Has anyone had any very recent issues with incorrect lab results on mold tests from PriorityLab? I have had 5 or 6 out of my last 7 tape lift samples come back as “No Growth”, when there is obvious growth present on the surfaces I’m sampling. This has been only in the last couple weeks and I’ve never had this happen before in over 5 years of using them.
Nothing has changed on my end in the inspection or sampling methods or materials, and there is nothing ambiguous about the growth I’m sampling. Hyphae, sporangiophore and sporangium are clearly visible on the surface. I’m not testing for confirmation, I’m testing for documentation due to the contracts in our area requiring it for repair requests. I’ve now had to re-sample one house and I’ve got multiple clients left hanging for days dealing with this. Oh, and I’ve called and emailed and never gotten a response from PriorityLab. I’m trying to figure out what is going on down there.
My only complaint is the shipping bags that Sporecyte provides. I had a broken slide in shipping and had to redo the entire test. Order a case of UPS mini express shipping boxes and use them instead. Otherwise, they are great and have fast service.
I agree, the UPS overnight bags do not provide any protection. We wrap all our samples in a sheet of bubble wrap and have not had any issues. We save it when we get packages or get it from wherever we can find it. Also, we have used brown Kraft paper and crumpled it up and then wrapped it around the samples.
I have not thought about getting the small UPS boxes. I might try that.
Hyphae, sporangiophores, and sporangia are microscopic structures. You can not see them with the naked eye or even a good magnifying glass. They require a microscope, usually 400x or higher, to identify properly.
Surface growth that looks “moldy” to the naked eye could be:
Actual mold
Mildew
Dirt/dust
Efflorescence
bacteria
or other fungi that are not “mold”
Professional mold identification (especially to genus/species level) requires lab analysis with microscopy. Visual inspection alone can only say “there is visible fungal growth” — not confirm specific structures or even that it’s definitely mold.
Experienced inspectors can make educated guesses based on color, texture, location, and smell, but claiming to see hyphae and sporangia with the naked eye is superhuman.
“Visual inspection alone can only say “there is visible fungal growth” — not confirm specific structures or even that it’s definitely mold.”
I’m not sure who has told you you can’t see hyphae, sporangiophores, and sporangium with the naked eye, but they are incorrect. You do not need a microscope to recognize mold and mold structure. And obviously we are talking about growth/clusters of those structures, not like a single hyphae sitting on a board. Not a superhuman feat, just get a flashlight and get up close to it. I agree a microscope is needed to identify genus/species.
I appreciate the welcome, but I’ve been here for over a decade.
Yeah, I know it says this is the first time I’ve posted and that I joined in 21. Both are incorrect. InterNACHI doesn’t have perfect records, although this may be a new iteration of the forum on which I have not yet posted. Regarding your other question, I had previously posted this, “I agree a microscope is needed to identify genus/species.” I don’t believe you need testing to positively identify whether something is mold or not in a non-professional setting. When inspecting, you unfortunately have to cover your butt due to liability, and act as if you can’t possibly call mold what we all know it is: mold. Although we would all throw away mold-covered food and exclaim “That’s all moldy!” when asked why.
Yes, I forgot about the previous generations who considered expiration dates a 6 month early suggestion, and called dropping something on the floor “adding flavor”.
