Re: Mold Test Kits- PRO LAB

[Guest guest]

I was really not looking for most accurate results, just in general to

see if I had any problem areas in house. This is my home, so I won't

be suing anyone! Previous owner lived to be 100 but let the house

deteriorate some due to her advanced age. However the link Sue had

for test tape looks good too. $5 for tape and $35-40 for each test I

think? I think if I rechecked my house I would use culture plates

again though as I can see myself how many spores start to grow and

that is all I need to know at this point. I don't really need them

identified anymore, just a count will do to see if mold problem is

getting worse or better. So all I need to do is pay for culture

plates, then throw them away.

Going with test kits helped me to limit expense since I tested each

room in my house, including the porch and outside to compare, which

were 12 test kits. After those results I could tell where problems

where. When I had professional testor out it saved me lots of money

to just have areas tested that I had already determined there was a

problem. I did have them retest one area that ProLab said was okay

but I still had doubts about but professional testor also found no

problem there. I didn't need anything for court.

As for testing for stachybotra mold, I did have some visible mold and

took a Q tip of mold from those areas, two in basement and sent those

to Pro Lab, so same method as on Sue's site for visible mold testing.

They said to use a Q tip for visible mold and put in plastic bag,

which is what directions on Pro Lab kit were also.

However I'm not saying ProLab is the best but I don't think they are a

waste of money as has been said. I did read the Consumer Reports thing

that didn't like any of the culture plates because some spilled or

something and then found mold in one. I did have one vial of culture

come with some mold in it. I called ProLab. They said to throw it

away and they send me a new vial. All I can say to their report was

backed up, in general, not count by count, by professional tests,

which was all I needed. I would buy them again.

I see some advantages with tape lift but some downside also. Suppose

you just dusted one room a week ago and another room that you do test

you haven't dusted that spot for a month. Count in one room is going

to be higher just because you didn't dust it longer ago. I guess you

should predust all areas you are going to do test and wait a specific

amount of time and then do lifts all at one time so there is some

correlation from one test to another.

--- In , Your Friend <yor1friend2@...>

wrote:

>

> I did my home tests with a testing kit from Home Depot called, Pro

Lab also. I did my testing with petri dishes included in the kit. I

did not get the accurate results I got from professional testing.

[Guest guest]

When you say report should say that there is zero toxic mold spores,

are you just referring to stachybotras? Isn't aspergillus a mold that

puts out toxins? Aspergillus is everywhere.

--- In , Your Friend <yor1friend2@...>

wrote:

>

After remediation work is done, subsequent air tests should not show

any toxic mold spores in the air space.

>

[Guest guest]

Question by barb123: > When you say report should say that there is

> zero toxic mold spores...

This is the right question and this is where definitions and

semantics are important for clear communication and preventing

misunderstandings and stopping the continuation of harm.

Mold is " toxigenic, " not " toxic. "

Toxic means always toxic. Toxigenic means it is capable of being

toxic; perhaps frequently, but not always.

No molds are always toxic in the same way arsenic or benzene is. But

all molds can produce toxins (mycotoxins) under certain conditions.

-Are toxic molds present? Never.

-Are toxigenic molds present? Always.

-Are the molds that are actually present actually producing

mycotoxins? Who knows. Testing for mycotoxins is even less dependable

than testing for mold spores.

-Are the molds found in the sample all the molds in the structure?

Never.

-Are the molds in the sample representative of all the molds in the

structure? It depends. And no one has figured out a way of

determining what all it is dependant upon.

The best that can be said is something like (short version):

" These are the numbers of the types of molds detected, as limited by

the specific sampling method which was further analysed, counted and

identified by the lab, and then interpreted by the one who collected

the samples (or is reading the report). It is but one " snapshot " at

the time of collection and may or may not represent conditions prior,

later or overall. It is not intended to represent the exposure of any

individuals and says nothing about that individuals' susceptibility

or the level of impact of that exposure on any person or group. "

Something like that.

And it's not all mycotoxins. Or spores, Or fragments. Or glucans. Or

eznymes. Or proteins. Or whatever else they discover tomorrow. Some,

none or all of the above in the context of the individual and all

their variability.

Unknowable and uncertainty, however, does not mean nothing happened -

because of the mold or anything else. And this is a large part of

what makes these exposures so harmful - having to live with

uncertainty and with the unprovable (to others).

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

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> When you say report should say that there is zero toxic mold spores,

> are you just referring to stachybotras? Isn't aspergillus a mold that

> puts out toxins? Aspergillus is everywhere.

>

> > After remediation work is done, subsequent air tests should

> not show any toxic mold spores in the air space. >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I questioned Shane from Pro Lab and he said the results are 100%

and he tested down to the species of my petri dishes b/c of my

concerns of accuracy. I know for Stachy, not picked up in petri

dishes normally. I had other toxic molds at work and home. I think

the petri dishes will give you some idea of what you have. Rhonda

> >

> > I did my home tests with a testing kit from Home Depot called,

Pro

> Lab also. I did my testing with petri dishes included in the kit. I

> did not get the accurate results I got from professional testing.

>