MOLD INVESTIGATIONS

E-MAR Resources provides mold testing for residential, commercial and governmental clients. Our trained staff has conducted hundreds of investigations for mold. Test techniques include:

Air sampling
Bulk sampling
Tape lift sampling
WallChek sampling
Swab sampling
Viable sampling

Investigations have also included chemical and other biological sampling and analysis for indoor air quality problems. The substances tested for range from sick building syndrome to Legionnaire's Disease.

Mold is a naturally occurring organism. It is found essentially everywhere. There are over 100,000 known species of mold. Mold is a subset of the plant kingdom known as fungi. Common types of fungus include mushrooms, mold, and mildew. Mold is not a plant because it does not use chlorophyll to grow. It is not green, and it does not need sunlight. It needs only food and water to grow. Food can be any material that contains carbon. In nature this includes dead plant life such as grass, leaves, and wood.

In a home, food includes drywall, carpet, wallpaper, and wood. If these materials become wet, they may begin growing mold within 48 to 72 hours. Mold does not typically grow on clean metal, concrete and glass surfaces. They do not provide the necessary food.

Mold has been known to cause allergic reactions in people. The symptoms are similar to asthma. Many other symptoms have been reported. For more information about mold, links to other web sites are provided below.

Common biological dust components such as mold, fungus, and pollen are not regulated by governmental agencies at this time. There are no mandated permissible exposure limits (PEL). According to current industry practice, concentrations of mold in indoor air, which exceed concentrations of mold in outdoor air, should be considered positive. Positive samples may warrant additional investigation, supplemental testing or corrective measures.