Re: Mold Petri Tests and Labs

[Guest guest]

Many people have had good luck with Aerotech/PK or whatever they are

called. There is some campany that does very cheap tests with plates

that are analyzed by computers that many people have expressed

negative opinions about.

Also, to do viable testing and analysis of stachybotrys, you need to

use a stachybotrys-specific agar. Those plates need to be requested

specially. Mold plates need to be analyzed professionally, under a

special kind of microscope. There is no way that even an expert could

tell you what mold is growing in a plate by eye. (All petri dishes

that are opened will grow molds of various kinds.. because there are

spores virually evereywhere)

Even the best microscopic analysis will only tell you some very

general things about spore types. With stachybotrys, thats much

different than with aspergillus/penicillium type. Mold spore tests are

accurate in the sense that if a tests finds stachybotrys or

cladosporidium, you know that that mold was there AT THAT TIME. They

CAN'T tell you if a building is safe though because they just are a

snapshot in time of spores.

Really, its a slippery slope. To really test a building for mold

clearance requires a multi-pronged approach that should involve a

number of different kinds of tests, spore, qpcr, toxin, if possible,

in different locations at different times of the year and of the day.

The most important thing is to get inside the wall cavities and clean

the mold mats out. Any remediation that does not attempt to find and

remove mold reservoirs is not an effecitive one. (Sometimes its more

cost effective to replace the building.)

You wouldn't trust your life to a single $75 test, would you?

[Guest guest]

Kim, I am not promoting here, I am telling you my experience along with some

others, that Pro-Lab was excellent. I talked to the mycologist there, they are

very knowledgeable, Dr. Shane, great analysis, affordable, and great turn

around. You can also go on there site, read the background of Dr. Shane, etc.

If you do have a kit of theirs, I suggest you follow the directions to the

letter. I had also had the board of health come into my apartment, and tell me

to use their tests , along with the hired professional that I had used besides.

So, it is really at your own discretion on who you want to use as home kits. I

also know of town officials that used Pro-Lab. Darlene

Kim <indypets1965@...> wrote: Please forgive

if this is a repeat question. I am trying to find out

from reliable sources (which are the members of this group) what tests

and labs they found of the most benefit for in-home mold tests and the

labs you used. How much is the cost and any other information that

would be of benefit to a general audience.

I would appreciate any help any of you can provide.

Thank you.

Kim

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

If you are only testing for mold growth you have all missed the point. Indoor

air from water intrusion is a complex mixture of bacterial (gram negative and

positive) and molds with their multitude of by-products. Fro example, the CDC

did a recent study in New Orleans that clearly demonstrated toxic concentrations

of endotoxins and beta glucans in contaminated homes. In addition,

trichothecenes have been demonstrated in the nanoparticulates of indoor air and

in the serum of individuals living in the contaminated homes. Jack D. Thrasher,

Ph.D.

Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist/Fetaltoxicologist

www.drthrasher.org

toxicologist1@...

[Guest guest]

I got the point, I'm just not sure about how to " get'er done " . lol's

well bulk dust samples detect it all?

>

> If you are only testing for mold growth you have all missed the

point. Indoor air from water intrusion is a complex mixture of

bacterial (gram negative and positive) and molds with their multitude

of by-products. Fro example, the CDC did a recent study in New

Orleans that clearly demonstrated toxic concentrations of endotoxins

and beta glucans in contaminated homes. In addition, trichothecenes

have been demonstrated in the nanoparticulates of indoor air and in

the serum of individuals living in the contaminated homes. Jack D.

Thrasher, Ph.D.

> Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

> Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist/Fetaltoxicologist

> www.drthrasher.org

> toxicologist1@...

>

[Guest guest]

I think a few environmental testing companies are doing the dust

sample testing here ar least for myco's but not sure what else. were

the other things you listed before a complete list of what dust needs

tested for?

> >

> > If you are only testing for mold growth you have all missed the

> point. Indoor air from water intrusion is a complex mixture of

> bacterial (gram negative and positive) and molds with their

multitude

> of by-products. Fro example, the CDC did a recent study in New

> Orleans that clearly demonstrated toxic concentrations of

endotoxins

> and beta glucans in contaminated homes. In addition,

trichothecenes

> have been demonstrated in the nanoparticulates of indoor air and in

> the serum of individuals living in the contaminated homes. Jack D.

> Thrasher, Ph.D.

> > Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

> > Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist/Fetaltoxicologist

> > www.drthrasher.org

> > toxicologist1@

> >

>

[Guest guest]

One that was left out is Proteinases. Mycopathologia. 2007 Jul 3;

Yike I, Rand T, Dearborn DG.

Keep in mind that dust samples can be analyzed many different ways.

Most of the different components of mold require separate analysis of

the samples, each with their own cost. Bacteria is additional. It's

not as simple as one sample with one analysis and we have all the

information that's possible.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> I think a few environmental testing companies are doing the dust

> sample testing here ar least for myco's but not sure what else. were

> the other things you listed before a complete list of what dust needs

> tested for? were

> the other things you listed before a complete list of what dust needs

> tested for?

[Guest guest]

Darlene,

My experiences with Pro-Lab have been different.

They told one client to move out of their home because of what they

identified as " black toxic mold " (Stachybotrys chartarum). The family was

living in a trailer in their driveway bccause the lab misidentified CANDLE

SOOT as mold!

Another couple was very concerned about Cladosporium mold (the most common

outdoor and indoor mold) growing on a baseboard that the lab had again

misidentified as Stachybotrys.

This all happened before Shane, a very knowledgeable microscopist,

came on board recently.

I use EMLab (formerly known as P+K and then as Aerotech, after several

buyouts).

C. May, M.A., CIAQP

May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

3 Tolkien Lane

Tyngsborough, MA 01879

617-354-1055

www.mayindoorair.com

www.myhouseiskillingme.com

>Re: Mold Petri Tests and Labs

>Posted by: " Darlene " darlenesb2000@... darlenesb2000

>Date: Wed Jan 2, 2008 8:19 am ((PST))

>Kim, I am not promoting here, I am telling you my experience along with >some

others, that Pro-Lab was excellent. I talked to the mycologist >there, they are

very knowledgeable, Dr. Shane, great analysis, affordable, >and great turn

around. You can also go on there site, read the background >of Dr. Shane, etc.

If you do have a kit of theirs, I suggest you follow >the directions to the

letter. I had also had the board of health come >into my apartment, and tell me

to use their tests , along with the hired >professional that I had used besides.

So, it is really at your own >discretion on who you want to use as home kits. I

also know of town >officials that used Pro-Lab. Darlene

>>Kim <indypets1965@...> wrote: Please

>>forgive if this is a repeat question. I am trying to find out

>>from reliable sources (which are the members of this group) what tests

>>and labs they found of the most benefit for in-home mold tests and the

>would be of benefit to a general audience.

>>I would appreciate any help any of you can provide.

>>Thank you.

Kim

[Guest guest]

Jeff, thank you so much for the input on this, well appreciated. So, now I am

hoping since Dr. Shane has been on board, that the results he gave me for the

tests I had done, are accurate. This is very crucial since we have so many that

are immune-compromised in this 9 floor building, and some are proven medically

that we are sick from the mold that exists here (including the expert that I had

come in and test my HVAC (bulk samples), and for the air samples she did not

have the HVAC running and when called the company back she wanted to charge me

more money which initially the air samples were included in on the price and

contract she gave to me. She still insisted charging me more, which I could not

afford to do so after paying her $1600.00 (well, my son paid her). Darlene

Jeff May <jeff@...> wrote: Darlene,

My experiences with Pro-Lab have been different.

They told one client to move out of their home because of what they

identified as " black toxic mold " (Stachybotrys chartarum). The family was

living in a trailer in their driveway bccause the lab misidentified CANDLE

SOOT as mold!

[Guest guest]

Thank you Carl.

>

> One that was left out is Proteinases. Mycopathologia. 2007 Jul 3;

> Yike I, Rand T, Dearborn DG.

>

> Keep in mind that dust samples can be analyzed many different ways.

> Most of the different components of mold require separate analysis

of

> the samples, each with their own cost. Bacteria is additional. It's

> not as simple as one sample with one analysis and we have all the

> information that's possible.

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

> -----

> > I think a few environmental testing companies are doing the dust

> > sample testing here ar least for myco's but not sure what else.

were

> > the other things you listed before a complete list of what dust

needs

> > tested for? were

> > the other things you listed before a complete list of what dust

needs

> > tested for?

>

[Guest guest]

>Jeff May <jeff@...> wrote: Darlene,

>

>My experiences with Pro-Lab have been different.

>

>They told one client to move out of their home because of what they

>identified as " black toxic mold " (Stachybotrys chartarum). The family was

>living in a trailer in their driveway bccause the lab misidentified CANDLE

>SOOT as mold!

Not good. Was more than one test involved?

(I'm guessing yes - at least I would not base a decision like that on

one test - unless I was also really ill?)