When Mold Sampling is Necessary, Contact the Experts at PEL Labs!

When is mold sampling necessary?

What types of samples are collected?

• Mold ‘clearance’ sampling is often performed following a known mold growth issue where a professional mold mitigation company has removed the mold growth on building materials and treated the area to ensure mold growth doesn’t return.  
• General mold investigations are often performed prior to or during real estate transactions to ensure a structure doesn’t have mold growth issues.
• Individuals who are sick and have been diagnosed with a known allergy or condition associated with mold will often request a professional to investigate a structure for existing or hidden mold growth issues.

Each of the conditions above will trigger different types of sampling, as determined by the professional conducting the mold investigation. Private homeowners can submit their own samples in many cases if they simply want to know the types of mold they see present in their home.  

Learn more here!

Contact a certified lab for mold analysis in Ann Arbor today! (877) 220-3528

When should a mold inspection and mold testing be considered?

This is what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has to say on that matter: 

“Is sampling for mold needed?  In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building’s compliance with federal mold standards. Surface sampling may be useful to determine if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated. Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods, and interpreting results. Sample analysis should follow analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), or other professional organizations.”

Learn more here!

If you need a reliable, efficient, and knowledgeable mold analysis in Ann Arbor, Michigan or the surrounding areas, we can help you! Contact us today! (877) 220-3528

24-Hour Dropbox Available!

Our laboratory just moved to a new location! We now offer a 24-hour dropbox location so you can drop off samples anytime. You can also mail them to our facility at 333 Jackson Plaza, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. 

If that doesn’t work for you, we can arrange sample pick-up for projects of at least 30 samples located within a 15-mile radius of our office! Learn more!

Contact a certified lab near you today! 

Bulk Sampling: Another Form of Mold Collection

Bulk sampling collects a destructive test of materials, such as pieces of building materials and carpet segments, and determines if they contain or show mold growth. A small portion of the material is collected that can be transported and handled easily by the laboratory (a 2” x 2” square piece is more than enough). The sample can be cultured for species identification or analyzed using direct microscopy for genus identification.

Learn more about the different types of mold collection here. 

Air Sampling: The Most Common Type of Mold Collection

Air Sampling – the most common sample type for studying indoor air environments—can involve ‘viable’ or ‘non-viable’ methods.

• Viable method: Spores are collected using an agar impaction plate—they must be alive at the time of testing so they can grow and be analyzed.
• Non-viable method: Spores are collected using an air-o-cell cassette or allergenco-D cassette. Both alive (viable) and dead (non-viable) mold spores are identified after analysis.
• Time duration: Time for sampling is set to prevent cassettes from overloading and to disperse air spores completely. Outdoor environments with no visible dust are sampled for ten minutes, indoor environments (with individuals present & moderate activity) for five minutes, and extremely dusty environments (ex. drywall renovation) for one minute—at the least.

Learn more about the different types of mold collection here!