Re: Confused...mold plate results

[Guest guest]

Peggy,

You have a right to be confused because no mold testing, even

by professionals, is exact or absolute. The best it can be is an

indication of an answer to a question based on a context of why

the sample was taken in the first place and can the sample

answer that question.

Settling plates are the least accurate of them but can be used as

a general " screen " for a rough idea. Some on the this group have

used them occasionally for a series of comparison with their

reactivity. The counts you gave are low and would be expected in

any location at any time with no mold problem. Why? Because

molds of many types are always - let me repeat that - ALWAYS in

the air. Plates just happen to pick up a few of them and a few of

those happen to grow on the plate. Kind of like throwing darts at

photos of friends to determine whom to marry.

Mycotoxins are troublesome because there are no good answers

yet. Highly implicated, expensive and difficult to detect with

sampling, hard to remove, and easily confused with other

secretions and emmanations from mold growth. New studies are

finding similar substances with greater (and more accepted)

impact on people.

The odor you smell could be from active growth, which means

less spores, or the chemical release from water damaged

materials.

Other than smelling something, do you react inside? If so, is it

less or more than before. Do the types and intensity of reactions

change with the mold counts from the plates?

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

Thank you all for your guidance...I'm so grateful.

I've moved out to our travel trailer to see if it makes a difference. We re-

did mold plates last week & got lab results.....OUR COLONY COUNTS

WERE 0-3 (Dr Dennis had told me in the past that I needed to keep it at

a 2)!!!! I've heard mold plates are not exact & winter counts could be

lower. We've done mold plates many x over the last 3 yrs but they've

never been this low. The livingroom (that had the leak) had been " 7 " and

is now 1 for candida!!! Kit/dining " 1 " w/aspergillis, bedroom " 0 " (was 3

prior), travel trailer " 3 " w/2 candida & 1 cladosporum. I'M CONFUSED!

Our house has tons of wood...ceilings, trim, floors, doors, etc..it's a

cabin...when I enter after being out awhile, I smell an old wood smell

(musty?) & it's maybe 8 yrs old. We stopped the leak a yr or 2 ago (it was

a minor leak in the wood wall & ceiling...we'd get a slow drip)so dried up

the growing mold...but do I understand we will have mycotoxins from

that mold (sorr

Peggy:)

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[Guest guest]

Thank you, Carl. I have been continually ill (chronic sinus mostly) to

differing degrees but not sure if it correlates with our mold plate counts. My

exposure came (as I see it now) from the house before this one but we did have a

leak here, too. Sounds like there is no accurate mold test. Thank you for your

information. I am trying to learn how best to deal with this & appreciate

everyone sharing their experience & wisdom.

>

> Peggy,

>

> You have a right to be confused because no mold testing, even

> by professionals, is exact or absolute. The best it can be is an

> indication of an answer to a question based on a context of why

> the sample was taken in the first place and can the sample

> answer that question.

>

> Settling plates are the least accurate of them but can be used as

> a general " screen " for a rough idea. Some on the this group have

> used them occasionally for a series of comparison with their

> reactivity. The counts you gave are low and would be expected in

> any location at any time with no mold problem. Why? Because

> molds of many types are always - let me repeat that - ALWAYS in

> the air. Plates just happen to pick up a few of them and a few of

> those happen to grow on the plate. Kind of like throwing darts at

> photos of friends to determine whom to marry.

>

> Mycotoxins are troublesome because there are no good answers

> yet. Highly implicated, expensive and difficult to detect with

> sampling, hard to remove, and easily confused with other

> secretions and emmanations from mold growth. New studies are

> finding similar substances with greater (and more accepted)

> impact on people.

>

> The odor you smell could be from active growth, which means

> less spores, or the chemical release from water damaged

> materials.

>

> Other than smelling something, do you react inside? If so, is it

> less or more than before. Do the types and intensity of reactions

> change with the mold counts from the plates?

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

> -----

> Thank you all for your guidance...I'm so grateful.

>

> I've moved out to our travel trailer to see if it makes a difference. We re-

> did mold plates last week & got lab results.....OUR COLONY COUNTS

> WERE 0-3 (Dr Dennis had told me in the past that I needed to keep it at

> a 2)!!!! I've heard mold plates are not exact & winter counts could be

> lower. We've done mold plates many x over the last 3 yrs but they've

> never been this low. The livingroom (that had the leak) had been " 7 " and

> is now 1 for candida!!! Kit/dining " 1 " w/aspergillis, bedroom " 0 " (was 3

> prior), travel trailer " 3 " w/2 candida & 1 cladosporum. I'M CONFUSED!

> Our house has tons of wood...ceilings, trim, floors, doors, etc..it's a

> cabin...when I enter after being out awhile, I smell an old wood smell

> (musty?) & it's maybe 8 yrs old. We stopped the leak a yr or 2 ago (it was

> a minor leak in the wood wall & ceiling...we'd get a slow drip)so dried up

> the growing mold...but do I understand we will have mycotoxins from

> that mold (sorr

> Peggy:)

>

>

>

> ----------

>

> The following section of this message contains a file attachment

> prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format.

> If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system,

> you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer.

> If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance.

>

> ---- File information -----------

> File: DEFAULT.BMP

> Date: 15 Jun 2009, 23:10

> Size: 358 bytes.

> Type: Unknown

>

>

>