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 | The Enviro Health on-site mold evaluation is discussed in Services/Enviro
Inspections. It involves microscope work, two types of air samples, plus measurements with a moisture meter and relative humidity meter. Click
References above for a client letter of reference. | ||||||
| For mold testing other than the on-site evaluation, there are three options:
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| Gain important information at reasonable prices. |
| Gain experience in mold testing. |
| Deal with your mold conditions as a step toward a healthier home. |
| Description | Sample Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| tape sample | tape | $15/one $25/three |
| lab confirmation | tape | $60 each minus Enviro Health fee |
| bulk sample | bulk | $15/one $25/three |
| bulk sample - cultured | bulk | $20/sample |
| bulk sample lab confirmation | bulk | $60 each minus Enviro Health fee |
| mold Petri dishes | gravity plates | $20/plate, $5 S/H |
| lab confirmation | gravity plates | $60 each minus Enviro Health fee |
| bacteria Petri dishes | gravity plates | $12 each Enviro Health screening no identification; plus $5 S/H |
| bacteria lab confirmation | gravity plates | $60 each minus Enviro Health fee |
| A piece of clear tape is pressed to a surface, packaged, and then sent to Enviro Health. We stick the tape to a microscope slide, stain it, and then view it under the microscope. We can tell if there are mold spores and also if the mold spores are
Stachybotrys. Many mold spores look similar, but those of Stachybotrys are distinctive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mold testing instructions for surface samples:
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| Bulk samples refer to a small piece of material upon which what appears to be mold is growing. A bulk sample might be a piece of cardboard, a piece of wood, or some other item. |
| Place a small piece of the material to be tested inside a plastic baggie. Note the location of the sample. |
| Ship to Enviro Health, 7104 Red Top Road, Hummelstown, PA 17036, with a check for $10 if you wish just to rule out
Stachybotrys. $25 for 3 samples. |
| If you want the mold spores cultured (grown in a Petri dish) and screened for the top allergenic molds, enclose a check for $20/sample. This is an in-house screening. Lab fees would be
$60 for identification (minus the Enviro Health fee). |
| Include your e-mail for your report. |
| Gravity plates are Petri dishes with mold food in them. The theory is that you uncover a
Petri dish (or "plate") and let it sit for an hour or so. The mold spores drift into it. Then you send the
Petri dish off for culturing (growth of mold colonies) and identification. |
| That's the theory. In actuality, mold spores drift to the floor or other surfaces by gravity. They might already be on the floor by the time you decide to test. Thus, there could be lots of mold all around - but not many spores
that drift into your gravity plate. You could end up with false assurance that mold levels are low. |
| One way to compensate for this problem is to take a clipboard and stir up the air around where you are placing the gravity plate. Get those mold spores moving! You could even run a little fan during the hour you are testing. Then, more spores will drift into the
Petri dish. |
| I have experimented with two plates next to each other. For one gravity plate, I banged on the carpet and stirred up the air. For the other, I used an impact air sampler, which drew a certain volume of air into the instrument and impacted the air (and any spores in it) against the mold food. After a week, I compared the plates. The plate using the impact air sampler had four times the amount of mold colonies than the gravity sampler had. In other words, your gravity sampler will give you some guidance if you stir up the nearby air, but still expect the counts to be on the low side. My professional impact air sampler gives more accurate counts. |
| Surface samples are better indicators of Stachybotrys than gravity plates, because
Stachybotrys spores tend to be sticky. They don't float around as
readily as spores from many other types of mold. |
| Decide how many plates you want. Typical places to sample would include: basements, attics, bedrooms, in sink cabinets, at ductwork diffusers, water from water filters and refrigerator filters,
and at the air coming out of air filters, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. You could also check the air coming out of the air conditioning or heating vents in your car. Testing outside air would help you to figure out if the mold might be drifting in from outside. |
| Place your order by phone (717-583-4155) or by mail (7104 Red Top Road, Hummelstown, PA 17036). VISA, MasterCard, or a check are acceptable. The cost is $20/plate, plus $5 shipping/handling. |
| Plan to take your samples and send back the gravity plates shortly after you receive them. Store the plates in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. |
| Choose the area to be sampled. Stir up the air with a clipboard, towel, etc. Or set up a fan. |
| Remove the tape from the Petri dish. Take the top off the dish and set the bottom half of the dish inside the top so you know where to find the top in an hour. If you look closely, you can see the pale-colored food for the mold (called MEA, or malt extract
agar) in the bottom of the Petri dish. |
| Let the MEA in the bottom of the dish sit exposed to the air for an hour. |
| Then, put the top back on the dish. Put tape around the edge to prevent the agar from drying out. |
| Mail the dish(es) back to Enviro Health in a secure container, so they don't get smashed
in the mail. |
| After one-two weeks, you will get your screening results e-mailed to you from Enviro Health. |
| We will screen for the top allergenic molds - including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium,
Stachybotrys, and a few others. |
| If there is something odd that we cannot identify, we will let you know, and you will have the option of having the sample to mailed to a microbiology laboratory (additional fee). |
| If sampling water, just swish the water sample around in the gravity plate and then pour the water out. Put the top on the plate and tape around the edge. |
| Gravity plates can also be used to sample bacteria. They are used in on-site microbial inspections. However,
these plates are more perishable than mold plates. If you would like to order gravity plates, it can be done but we may have to order a fresh supply of plates from a supplier first. The cost is the same as for mold plates, but Enviro Health cannot identify bacteria. A lab analysis would be involved -
$60/sample (minus the Enviro Health fee). |
| Enviro Health could tell you if there were low numbers of bacteria or high numbers, and if the types appeared similar or varied. Sometimes, for example, if a bedroom is stuffy at night, there will be elevated numbers of assorted bacteria - but few samples of each type. This probably would be a ventilation issue more than an infectious issue. The fee for bacteria plates and Enviro Health screening is $12/plate. |
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© 2001 May E. Dooley - Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections |
