Is mold testing even necessary?

Specific Inspection Topics Ancillary Inspection Services
41

There is a new test available to InterNACHI members that actually identifies mold from its DNA, not just by visual or microscopic identification. The Indoor Allergens and Mold Test kit is available through a new relationship between InterNACHI, and National Jewish Health, the number one respiratory hospital in the U.S. since 1998. The Family Air Care® Indoor Allergens and Mold Test Kit was designed to be an easy way to survey a customer’s home for the key allergens including mold that impact their respiratory health.

Check it out at:

http://www.nationaljewish.org/familyaircare/internachi/internachi-inspectors.aspx
https://www.nationaljewish.org/familyaircare/internachi/internachi-store.aspx

The Promo code is HI%$033109

42

I have to agree. The training is also developed around a different set of circumstances or built environments for a lot of things. If that weren’t the case the AIHA wouldn’t recognize the credentials of such organizations as the American Indoor Air Quality Council and have certified Industrial Hygenists taking those courses for the purpose of education and third-party accreditation. It happens, as it should when the roles are reversed and a mold inspector, indoor environmentalist, or likewise needs to move into an area that requires their expertise.

  • Jason Yost, CIEC, CIE, CMRS, CMR, WRT
43

“Yes, in most cases a small amount of mold is nothing to worry about, it depends on the persons and if the environmental conditions still do not exist that created the mold.
A normal person can consume small amounts of mold, tasting mold is a way you can determine if it is mold, I always taste mold if it is a just a small spot. A large area is a no brainier, but if you want to lick the whole way, knock yourself out.”

I love this comment, just printed it to hang on our office wall.
Even the girl that answers the phone got a kick out of it.

44

So they don’t have Blue Cheese in Florida?? :twisted:

Mold Is Gold :frowning:

45

No offense to you James, BUT…I will stick with Caoimhín P. Connell PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS day in, and day out.

46

So exactly what level of mold is dangerous.? :slight_smile:

47

MAYBE the question is, what strains of mold are dangerous?
( apart from stachybotrys chartarum)

48

Our ways of English usage apparently differ.
Would you please rephrase that? I have NF idea what you meant.
Thanks!

49

Your post #41 is a duplicate of your post #22, and is not an answer to post #23.
I imagine you are a (:twisted:) vendor?

50

You think Russ?-----:lol:—:lol:—](*,)

51

Gosh, I don’t know, Dale!
I poked it; it didn’t move like a vendor . . .:roll:

52

Speak English.

No… the question was exactly what level of mold is bad.?

53

Thanks for the question earlier.

Sorry for the double post. I did not think I had completed it correctly on the first attempt when I returned to review any comments.

I would prefer to be thought of as an InterNACHI partner. You might call us a vendor. We are a respiratory hospital providing a medically oriented survey test for indoor air quality. We hope you will offer it to your customers.

[FONT=Verdana]Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked us as the number one center for respiratory care in the country. Our Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences group has won numerous national awards and gained an international reputation in various aspects of Indoor Air Quality. Please visit our web site at www.njhealth.org.[/FONT]

In discussing our service offering with Nick we structured our pricing to get the collection device into your hands for a deposit of $40 dollars. The analysis can be purchased separately for $210 when you have a customer. The price you charge for your time is your call. The kit is selling retail at $349.00. All of the results would be sent to you for interpretation and communication with your customers.

The results are provided in a[FONT=Verdana] detailed report of the findings made available through a secure e-mail. The report is designed to provide you and your customers information about levels of specific allergens including mold present in the home being tested. It also compares the results to average levels in U.S. homes and levels associated with allergy symptoms in some individuals for possible corrective action. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]We believe this is the highest quality mold and allergen test in the market today. Our mold test, using real time PCR, (we identify and quantify the mold through DNA analysis) was developed in conjunction with Roche, one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare company in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Our allergen tests, using Elisa methodology, were developed with Indoor Biotechnologies one of the leading manufacturers of allergen test kits.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Let me know if I can get you more information.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Jeffrey[/FONT]

54

Each individual has a different sensitivity to mold and other allergens.
[size=3][FONT=Arial][size=3][FONT=Verdana][size=2]Asthmatic individuals, as a group, are more sensitive to environmental pollutants such as mold or other allergens. This group is of special concern since the percentage of individuals with asthma in the U.S. population is increasing at an alarming rate.

[FONT=Arial]"There are over 50 million Americans with allergies and 20 million with asthma. This is 1 out of every 5 Americans and nearly 70% of households being affected. "[/FONT]

Even though individuals without asthma may not react to as low of allergen levels (mold) many will react as the allergen levels increase. As allergen levels (mold) increase in a residence, so do a number of the symptoms [FONT=Arial][size=3][FONT=Arial][size=3][FONT=Verdana][size=2]of coughing, sneezing, runny nose, eye irritation, and nose or throat irritation.[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][size=3][FONT=Arial][size=3]

[/size][/size][/FONT]When allergen levels increase into and above the “high”
[/FONT]levels, the risk of lung injury increases, even for individuals that do not have current respiratory illnesses.

In fact, high levels of allergens like mold, dust mite, and cockroach have been associated with the development of asthma and other serious lung diseases in otherwise healthy individuals.

A recent medical article points out:
[/FONT][/FONT]

**Importance of mold allergy in asthma.**Portnoy JM, Barnes CS, Kennedy K.
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2008 Mar;8(1):71-8. Review.
[/size]
"Fungal exposure is hypothesized (controversially) to contribute to asthma development and to trigger symptoms in patients with asthma. The ubiquity of environmental fungal exposure makes a careful review of evidence essential. Evidence that exposure to high concentrations of fungal spores, antigens, or metabolites is associated with asthma development is limited. However, because mechanisms of asthma genesis are poorly understood, so too are the mechanisms of this potential association. This association is not proof of causality. Stronger evidence supports the hypothesis that fungal exposure triggers symptoms in asthmatic individuals. Proposed mechanisms have been tested and correlations between exposure and symptoms demonstrated. Though some correlations remain speculative, controlled studies could test such hypotheses. Because asthma is common and fungal exposure is ubiquitous, it is surprising that asthmatics don’t have more symptoms when exposed to fungi. Fortunately, symptoms are dose dependent, creating an opportunity to develop clinically effective interventions. Given the right guidance, even patients with severe asthma can create healthy indoor environments."

This is why the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, United States Department of Health and Human Services in October 2007 suggested that:

***“***If patients who have asthma are exposed to irritants or inhalant allergens to which they are sensitive, their asthma symptoms may increase and precipitate an asthma exacerbation. Substantially reducing exposure to these factors may reduce inflammation, symptoms, and need for medication….Recognition and treatment of these conditions may improve asthma control.”

This is why inspection and measurement of mold and other allergens is so important.

Jeffrey

55

Originally Posted by jtribuzio http://nachi.cachefly.net/forum/images/2006/buttons/viewpost.gif
*MAYBE the question is, what strains of mold are dangerous?
( apart from stachybotrys chartarum)

Well im sorry I used confusing language, i’m sure you know already that stachybotrys chartarum is the black slime mold that eveyone is scared of. I had thought that it would be good to know what other strains of molds are as toxic as that strain.

But your only asking about concentration of ANY mold in general?

In my opinion, and correct me if im wrong, that would heavily depend on the strain of mold , so in the spirit of clarification i wanted to pose a different question.

56

You ought to look at the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization’s “Standards of Practice for the Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality, volume 1: Mold Sampling; Assessment of Mold Contamination”. I believe you can get a copy of it at their website: www.indoorstandards.org/. Another and newly released guideline produced by the American Industrial Hygiene Association is their “Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Indoor Mold”. You can get a copy of this resource at http://iweb.aiha.org/iweb/Purchase/ProductDetail.aspx?Product_code=IMOM08-679](http://www.ieso.org). This might help with the question posted earlier on here: “the question was exactly what level of mold is bad.?” Best wishes.
Jason Yost, CIEC, CIE, CMRS, CMR, WRT

57

Where?

58

The short answer to “What level of mold is dangerous?” is -it depends. The American or Canadian governments have not set any threshold limits as to what level of toxins is or is not acceptable. It all depends on the individual exposed. Older persons, children, those with compromised immune systems are all more likely to be affected then others. Also the length of time one is exposed to the toxins. Testing for mould is not always required. Once again it depends on what you need the data for.
For us remediation contractors we need pre & post (clearance) testing to see if we have done our job correctly. Testing for the sake of testing when mould is visible is not required for most home inspections.

Doug

59

The retail locations are on the Green Depot Web site www.greendepot.com and at Green Depot retail locations along the Eastern Seaboard and in Chicago and on the FamilY Air Care Web site www.familyaircare.com.

Remember though there is a special price available to InterNACHI members as noted above.

Jeffrey

60

As a scientist that has worked in a environmental lab for 27 years testing asbestos and mold and with over 30 years of field experience, mold should be tested. Unless it is tested, it is only “presumed” or “assumed” mold. I have seen many instances where samples thought to be mold we not mold, other thought to be clean have mold. Plus, testing confirms the genus of mold which can be very helpful evaluating courses of action.