LCS Laboratory in London, Ontario offers testing for airborne mold spores. In our analyses, we follow the standard method ASTM D7391. We offer air sampling cassettes, pumps and laboratory testing as a single, “all-inclusive” package.
Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows how many species of fungi exist but the estimate ranges from tens of thousands to three hundred thousand or more. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, they spread and reproduce by making spores. Mold spores can survive harsh environmental conditions, such as dry surroundings, that do not support normal mold growth.
Molds are found in virtually every environment and can be detected all year round both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, they can be found in shady, damp areas or places where leaves or other vegetation is decomposing. Indoors, they can be found where humidity levels are high, such as basements, showers, window sills, fabrics, carpets, and the walls in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas.
Mold contamination affects us in three different ways (the links below will take you to the corresponding articles):
- Mold damages your house.
- Mold affects your quality of life, giving your house unhealthy look and specific musty smell.
- Mold spores can cause allergic reactions and in some cases – illness.
In order to grow, mold needs moisture and a material it can live on. It then releases “spores” into the air which are small enough so to actually breathe in. You may suspect hidden mold growth somewhere in the building if the air smells moldy, but often times you cannot see the source. Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of drywall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads etc. Other possible locations for mold include areas inside walls, around pipes (due to leaking or condensing pipes), the wall surface behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside duct work, in the roof or above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation). In all cases, hidden or not, mold can be discovered by testing the air for its airborne spores.
To order your mold testing kit, please visit our online store and indicate how many different rooms/areas you need to test.
