Three Air Quality Testing Meters held up high.As a licensed mold inspector I am sometimes asked the question, “Is there a mold testing meter for testing mold in the air.?” Yes, such a device does exist, but it is not well known, nor widely used in the mold testing industry. Before we discuss this mold meter, let us first look at the conventional method for testing moldy air. Next, we will look at the meter that is sometimes used for testing moldy air. By looking at the pros and cons of both methods, we can determine if the mold testing meter is an effective tool.

If you are looking to buy a mold testing meter or other indoor air quality testing meter online check out this selection of meters and testing equipment.    If you are looking for a professional mold inspector in South Florida click here to be taken to our home page. 

Pump and spore trap commonly used for mold testing.

Pump and spore trap commonly used for mold testing.

The Traditional Mold Testing Method

Nearly every inspector uses air sampling pumps and spore traps when testing air. In this traditional method an air sampling pump pulls in air at a predetermined rate. 15 liters per minute is very typical for most such systems. The total amount of air varies depending on how long the device runs. A ten-minute run time resulting in a 150 liter air sample is very typical. Air pulled by the pump passes through a plastic or aluminum spore trap with a small piece of glass inside. The small piece of glass has sticky silicone grease on it. As the air is pulled through the spore trap the spores become stuck on the silicone grease. Next the plastic spore trap with the small piece of glass inside is sent to a microbiology lab. In the case of aluminum spore traps just the glass is sent. The analysist views the sample under a microscope at 600X or 1000X magnification. Spore types and numbers are recorded on a lab report by an actual lab analysist. Because the sample results are not provided on site, and in real time, it does not qualify as a mold testing meter. This is how almost all air samples are taken and analyzed during mold inspections.

ADVANTAGES

  • The advantage of this methodology is that it is widely used and accepted in the industry.
  • It will provide you with the actual number of spores per cubic meter of your air.
  • This mold test will tell you the types of spores you have in your air.
  • A non-bias 3rd party lab provides the results thus making it appear more reliable.
  • At around $100.00 per an analyzed sample, it is relatively affordable for the client.

 

DISADVANTAGES

  • It will take 24 hours to several days to get results back from the lab. This time period starts after the lab has received the samples via mail.
  • It is a well-known and studied fact that the results are incredibly variable. Take two samples from the same location,  and you will get different results. Mold sample analysis results can sometimes vary greatly. For more info on this problem see our article on  problems with mold sampling, or see our other article here.  

 

The Mold Testing Meter

The real mold testing meter is called the Mycometer,  click here to check it out. It uses a mold testing methodology that provides information on mold in the air, it gives on-site results in real time. As a result, the Mycometer system more resembles an actual mold testing meter. However, it is not a single hand held device like a particle counter. The kit comes as a few separate components in a small suitcase. Mycometer sampling techniques have evolved over the years.

The Mycometer kit initially started out as a way of testing suspected mold on surfaces. I personally observed it being used for this purpose when it first came out 15 years ago. I was not impressed because a mold inspector can typically tell if a substance is mold by looking at it. Newer kit configurations can also be used to test for bacteria, that is a more impressive and useful feature. Now with technological advances the company has created a way to allow it to be used for testing mold in the air. This advancement makes the Mycometer a much more useful and effective mold testing tool.

The mold meter method involves using a blower fan to stir up settled spores from surfaces in the home. Once all those settled spores are floating around in the air, it becomes easier to get a uniform air sample. Without such aggressive sampling some spores would be in the air, and some would be settled and not retrievable via air sampling. Now, once in the air, the spores can be sampled in a more uniform and reproduceable manner. A pump is turned on, the pump pulls air into a cylindrical filter cassette. All spores and other fungal fragments are trapped in something like a tiny coffee filter.

 

How is it Different?

One big difference with this method when compared to traditional test methods is that the sample is not sent to a lab. The sample is analyzed on the spot by the consultant with results in one hour. Test results will let the consultant know if there are elevated levels of mold specific enzymes in the particles that are in the air.

Another difference with this method is that the sample does not test for spores, it tests for mold related chemicals that are in the spores and other mold fragments in your air. More specifically it tests for an enzyme produced by mold known as N-acetylhexosaminidase or (NAHA). Test results can be used to tell on the spot if one part of a building is more moldy than other parts of the building by reading the levels of mold enzymes in the air sample.  This lets one know if that area is likely harboring mold, it is also an excellent tool for telling if mold particle levels are back to normal after a mold removal job has been completed.

ADVANTAGES

  • This is a true portable mold meter kit that can let you know while you are at a building if the air in that building is moldy or not. Results can be had in about one hour as opposed to having to mail samples to a lab hundreds of miles away. So, with this method, you are getting results from an on site mold testing kit in real time at the location.
  • Also, with a Mycometer results are very reproducible as documented by the US EPA in 2011. Thus, this method gives consistent reliable results that do not vary greatly as is the case with more conventional methods. There is limited usefulness in measuring something if the results vary each time you measure. With this method you do not have to worry about such inconsistencies.
  • One great advantage is that the Mycometer takes into account all the tiny mold fragments that would not be noticed by lab personnel looking under a microscope. You see, with more traditional methods you only get a measurement of entire intact mold spores and entire intact hyphal fragments. Countless tiny mold spore fragments and mold fiber fragments at can cause health problems are not noticed or counted by lab personal.

    DISADVANTAGES

  • Disadvantages to this method is that it cannot determine how many spores you have. The Mycometer can only tell you if the number of mold particles are elevated when compared to what is found in non-moldy buildings.
  • This method cannot tell you the types of mold spores you have in your air. With traditional mold sampling methodologies, you get a report showing the types of spores in your air to the genus level, and the number of each type of spore. This can be beneficial because many clients want to know what type of mold they have.
  • No 3rd party verification of your findings. With traditional methods you get a report showing that a 3rd party lab identified the type and amounts of spore’s present. With the Mycometer the consultant provides the lab results. In cases where the investigator may be biased towards one outcome or another, questions may arise as to if the results are valid. Ironically the possibility of invalid results because of a bias inspector tampering with sampling is equally a possibility with both testing methodologies. This is a disadvantage with all testing methods. An investigator can tamper with 3rd party lab result outcome by manipulating sample methods just as easily as they can with a Mycometer.
  • It is simple to lessen the likelihood of an inspector tampering with results by simply hiring one who does not own a mold removal company.  A non-bias investigator has no reason to falsify results.
  • Mycometers are not cheap. They are cost prohibitive for many inspectors. The cost of these meters and the ongoing cost of sample analysis is in my opinion the only reason these devices are not more widely used. The kit costs about $5000.00. On top of the initial investment, the filter cassettes are about $20.00 to 25.00 each, so each sample taken will cost the inspector $20.00 to $25.00.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING Now that I have discouraged you with all the problems that arise during mold testing, let me explain why mold testing is not a problem when looking at the big picture. A good inspector will not rely too much on any test results alone from either test method. A good inspector knows that testing alone is very limited. Information from an inspection combined with test results from either testing method will help locate, quantify, identify, and find solutions to a mold problem.

A good inspection will fill in where testing methods have limitations. Test results using a Mycometer or a more traditional method will be a powerful tool and will answer questions an inspection alone cannot answer.

 

CONCLUSIONS: The two main methods of air sampling during mold investigations both have limitations and advantages. Only the original conventional air sampling method is widely used, however, the Mycometer has much promise and will likely grow in popularity if it’s price ever drops. Both methods can be very powerful tools as long as they are used in conjunction with a detailed inspection. Here is a link to the Mycometer discussed above.

Home test kits can provide some information, but a professional indoor air quality investigation or mold inspection can provide much more beneficial information. Actual mold inspectors can be found at iaqa.org but putting in your zip code.