Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Residential Air Quality Testing

With winter temperatures dropping way below the freezing point, we're spending most of the time indoors. However, rarely do we think about indoor air-quality and the impact it can have to our families' health. It's well known that poor indoor air-quality can cause or aggravate asthma, headaches, chronic fatigue and insomnia.

To ensure your family is not exposed to high levels of indoor biological or chemical pollutants, perform air quality testing. In this short article, we're going to see how one can test for airborne mold spores in their homes.

Air Quality Testing For Mold

Testing air for mold is very simple and does not have to be expensive. A homeowner or property manager can save money if they could initially test the air themselves before calling in a professional. This does not mean that a professional is not required but should only be hired to resolve complex problems not simple air testing.

For most people, "Self-Testing" (using the same tools used by professionals) in areas of concern is all they need to identify if mold is present in excessive amounts.

When Do You Hire A Professional?

If the air test results show excessive amounts of airborne spores, you may consider hiring a professional to conduct further investigation and:

  1. determine where the mold is located
  2. determine the extent of mold growth
  3. based on where the mold is located and extent of mold growth, determine the best and safe way to remove the mold.

You may also hire a professional if the air testing results show insignificant amounts of airborne mold spores and you or your family is sick and you suspect the cause could be the indoor air quality.

Instructions for Testing Air For Mold Like a Professional

Air testing begins with the collection of at least one volumetric air sample from the outside and one or more interior volumetric air samples from what we call the 'areas of concern (AOC).

The volumetric air samples are be collected with an air pump to which a special kind of filter cassette is attached. The pump's "flow-rate" is set ("calibrated") to draw a specified volume of air - for a specified length of time (usually 5 or ten minutes) - through the filter. The sample is later examined in the laboratory under high magnification to identify and count mold structures - dead or alive. This is important as dead ('non-viable') mold spores can cause allergy problems, too.

We all know that molds are a normal part of our world...both inside and outside our homes and structures. And, as most buildings are ventilated with outdoor air...anything contained in the outdoor air can get inside - including dust, pollutants, pollens...and mold spores.

Therefore, the 1st air sample is collected outside the structure or residence to determine the 'normal' mold spore counts in the air outside.

The 2nd air sample is taken indoors, in the 'area of concern.' From a minimum of two samples we can make a comparison between the outside air and the inside air.

Why Is This Comparison Important? When the laboratory receives the air samples the number of collected mold spores is counted. Then the sampling times and the flow rate will be calculated by the laboratory and the result will be the number of spores that are contained in a cubic meter of air.

Volumetric Air Samples may be COMPARED AGAINST EACH OTHER in valid and meaningful ways. And, from these comparisons, valid and meaningful conclusions may be drawn regarding the 'health' of your home.

A normal, healthy indoor environment can be defined as one where:

  • Species or types of mold that are found on the inside air sample are also found on the outside air sample - this is referred to as normal 'mirroring' or 'trapping.'

  • However:

  • The number of mold spores found inside should not be greater than the number of mold spores found outside. (The general rule-of-thumb is that INSIDE spore counts should be between 10% and 70% of the OUTSIDE spore count). Also, the types of mold spores present in the inside air should be similar to those found in the outside air. Some types of mold spores when detected inside (and not outside) even in very low levels could indicate a problem.


Doing Your Own Air Testing:

It's fun doing your own air testing and it's easier than vacuum cleaning the carpet or doing laundry.

Steps in Air Testing For Mold Spores

The 1st step is to carefully read the sampling instructions that will be sent to you with the RENTED Sampling Equipment.

The 2nd step is to determine the 'Areas of Concern.' As experienced Indoor Air Quality Consultants, we start by identifying the 'AOC.' The AOC might be a musty-smelling bath or bedroom, a room where there has been a plumbing problem or roof leak, or in a bedroom where an allergic child sleeps. Indicators are musty smells, deterioration from water damage and of course, visible 'suspect' mold.

The 3rd step is to conduct air sampling in those areas using our easy to use testing system exactly like a professional consultant. For more details, click Mold Testing Kit.

Labels: , ,


Sunday, October 07, 2007

Symptoms of Black Mold

Side Effects Of Black Mold


With the current awareness of potential health problems associated with mold growth in houses people want to know if they have been exposed to harmful black mold. All molds are potentially harmful. However, a few types have frequently been associated with adverse human health effects. Generally people are concerned when they see black mold growth in their houses or offices. The colour of the mold, however, does not determine whether a mold is harmful or not.

What do you do if you have been exposed to mold? If you are not feeling sick, do not panic. Seek your doctor's advice. Remember, we are exposed to mold spores everyday. If the mold is in your house, have it removed by a professional. If the mold is in rented property, discuss the problem with the property owner to have the mold removed or look for another place to stay. It is estimated that 20% of the human population is susceptible to mold allergy.

For symptoms associated with mold exposure and what to do click, Is Your Family's Health Affected by Toxic Mold in Your Home?

Labels:


Saturday, August 18, 2007

Farmer's Lung

Did you know farmer's lung is an allergic lung disease that affects farm workers handling hay or other plant materials contaminated with mould and actinomycetes?

Did you know a single gram (dry weight) of hay could contain up to 102,000,000 (102 million) fungal spores and 1,200,000,000 (i.e., 1200 million) actinomycete spores?

Did you know that up to 1,600,000,000 (i.e.,1600 million) spores per cubic meter of air have been recorded in farm buildings while hay was being shaken for animals?

And did you know that on average a female worker performing yardwork inhales 18 liters of air per minute while a male worker inhales 29 liters per minute? That means a female worker in a farm building could be inhaling 1,728 million spores per hour while a male could be inhaling 2,784 million spores per hour!

Labels:


Sunday, April 01, 2007

Mold Symptoms

Mold symptoms may occur in sensitive individuals following mold exposure. Mold symptoms are generally allergic responses caused by inhaled mold spores and fragments. These types of responses are familiar to most people (stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, flu-like symptoms, wheezing). They are allergy symptoms. However, it is important to know that these allergy symptoms can have other causes (biological and non-biological indoor allergens) other than mold. Other biological indoor allergens may include dust mites, animal dander, and to some extent pollen.

Why Do Some People Suffer From Mold Allergy?

Mold allergy symptoms are allergic responses by the body trying to attack inhaled mold particles in the same way it would try to fight off any sickness. Mold allergies or sensitivity can develop in anyone exposed to mold over time. Therefore, if you notice visible mold growth, have it cleaned up and the underlying cause (source of moisture) identified and fixed.

How Common Are Mold Allergies?

Mold allergies are very common. In fact, it is believed they're more common than pollen allergies. It is estimated that 2 people out of every 10 will react to normal spore concentrations and the other 8 would also react if exposed to high concentrations. Household molds commonly associated with allergy symptoms include Alternaria, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Stachybotrys among others.

If you or a member of your family experience hay fever-like symptoms that seem to disappear when you are out of the house, you may want to know whether mold is the cause by having your home tested for mold.

If there is visible mold growth in your house and you'd like to know whether the mold could be a type that's associated with mold allergy symptoms, you can find out for sure by sending samples to the lab for testing. To send samples download the sample submittal form, complete it with the required information and send it together with your samples to the address on the form.

Labels:



AddThis Feed Button

Links

Mold Testing Services
Mold Training Courses
Homeowners Mould Testing Kits
Frequently Asked Mould Questions
Toxic Mold Information

www.webbuyerschoice.com



mold removal



    follow me on Twitter


    About the Author

    Name:
    Jackson Kung'u
    Dr. Jackson Kung’u is a Microbiologist who has specialised in the field of mycology (the study of moulds and yeasts). He is a member of the Mycological Society of America. He graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK, with a Masters degree in Fungal Technology and a PhD in Microbiology. He has published several research papers in international scientific journals. Jackson has analysed thousands of mould samples from across Canada. Jackson provides how-to advice on indoor mould and bacteria issues.


    Previous Posts

    This blog has moved

    Mold In Basement

    Elevated Levels of Airborne Fungal Spores

    Signs Of Mold In My House

    Mold Testing In Toronto

    Mold and Moisture

    Does Mold Contribute to Respiratory Disease and Al...

    Mold Testing In Toronto

    Mold And Bacteria In A School

    Residential Air Quality Testing


    Archives