UPDATE on: Re: Looking for ADVICE & SUGGESTIONS regarding Stachy testing...

[Guest guest]

I've been making phone calls and this is what I've discovered so far:

1) The addresses and phone numbers for P & K and Aerotech aren't

current.

2) at P & K is quite nice, but he thinks that testing wouldn't

tell much as there wouldn't be any interpretation of the results.

3) Steve at Texas Tech was also pleasant. He thinks I wouldn't

have any cross contamination from my work environment at home. He

also didn't think testing would be very helpful. He suggested washing

my clothes in bleach. When I said I couldn't do that, as I don't wear

any white clothes and bleach would ruin my clothes, then he said to

wash or dry clean them and perhaps it would be good enough.

4) I can't reach a real live person at The American Environmental

Health Foundation.

5) I called Aerotech and left a message, as I couldn't immediately

reach a person there either.

This is a frustrating experience. I don't know what to do or believe.

I just want to get/be well. They definitely didn't seem too clued in

to the toxin part of the mold issue and apparently testing for toxins

is WAY more expensive than testing for mold spores. It sounds like

the fact that there really aren't any standards for how many spores

are typical/normal makes it harder to interpret the test results and

make sense of them.

Signed: Get Rid of Mold

--- In , " ridofmold " <getridofmold@m...>

wrote:

> Ok, here is my scenario. I was made sick at work. There were many

> kinds of mold, but Stachy was the " king of the heap " (as in the

most

> prevalent mold). I am sick and no longer working. There are many of

> my things still at work and I'm wondering if I should just " give

them

> up " .

>

> Ok, next problem, did my car, my clothes, my apartment, and other

> things I've brought home get cross contaminated and is there any

> mold at home to be concerned about now that I am " primed " as Dr.

> Shoemaker says?

>

> I am proposing testing for Stachy et al through a swab or tape

method

> (please tell me if that's the right idea and which would be better)

> as Stachy isn't airborne so an airborne method wouldn't answer my

> questions. I want to do this to help me decide if I should move,

and

> if so what I should do about my possessions. I propose testing the

> following: a) one article of clothing that I repeatedly wore in the

> building--which has not been cleaned since leaving the building,

a

> throw rug which is in my bedroom and has not been washed (the

bedroom

> isn't carpeted), c) the mat in my car, and d) my couch. These items

> would be " standing in " for others to give me some idea of where I

> stand in terms of possible cross contamination issues. I understand

> that testing for Stachy can cost as much as $129.95 per site

tested!

> At that price I'm prepared to do as many as four sites, if

necessary.

>

> A number of places have been suggested to me for testing (See Info

> Below). I hear from a number of you that P & K/Aerotech is great

for

> testing. I've heard from others that Texas Tech University is good.

> My Environmental doctor suggested The American Environmental Health

> Foundation. At this point, my goal is not any type of legal

> documentation as the exposure that made me sick was at work. I am

> just wanting to make sure that I am no longer getting exposed so I

> can get well. I would need some kind of report or interpretation to

> make good use of the test results and I'm interested in the

different

> accreditation that these testing places have, but know nothing

about

> the accreditation. Does anyone know how these three testing options

> compare? I would be delighted to have your assistance in this

> important decision.

>

> Thanks Much,

>

> Signed: Get RID of Mold

>

>

> 1) RCI Stachybotrys Mold Test Kit $129.95 through The American

> Environmental Health Foundation:

>

> http://www.aehf.com/catalog/product_info.php?

> cPath=96 & products_id=1183 & osCsid=a493e5a546bafb070d83ebc022b52eff

>

> 2) Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

> Department of Microbiology

> 806-743-2466

> Lab Hours: 8:00 – 5:00

>

> 3) P & K Microbiology Services

> 1950 Old Cuthbert Rd, Unit L

> Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

> 856-427-4044

> Attn: Dr. Chin Yang

> http://www.stl-inc.com/labs/P & K/P & K_index.htm

>

> 4)Aerotech Laboratories, Inc.

> 1501 West Knudsen Drive

> Phoenix, Arizona 85027

> 623-780-4800

> 1-800-651-4802

> Fax 623-780-7695

> http://www.aerotechlabs.com/Aero/