Black Mold Testing of Your Environment

Mold testing of your environment is the next important step you need to do once you have determined that you have some of the symptoms that could be symptoms of black mold poisoning.

There are a few ways to test your environment for black mold.

It used to be thought that the best way to test your environment for toxic mold is with air quality testing. However, as I discuss later on, air quality testing can sometimes be inaccurate. The new ERMI test is now the definitive test.

Let me explain air quality testing for I believe it still has a place in the world of mold testing. It is the test that gave me my answers as to why I was sick. So, it can be very useful and often it is the first test I recommend people to try.

Air quality testing uses special equipment to pump air through a container that traps mold spores. This container is called a spore trap.

There are two types of air quality testing for mold, viable and nonviable testing.

Viable mold testing only tests for live molds and tests for live spores. This type of testing is much more expensive and is used to determine if there is mold that is living in a building.

Nonviable testing counts spores both living and dead. This testing is the best one to start off with because you will want to know if you are breathing in dead spores as well as live ones. Dead or alive, spores contain mycotoxins and are dangerous to breathe in.

Also nonviable testing is much more reasonable as far as cost is concerned. It is also easier because the spore trap container does not have to processed immediately.

For the purposes of this website, only nonviable testing will be presented. There are times when viable spore trapping is desirable and this would require a mold professional to perform this type of testing.

There are several options of testing using air sampling. If you are interested in learning how to do it less expensively and do not mind the challenge of less user friendly equipment then read my book

Surviving Toxic Black Mold Syndrome.

In this book I discuss a way to test for black mold with air quality testing that is less expensive. This way is the best way to go if you need to test more than 3 rooms or have 2 locations to test like your home and workplace. Or if you think you will need to do testing in the future if you are thinking of buying a new home, this black mold testing described in my book would be the least expensive way to go.

For the average person who is just trying to figure out if mold is in their environment, there is an easy, reasonably priced solution, that you can do yourself. It is a do-it-yourself black mold testing kit called Examinair.

Examinair is a do-it-yourself home test that is cheaper than what it would cost to have a mold inspector do the exact same testing.

The air sampler in this kit is the exact same technology as a professional mold inspector would use to do black mold testing in your house -minus the complexity of learning how to use the equipment.. It is designed so the average person can run the test very easily. I had paid 600 dollars to have a mold inspector test my home for black mold using the same air quality testing and I only had 2 rooms and one outdoor sample checked. The Examinair tests 3 rooms and an outdoor sample for much less cost.

An outdoor sample always needs to be done because houses are never airtight and inevitably some mold spores from the outside get inside your house. If the level of mold spores inside your house is greater than the level outside your house than you know you have a mold problem IN your house. And thats why you need both indoor an outdoor samples. One outdoor sample is sufficient.

The test includes analysis of the samples.

Also, this test analyzes for pollen, skin cells (to test for overall cleanliness of your home) dust and dust mites.

IF YOU WANT A DEFINITIVE MOLD TEST THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE FINAL ANSWER TO THE BURNING QUESTION, "DO I HAVE A MOLD PROBLEM IN MY HOUSE?"; THIS IS IT!!!

Developed by Scientists at the US EPA

Extensive research conducted by the EPA, using state-of-the-art DNA forensics, established the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index or ERMI. The DNA-based ERMI test analyzes a single sample of dust from a home using a highly specific DNA-based method for quantifying mold species. The ERMI report includes the detection and concentrations 36 mold species along with the ERMI value itself. This provides a single number to rank the "moldiness" making it easy to compare the results to a national scale.

Testing for mold isn’t new, but there is a new, faster, more reliable method for testing. And faster, easier detection means less time between infestation and remediation. The ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) test is a DNA-based mold identification tool developed by scientists at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Used by professionals in homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, the ERMI test leverages the same DNA technology that has revolutionized forensic and criminal investigation.

DNA mold testing leverages a technology called quantitative PCR (qPCR) that is used in many scientific fields including genetics and cancer research. The qPCR technology directly probes the DNA of mold with incredible accuracy to detect which species of mold are present and how many spores of each species are contaminating the indoor environment.

The ERMI test was performed on 1100 homes across the US, as part of the American Healthy Homes Survey, conducted by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Protecting your family and your property are two primary concerns. Recognizing the potential health hazards mold presents to your family – asthma, allergies, infections and certain types of toxicities – means making mold detection a regular part of home maintenance.

With the ERMI test, you can compare your home’s mold level with the EPA’s Relative Moldiness Index which is based on the 1,100 home HUD American Healthy Home Survey. The ERMI index helps determine how much mold is in your home, and exactly what type of mold is present.

Housing features that can increase moisture levels and growth of mold include poor ventilation, excess production or condensation of water in the house (e.g., humidifiers, unvented clothes dryers), and water leakage or flooding. Basements are likely to have higher mold concentrations than other indoor areas, especially in the winter.Because mold can also destroy everything from a single area or system to an entire house, regularly testing for mold is one important way to protect your investment. Mold remediation can be an expensive undertaking – one that can easily bankrupt a family and threaten the financial viability of real estate investments.

Graphic: EPA ERMI Index Chart

.Level 2 = Buildings with an ERMI in the 2nd quartile have the lower likelihood of having a mold problem

.Level 3 = Buildings with an ERMI in the 3rd quartile have the greater likelihood of having a mold problem

Level 4 = Buildings with an ERMI in the 4th quartile have the greatest likelihood of having a mold problem

ERMI TESTING

To learn more about the ERMI mold test go to ermimoldtest.com

If you do not want to doing any of this testing yourself and would rather hire a mold professional, I RECOMMEND CALLING

SANIT-AIR

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