What should people do if they suspect they have a mold problem?
There are several testing procedures that can be used to determine if a mold problem exists. If mold is present and visible, there are two different types of testing that can be done. A tape sample can be taken, or a swab sample can be collected. Using the samples gathered, a lab can grow cultures to determine what types of mold are present. If mold colonies are not visibly present, air samples can be collected in the area where the potential problem exists. Two types of air sampling methods are used. The first method uses a Zephon cassette. When air is drawn through the cassette, mold spores, if present, are impacted on a slide, which is then used to grow cultures. With Zephon cassettes, only the total number of spores present in the air can be determined. The second method uses an Anderson impactor, with which spores are also impacted on a slide and then grown. This method, however, enables the lab to differentiate the types of spores present in the air sample. For large mold manifes
