side-down onto the center of the outside of a ZipLok bag.

Step 5 FOLD BAG INTO 2nd BAG - put the bag with the tape into a second bag

FOLD the small ZipLok™ BAG in half

 or depending on where you put the tape, fold the bag sides over to cover the tape sample and

PUT that folded sample BAG containing the sample INSIDE a second 

(larger or same size bag is ok) NEW ZipLok™ BAG. If you have multiple tape samples and you've kept your sampling bags clean, it's fine to place all of your individual tape sample bags into just one outer plastic bag for mailing, provided you have identified each individual sample.

GET THE AIR OUT: 

Press gently on the outer bag to expel air and close and SEAL the outer bag - usually this is done just by pressing the closing edges of the bag top together or by "zipping" the bag closing mechanism over. .

WASH YOUR HANDS 

if you got unknown mold or debris on your self and if you were not wearing disposable gloves.

Step 6 MAIL THE SAMPLE - Write down and include this data with your sample(s)

Watch Out: DO NOT SEND ANY SAMPLE of ANY SORT to a lab or individual before discussing your needs with them.

FORENSIC LAB SAMPLE PROCESSING AVAILABILITY NOTICE:

We are not accepting test samples at our own forensic lab except in limited pro-bono cases by prearrangement.

See instead:

Single Sample Mold or Other Particle Chain of Custody Form link to [PDF]

Mail this Chain of Custody form with your Sample to THE MOLD TEST LAB of YOUR CHOICE

Name  
Mailing Address

Telephone (1)  
Email (2)  
Sampling Address
Identity & address of building / Sample Date-Time		  
Sampling Area Description
General description of building conditions


Sample Name or Description
More than one sample? use this

CHAIN of CUSTODY FORM [PDF] Multi-Sample- Form		  
Health Complaints 

Sample Collection Date  
Payment Method
 by Prior Agreement

Be sure to include:
  1. Your telephone number for voice contact in the event that the lab needs to call you.
  2. Your email address to receive an emailed copy of your report if possible.

    The lab you select will mail a printed copy to the mailing address you provide.

FORENSIC LAB SAMPLE PROCESSING AVAILABILITY NOTICE: DO NOT MAIL SAMPLES to InspectApedia nor its Editor/Publisher

We no longer accept test samples at our lab except in limited pro-bono cases by prearrangement. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Pro-bono professional assistance may be provided to elderly, disabled, limited-income individuals, veterans, victims of DISASTERS, or for religious institutions. Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to ask us about such help.

Watch out: many decades of field and lab experience have shown us that an experienced on-site environmental inspector or consultant will always find important conditions and often will find problems, perhaps the more important ones, that an inexperienced building owner or occupant misses completely.

DIY environmental inspections as a general screen for indoor environmental hazards in buildings are by definition, incomplete and unreliable.

MOLD SAMPLE PROCESSING TIME: the turnaround time will vary by lab. Ask them for an estimate.

PAYMENT - Instructions for Payment of Mold Test Lab Fees

The environmental test lab whom you contact will tell you the test sample fees and payment methods that they will accept.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

Forensic or mold test laboratories will charge a fee for processing your sample. Discuss this with them before mailing in your sample.

MAIL YOUR TEST SAMPLES & DOCUMENTATION TO a mold testing lab or environmental testing lab of your choice.

See ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS & TESTING SERVICES

 

What the Lab will Do With Your Test Sample: Lab Analysis to Identify Mold, Pollen, Allergens, Bioaerosols

Watch Out: DO NOT SEND ANY SAMPLE of ANY SORT to a lab or individual before discussing your needs with them.

On receipt of your sample, the lab will prepare one or more treated slides using your material samples. They will examine the samples for airborne bioaerosols, mold, etc. and will perform identification using any of several low power stereoscopic and high-power light microscopes.

Genera/species identifications are made based on experience, education, reference texts and keys, and by comparison with a library of known particle samples.

While certain molds are well documented and may be identifiable some are not so typically there is not a guarantee of identifying all components found on the tape.

There are more than 80,000 mold species which have been identified and an estimated 1.4 million remaining to be identified. However it's quite possible to identify a number of species of particular concern and which have received considerable media attention lately (such as Stachybotrys and Penicillium/Aspergillus.)

Clients should also understand that there are multiple potential health hazards in buildings and that a client-selected remote-lab analyzed sample is absolutely not comprehensive. Other hazards may be present.

Ordinarily a written lab report will be provided once analysis is complete. Confirm with the lab what the expected timeline will be for you to receive this written report.

If you have questions about the best mold test or building dust particle sample collection procedure for your situation, please post a comment or question at the bottom of this page in the Comments section.

...


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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2023-08-22 by Lara Berthiaume - Where can I send my tape sample for lab processing?

I'm looking for a mail sample to inspection and need help navigating and finding that.

Something invisible to the eye is coating my clothes inside my apartment and causing extreme itching. I'm hoping a mail in sample will give me info on: dust, mold, insulation, paint, dry wall, allergens etc.

Hello, I am having trouble navigating your website, in trying to find a company I can send a mail in sample to determine what my dust is made of, wanting to test for: mites, fiberglass, gypsum, paint, allergens, mold and dry wall.

I live in La Honda, California. Something is coating my clothes that is invisible and the itch is awful. Thank you very much for the help.
Lara Berthiaume nilarissa@gmail.com

This reader's Q&A were originally posted at HOW TO CONTACT InspectApedia.com 

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher

@Lara Berthiaume,

Sorry that navigating InspectApedia wasn't as easy as it should have been for you.

If you tell me what search terms you used we can edit our content to be sure those questions are answered.

But in sum: you wouldn't find a page or instructions on how to mail your dust sample to us for analysis because we no longer offer that service. If you still want to mail a sample to a lab, please see the instructions given in the article above.

After five decades of field investigation and forensic lab work I have retired from field work and also from forensic laboratory analysis work to concentrate full time on pure research and writing for InspectApedia.com.

However you are very welcome to post questions, comments, and photos or drawings (one per comment, as many comments as you need) on any InspectApedia.com web page. Try the on-page search box found at the page top or bottom to find out if there is already advice for the question you've got in mind. That will provide a far-more-thorough answer than I can provide if I try to invent that advice anew off-the-cuff.

For environment and health related worries like the concern that you have described (eye, clothing, itching) it's usually best to start with guidance from your own doctor.

In five decades of building, environmental, and forensic work it has been my experience that at every case in which I was able to actually visit and inspect a property there were critical observations and conditions that simply were not obvious to a normal home owner, buyer, realtor. It's not that the inspector is necessarily smarter, but rather that they have different experience.

E-text, reports, photos, phone calls are never a substitute for an on-site expert.

CONSULTANTS & EXPERTS DIRECTORIES - at https://inspectapedia.com/Expert-Consultants-Directory.php may be of some help to you.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information. Many basic questions you may have can find a better-organized and more-complete written answer at our website than we can provide with a new off-the-cuff reply.
Try the on-page search-box found at the top or bottom of any of our website pages.

In an emergency you are still welcome to send us email, photos, documents, reports and questions, but as I've explained, we may not be able to provide an immediate, detailed reply. We give first priority to answering questions posted at our web pages.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.


Where do I send my dust sample tape test?

Where have you been all my life ??!?!!

First I must say thank you from the bottom of my soul for the care that you’ve put in to helping others in this very serious issue. I’ve been struggling suffering three different resident locations all rentals and all with some type of moisture growth issues, B

ut never having been able to pursue the Possible causes of nor identification of environmental contaminants. I have just endured on and suffered not in silence complaining all the way LOL.

Many years later and in my opinion obvious progression in health due to obvious to me reasons am so hopeful and optimistic About being able to possibly identify and afford the means to Identity! Knowledge is power and for years had to accept I couldn’t afford to confirm identity of environmental Contaminants & landlord sure didn’t want to help me ‘identify’.

One time I did buy a mold test culture kit but could not afford to send it into the labs which after reviewing and researching your reports, highly likely the culture wouldn’t identify source to begin with - dependent upon where I took the swab and yet would’ve paid more money for that lab report To swab my countertop LOL.

I am just over the moon ecstatic to have stumbled upon your site. There are no accidents and I am looking forward to getting things together I feel like Inspector gadget.

***ps ~what address do I send my samples to? And what is the cost ?

JUST KIDDING - I read your EVERY WORD. Tbh I started wondering if this was a bogus site? A site with EXCELLENT+detailed SCIENTIFIC information to help w/ EVERY step of process ( TO even PROVIDE US THE PROCESS) .... for free - to be helpful- Good person nawwww. How likely is that? I was skeptical... but kept reading..#2good2btrue thegreat IAM. God is great & just!

..to think I was trying to scrape my coins together to do culture report on my counter top - (Reliability and Validity of Measurement) Now I’m Grateful I was unable to scape together $ to culture my countertop & read a report about it. Haha! All things work together for good.

Cathy L On 2020-07-05 by Catlorenz -

**You havent heard the last of me
To Be Continued

...

Sorry about length of previous comment / book - WAS JUST SO THRILLED to discover such thorough information on things I thought about for sooo long, Thank you for taking the time to help others.

I wish it was raining so I could dance in the rain like no one’s watching.
#TodayisaGoodDay

Reply by (mod)

Rain-Dancing cat:

Thank you for the generous comments; we work hard to provide researched, unbiased data so I'm really grateful when a reader finds it useful.

As you may have discovered, mold cultures are a bit of a shot in the dark, since about 90% of molds will not grow in any culture medium whatsoever.

Air tests can be quite inaccurate too, varying by several orders of magnitude simply from small changes in test conditions (like walking through the test area or opening or closing a window or door).

Even if there is compelling evidence of an indoor mold contamianation problem, those test approaches won't tell you what you need to know:

  1. Where is the mold contamination?
  2. How much contamination is there? - therefore what sort of cleanup service do I need?
  3. What caused the mold?

Because if there is an indoor mold contamination problem, what's needed is to find the mold, remove it, and fix its cause.

Settled dust testing as we discuss here are useful for identifying the dominant particles found in dust and sometimes for identifying unusual particles that, even though few in number, might be diagnostic. The results are not, of course, quantitative. So you'd ask your lab either to identify the particles or to tell you the dominant particle identification.

Please do NOT send us any samples. We do not sell anything. No products, no services. InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information. In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

Building Inspection & Diagnosis Help

At CONSULTANTS & EXPERTS DIRECTORIES

or

at DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS

you may find a suitable on-site expert for inspection, diagnosis, testing of building & indoor environment concerns.

Also see MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ?

Mold, Dust, or Particle Testing

At TEST KIT for DUST, MOLD, PARTICLES: INSTRUCTIONS - that is above on this page

I describe a simple, inexpensive method for collecting tape samples suitable for settled dust, mold or other particle examination tests to make a qualitative assessment of dust or particles and to identify frequent, unusual, or hazardous particles, spores, mold, dust.

Any mold or forensic or environmental test lab of your choice can process these samples.

Be sure that you state your concern clearly and that you discuss with the lab just what analysis they can perform and how they will report.

Environmental Test Labs:

Watch Out: DO NOT SEND ANY SAMPLE of ANY SORT to these labs or individuals before discussing your needs with them.

For environmental or forensic investigative support and lab work, you can use any forensic lab provided you first check that their area of expertise matches your needs.

For strange particle analysis, building dust analysis, fiberglass particle screening, mold contaminant screening contact these expert forensic microscopists

  • Daniel Baxter (dbaxter@san.rr.com)
  • Larry Wayne (lew@forensica.com)

For mold or general environmental dust samples also contact

  • Susan Flappan, 11020 W. 122nd St., Overland Park KS 66213 Tel: 913 322 2237. toll free number of 866 225 MOLD Web: http://moldetect.com/ email: sflappan@moldetect.com
  • EMS lab is a very large and competent network of labs offering a wide range of services - https://www.emlab.com/

More about us is at ABOUT InspectApedia.com


Need address to send a dust sample to and the coast

Need address to send a dust sample to and the coast On 2020-06-02 by Patricia -

Reply by (mod) - Need address to send a dust sample

Patricia:

Sorry, but we cannot provide the lab service that you asked about.

After nearly six decades of field investigation and forensic lab work, with exception of a few pro-bono or research assignments, I have retired from field work and also from forensic laboratory analysis work to concentrate full time on pure research and writing for InspectApedia.com. InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

At CONSULTANTS & EXPERTS DIRECTORIES - you can find a suitable onsite expert - you can't diagnose nor fix the issues you describe by email nor general internet correspondence as a competent expert on site will pretty much always find things worth noting that were not obvious to a normal homeowner.

Watch out: Don't pay a professed expert or consultant who's just going to stop by to conduct some "air tests" - a thorough interview, visual inspection of the building for most-likely concerns, by someone who understands building science, air movement, aerobiology, chemistry, and perhaps industrial hygiene concepts applied to a residential setting is far more likely to produce a useful result: a written report describing what concerns were found, where they are, and what to do about them, and as well who will respond to follow-up questions.
For mold questions:

Most "mold tests" are fundamentally inaccurate, particularly when no strong problem indicators are found but also when a mold contaminant is reported, since the test may not in fact be finding the dominant mold nor most harmful ones present.

A proper, useful mold investigation for buildings requires a thorough visual inspection by an expert who also takes a description of the building's history, leaks, occupant complaints, and possibly further, more-invasive investigation of areas at greatest risk of hidden mold reservoirs.

The result, in writing, identifies problem areas of mold contamination, the extent of cleanup needed, and the causes of mold growth to be corrected.

A "screening test" of a building or of suspect material, mold, allergens or dust to check for unusual levels of irritants or other unusual particles that might be diagnostic could be useful, though in my view, unless there is reason to know that ONLY mold contamination is the source of illness or IAQ complaints by building occupants, it would make sense to

1. Ask your doctor about the role indoor particles, chemicals, gases might play in your health concerns and let that help point to the most-likely-useful direction of investigation.

Keep in mind that other indoor IAQ hazards such as gases or chemical exposure will not be detected by particle or mold sampling.
2. Assuming the doc agrees that investigation is warranted, never perform "tests" alone without a more expert and thorough inspection, interview, history taking etc.

At InspectAPedia® - https://inspectapedia.com/ we provide extensive free public information about building & indoor environment troubleshooting & repairs. We also very much welcome questions, critique, content suggestions concerning those topics.

You are also welcome to send me specific questions, suggestions, photos, reports by email, and I'll be glad to comment as helpfully as I can.


How much does a mold test cost?

Did I miss a hyperlink? Trying to find pricing. Thank you - 2018-12-30 by Price -

Reply by (mod)

No, Price, you didn't miss a link.

Typical mold tests cost between $50 and $100 for the test alone. Hiring a professional to inspect your property for mold contamination and who may supplement that inspection by some tests can cost around $1200 to $1500 U.S.

But not us. We do not sell anything.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

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The good news is that the tape test kit I describe above is made up of very inexpensive materials that you can buy for a total of less than $10. at any supermarket or at many drugstores:

1. clear adhesive tape such as the Scotch brand I prefer

2. freezer type zip-lok type bags to receive the tape

3. a ballpoint pen or magic marker and if you like some stick-on labels to identify your individual tape samples

4. a printout of the chain of custody form we provide free or you can make up your own

Mail your tape samples to any forensic or environmental lab of your choice after discussing with the lab your concerns and their fees and their services.

 

Did roofing work cause an indoor dust hazard in my home?

I'd also like to add that the house is old from the early forties and fifties and there's dust all over the dishes everything

recently I have my roof done and the contractors who did it said everything was cool and when they started banging the ceiling and taking off the roof there's children inside the house babies we started getting respiratory problems I was wondering is that hazardous to us. what should we do they said it was safe. I now know theyre liars. On 2018-08-04 by Ray -

Reply by (mod) -

Ray

Your concern is reasonable in that roof work can dislodge dust in an older home, under the roof sheathing, and though it would be rather unusual, it is *possible* for attic dust to move down into the occupied space, especially if the space below is being air conditioned and thus cooled, combined with lack of proper under-roof ventilation, or especially if someone is leaving an attic access stair or hatchway open.

Lots of dust is allergenic and a respiratory irritant even if it does not contain what an expert would properly call "toxic" particles.

When the roof work is complete, use damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming to clean up.

And take your health questions to your doctor for a more-personal and accurate assessment than you can get online.


Reader Question: which is the best mold self-test kit to use?

Can you recommend the best Mold self-test Kits to use. There is so much negative information about mold testing, how reliable are they? - G.C. 10/15/2012

Reply:

At MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS we describe how to use clear adhesive tape for mold and dust sampling.

This methods uses very inexpensive materials (clear adhesive tape, a clean plastic bag) + a lab fee (you can use any qualified mold or forensic laboratory) to examine the samples.

In addition to low cost, this approach, by collecting actual physical mold from a building surface, or by collecting settled dust that will represent what has been in building air over some time, we avoid the problems of looking or testing for mold in the wrong place, testing for mold in air when it happens not to be significant at the moment of testing, or testing for mold using a culture that does not grow the problem mold that is present.

A shortcoming of this approach is that the location from which settled dust or suspect-mold is collected must be chosen intelligently.

At VALIDITY of MOLD TESTING METHODS is a complete survey of mold testing methods and their accuracy and reliability properties;

You will read that NO mold "test kit" that relies on "culture testing" nor on "air testing" is fundamentally reliable as a building screening methods since air testing results vary by several orders of magnitude from moment to moment and depending on test conditions, and since culture based mold tests, by definition, are unable to detect 90% of molds that could be present (as they don't grow on culture), and since culture based tests grow best molds that like the culture media best, not necessarily molds that are most problematic or at greatest level in the building.

There is a useful place for these tests in the hands of an expert or in the laboratory, but not as a general building screen for the presence or absence of problematic mold contamination.

The most reliable approach combines an inspection by an expert (who considers not just visible mold but building history, leaks, occupant complaints, risk levels, etc) and perhaps some screening using settled dust that is more reliable than an instantaneous air test;

"Tests" alone without an inspection are simply unreliable, risking "finding" mold that is not the principal building problem, missing hidden but significant mold reservoirs, or often, involving significant costs (for expensive "test only" mold "inspectors" who don't inspect) that leave you with not the slightest diagnostic advice (how to proceed, where is the problem, what caused it) even if the "test" does suggest that there is a mold problem; and finally, leaving the risk of a false negative - missing a problem that is actually present.

Also see ACCURACY OF AIR TESTS for MOLD and MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

 

Question: Is mold on golf green dangerous?

Nov 15, 2014) Anonymous said:
Hello,
Is mold on golf green dangerous? It has a horrible smell.
Thank you for any help

Reply:

While certainly harmful or allergenic molds may be found outdoors, "golf green mold" could be almost anything including harmless, allergenic or even just cosmetic molds or not mold at all.

 

Question: Dust and discoloration on indoor surfavces might be mold - or something else?

I am so frustrated with the severe dust in our condo. In one day you can write you name in the dust again on top of the dresser. - (Jan 23, 2015) Nancy Rockman s

Refrigerator top has thick dust on top. Coffee table and dining table ledge under top, table legs are fraught with dust. I need to determine what kind of dust this is. It is winter here in Iowa and the house is closed up. However, our ceiling fans are reversed and run every day.

...

I have an inexplicable red dirt/discoloration that appears in disparate locations in our apartment.

It's most visible on white things in both hidden spots (ceramic bowls in the back of a cabinet and all over an unused pocket door) and fully exposed locations (the cloth curtain on the outside of our tub and window curtains far from all moisture). I thought it might be thermal tracking but it's pervasive, not always directional (like the window curtains) and so distinctly dark reddish.

Any help would be very much appreciated. - (Mar 31, 2015) Dan

Reply:

Dan you don't say where you live or what might be possible sources of red dust or dirt; I'd start by asking if it's coming from an indoor our outdoor source, perhaps by looking at the density of distribution. Of course you can also send a tape sample to a forensic lab whose identification of dominant particles might yield a clue about a likely source.

(Apr 3, 2015) Dan said:
Thanks very much,
Sorry about that, the apartment is a couple stories up in Chinatown, NYC and directly next to the Manhattan bridge.

The dirt doesn't come off of surfaces with tape, only soapy water & friction or solvents (the curtains only clean with something like OxyClean).
Instead I can provide one of the less important things that it has clung to like a plastic spoon or clipping of cloth.

As I'm fairly sure it's not a mold situation, are any of the labs listed below (for Len & Mitch) perhaps better for this sort of analysis?
Thanks in advance.

Reply:

You'll want to call a prospective lab to discuss testing, what they will do, what they can tell you, and of course cost.

 

Thank you to our readers for their generous comments

This is such excellent information in this website. Thank You for sorting out mold test confusion!

This is such excellent information in this website. Thank you! We think we might have cosmetic black mold in our attic. We are having new roof shingles put on our house, and the roofer looked in our attic and says we have mold up there that needs removed first.

I saw many mold testing kits on the market, but will the results identify cosmetic black mold (that we can maybe leave alone) versus toxic black mold that should be removed? On 2018-09-05 by Diane Link -

Reply by (mod) -

Thank you Diane, for the nice note. We work very hard to provide researched, unbiased information so I'm really grateful when a reader finds the work useful. Your questions and comments help too.

If you haven't found it, this article /mold/Cosmetic_Mold.php
illustrates some visual clues that can, if present, pretty much guarantee that cosmetic mold came in on the lumber at the time of original construction.

There is no reason to remove cosmetic mold.

"Toxic black mold" is a dis-service to the public as a category - the result of in-expert media attention. Of the millions of mold genera/species and the 200 or so that are commonly found in buildings, an enormous number of them are not "black" (and not all "toxic" though non-toxic may still be allergenic). In fact more-harmful indoor molds that travel more in air and that are breathed deeply into the lungs, such as several species of Aspergillus, are particularly harmful if growing indoors.

Any indoor mold that has grown in a building needs to be removed and its cause found and fixed.

Cosmetic mold itself is in essence harmless - and uncommon except as documented in the article I cited.

On occasion I find both: cosmetic mold that is harmless may have been over-grown by harmful molds that showed up - often later in a building's life - in response to leaks or high indoor humidity. However mold that grew or is growing on indoor surfaces will not obey the "cosmetic mold clues" that I cite.

 


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