 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Ambient air samples for mold are collected using a Micro5 Air Cassette and our easy to use, custom made hand pump.
The person collecting the samples simply attaches the air cassette to the end of the hand pump and proceeds to pump
the hand pump 100 times, which pulls the required 30 liters of air into the sampling cassette and across the small glue
plate (known as a spore trap) inside the cassette. Any materials found floating in the ambient air are pulled into the
cassette and adhere to the glue plate including any and all viable (alive) and non-viable (dead or dormant) mold spores.
This is extremely important since other kits on the market, such as the "Professional Mold Test Kit", use passive agar
plates which sample only a small portion of the viable mold spores present in the ambient air. Health studies have
shown that viable (alive) and non-viable (dead or dormant) mold spores have the same health impacts and concerns
regarding human exposure to mold spores; specifically, to effectively evaluate mold conditions in a home or business
both viable and non-viable mold spores must be tested for and quantified.
Since our pump is hand held, a home or business owner can collect what is commonly known as a "composite air
sample". As an example, since 100 pumps are required to pull in the required volume of air into the cassette, the
individual sampling their home can do 30 pumps in the basement while walking around, 40 pumps on the main floor
while walking around and 30 pumps on the upper level while walking around. While walking around a homeowner is
stirring the air and releasing mold spores that have settled in carpeting, etc.; thereby, collecting a more representative
sample. However, if the home or business owner is concerned about a specific area, level or room they can still do all
100 pumps in that single location.
During field and laboratory testing our custom made hand pump was shown to be more effective in sampling the
ambient air for mold spores that using more expensive equipment such as a Gillian Personal Pump or Zefon Pump. In
side by side laboratory testing no statistical differences were noted between more expensive pumps and our hand
pump. The reason our hand pump is so effective is the air is drawn into the cassette at a faster rate and the exhalation
port is located near the intake port; this allows the stirring of the ambient air being sampled, thereby keeping the heavier
mold spores airborne longer.
Finally, since a known volume o ambient air is pulled into the cassette the analytical data is quantified, meaning, the
home or business owner will know the exact type and quantity of mold spores per cubic meter of air in their home or
business. Therefore, the home or business owner will have a better understanding of mold levels and can take
appropriate steps to remediate the mold if it is determined to be present in elevated concentrations.
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
AccuKits Mold Tape Slides have been shown during laboratory testing to be a better sampling media than normal
Scotch Tape utilized by most environmental consultants. Our mold tape slides have more adhesiveness, which allows
more mold spores to adhere to the tape slide especially on wet/moist surfaces where these mold colonies grow. The
more mold spores that adhere to the tape slide provides a direct correlation to the representative area sampled, and
therefore, provides better analytical data and assessment of the mold sampled.
The Sterile Transport Swabs provided by in our kits come directly from a sterile laboratory/manufacturing facility. The
sterile swabs are sealed at the facility, which eliminates any potential for ambient contamination to be present on the
swabs prior to use. The sterile swabs are approximately six (6) inches long so that samples of visible mold can be
collected from hard to reach areas or if a small portion of drywall is removed, a sample can be collected from the
backside (wall void space) to determine if mold growth is present between walls. By providing these sterile swabs in our
kits, AccuKits is giving consumers an additional option for collecting potential mold spores from areas of visible or
hidden mold growth.
The Ghost Wipes that are provided in our kits come sealed directly from the manufacturer until they are ready to use.
The wipes are pre-wetted with a special deionized water that allows viable and non-viable mold spores to adhere to the
surface of the wipe when a sample is collected from a water damaged area. This allows a home or business owner to
sample for mold spores on water damaged materials before visible colonies have formed. By identifying mold spores in
an early stage of colonization, the cleanup or remediation is far easier and less expensive.
