LCS Laboratory in London, Ontario offers mold sampling kits and laboratory testing for mold spores in the air. The kit includes a sampling pump and Air-O-Cell cassettes designed for biological spores and pollen.
The cassettes can be used only once, so when you are planning your sampling, keep in mind that you need to order a cassette for each room that you would like to test. Typically you collect one sample for 10 minutes. Usually you can complete the entire sampling process in 30 minutes – one hour.
Air-O-Cell cassettes for mold sampling
Moisture intrusion, water damage, musty odors, apparent mold growth, or conditions conducive to mold growth are all common reasons for collecting an air sample. Sampling should take place in an occupied living space within the house, under closed- door conditions in order to help stabilize the airflow and achieve reproducible measurements. While the sample is being collected, windows and exterior doors should be kept shut, and only used for normal entry and exit from the home. It is best to have air exchanges (other than a furnace) or fans that exchange indoor-outdoor air switched off during the sampling. Samples should be taken near the center of the room, with the collection device positioned 3 to 6 feet above the ground.
Zefon Inc. offers a training video explaining the sampling procedure and instructions on how to operate a sampling pump:
For step-by-step instructions please read the article on how to assemble a sampling train for mold sampling.
It is normal to find some mold in the outdoor air. The outdoor mold level is often used as a baseline for interpretation of the indoor results. If you collect indoor samples during a warm season, you should also plan to collect outdoor samples for comparison.
Please visit our on-line store to order you sampling kit
