How to Do Low-Cost Mold
Sample Collection and Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Species
March 14,
2005 — By Phillip Fry
VANCOUVER, CANADA. Although
any mold in elevated levels indoors can cause severe health problems for
mold-sensitive occupants, several toxic molds such as Stachybotrys,
Aspergillus, and Penicillium pose far greater health risks than others,
according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector and author of the book
Mold Health Guide.
Thus, many homeowners,
rental property owners, tenants, employers, and employees in Canada, the
USA, and worldwide want to know, and need to know, the precise identities
of the various mold species infesting their moldy home, apartment, or
workplace.
The accurate identification
of mold species requires two steps: (1) physical collection of mold
samples from the moldy building; and (2) mold laboratory analysis of the
collected mold samples.
For the first step, a
property owner, manager, tenant, or employee usually hires a certified
mold inspector, an industrial hygienist, or an environmental hygienist for
mold inspection and collection of mold testing samples, at a typical cost
of US $500 to $2,000 for a 2,000 square foot (186 square meters) home.
This inspection and testing
fee usually includes mold laboratory analysis and mold species
identification for a small number (3 to 10) of collected mold samples.
Alternatively, if the
available funds for mold testing and mold lab analysis are low, it is
possible to achieve the same accurate mold testing results for just $60 to
$200 by using---
(1) inexpensive,
transparent, sticky, adhesive tape (“lift tape sampling”), such as Scotch®
brand tape, to collect the mold samples; and
(2) a low-cost Asian mold
analysis laboratory (e.g., $20 per sample for mold species identification
and quantification, compared to the usual $50 to $150 per sample in North
America or Europe);
Lift tape sampling and
testing is an easy, practically-free (except for the cost of the tape),
and an effective way to collect mold test samples when you---
(1) Can see mold growing on
a wall, ceiling, floor, carpeting, furniture, heating/cooling duct
register, or other surface;
(2) Want to know whether a
particular stain, discoloration, or mystery substance on the wall or
another surface is actually mold growth; and/or
(3) Smell mold (the
digestive gas emitted by mold eating the home or building) and want to
test a number of surfaces upon which elevated levels of airborne mold
spores may have landed or been deposited, such as on walls, window sills,
window and door trim, refrigerator top, kitchen cabinet tops, undusted
furniture, heating/cooling duct registers, and the return air filter in
the heating/cooling system.
The easy steps involved in
tape lift sampling are---
1. Cut a three-inch (3”)
long strip of one-inch (1”) wide, transparent sticky tape.
2. While wearing rubber
gloves and a breathing respirator mask (with organic vapor filters) from
the local hardware or home improvement store, press the tape strip firmly
(sticky side down) onto the visible mold growth or onto the surface being
tested.
3. Remove (peel back) the
tape from the surface.
4. Open up a small ziplock
bag (a transparent, easily sealable plastic storage bag), and press
lightly the lift tape sample sticky side onto the inside sidewall of the
ziplock bag.
5. Close [zip shut] the
ziplock bag completely. Tape it shut if necessary to make sure no airborne
mold spores can escape.
6. Attach to the outside of
the ziplock bag a large adhesive label with the tester’s name, date of
sampling, property address, the precise testing location at that address
(e.g., “air conditioning duct register in living room”), testing method
(“lift tape sampling”), and the name, postal address, email address, phone
number, and fax number (if any} of the person submitting the sample to the
mold laboratory.
7. Mail or express the
collected lift tape samples (including payment of the lab’s analysis fee}
to the mold analysis laboratory for mold species identification and
quantification.
For more information about
mold laboratory analysis and mold species identification, please visit---
http://www.moldlab.biz
http://www.moldinspector.com
http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com
http://www.moldmart.net
Contact: Phillip Fry, author
Phone: 11-63-921-352-1287
Email:
moldinspector@yahoo.com |
