Why was the standard sample taken in the bedroom and living room, and not the basement or the attic?
A. The simple answer is that not all homes have basements or attics, but almost all homes have a bedroom and living area. However, even though the standard samples were taken in bedrooms and living rooms, the ERMI analysis can be performed on any dust sample but this ERMI value doesn’t have the same meaning as the standard dust sample taken using the standard protocol. For example, a basement sample with an ERMI value of 19 demonstrates there is a high mold burden in the basement and might indicate the source of a water-intrusion problem. On the other hand, if a basement sample ERMI value was -2 but the standard ERMI sample value was 12, the basement environment is relatively mold free and is likely not the source of mold growth.
