FAQs and

Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Mold and Water Damage

  • The DIY mold tests are inexpensive and easy to use, but often don’t provide useful information. Because the medium in the dish is meant to grow mold in, they almost always do since just about every home has spores floating around that came in from the outdoors. Furthermore, only spores that are actually in the air have any chance of landing in the dish, so this test can easily miss important sources of mold spores/debris. Environmental Initiatives generally does not recommend using these testing for those reasons.

    However, if the tests are used, be sure to send the sample into the lab for analysis to determine which molds grew. Do not rely on the the booklets or online photographs of mold colonies in attempts to identify the colonies yourself. Also, do not wait for the mold to grow before you send it in. If the colonies have already grown before shipment to the lab, then by the time the lab gets the samples there will be secondary (“baby”) colonies that were caused by the original colonies releasing spores. The lab will then count these secondary colonies and give you a falsely elevated result.

  • Maybe. Mycotoxins can remain in the body for months or years depending on the mycotoxin and based on how easily your body excretes them. The presence of them in the urine could be from a past exposure. Additionally, some of the mycotoxins occur from the food we eat, especially grains, dried fruit, nuts, and cheese.

    Elevated mycotoxin levels in urine indicate the body is excreting these chemicals. This process can be accelerated by exercise or other increases in activity leading to spikes regardless of current exposure. Indeed, the sudden increase of mycotoxins in the urine can also indicate that the person is on the right healing path and are finally ‘detoxing’, according to the healthcare providers who have popularized this form of testing.

    The blood mycotoxin test by MyMycolab tests for IgG and IgE antibodies to the mycotoxins. The IgG and IgE antibodies produced from exposure to mycotoxins don’t stay active in the body for too long. Thus, if these antibodies are elevated, it either means there is a current mycotoxin exposure or there is an inflammatory issue occurring that is causing a general increase of all types of antibodies that were made for past exposures.

    Our senior consultant, Cassidy Kuchenbecker, has graduate education and thesis research involving microbiology and immunology. He can provide in-depth answers to questions regarding this topic.

    The more important question is whether you did the urine or blood mycotoxin test because you are feeling chronically ill and have reason to believe it may be from a water-damaged building. If this is the reason you did the test, then you should have your current living space (and potentially work space) assessed for water damage and microbial growth.

  • This is a very common question and is answered differently based on the purpose of the testing.

    ERMI and HERTSMI-2 are methods of interpreting raw data provided by analyzing dust for mold DNA using a a specific method of testing. The controversy isn’t about the analytical method of searching for mold DNA in dust, the controversy is about how that raw data is being interpreted.

    We have a much longer explanation on the history and strengths/weaknesses of the interpretation methods on our blog at www.microscopicminute.com. We don't rely on the ERMI interpretation method, but we do use the raw data. Usually, we can look at the raw data and tell you what occurred in the building to cause the results. It’s good data. Most consultants just don’t have enough microbiological training or field experience to use the data, so they will disparage the ERMI test altogether.

    The laboratory analytical method to analyze the dust sample is called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). You may also see this called Mold Specific qPCR (MSQPCR). The benefit is that it is very sensitive to mold particles in the dust. The primary drawbacks are that it doesn’t test for all the potential molds in buildings and the results are very sensitive to which surfaces were tested and how the results are interpreted.

    During an assessment, Environmental Initiatives collects air and dust samples which are analyzed microscopically onsite. The air samples efficiently guide our assessments, and dust samples provide a characterization of potential exposures. This allows us to provide actionable recommendations for the homeowner before we leave. We also can collect dust samples on contact plates which we can culture to determine the presence of mold beyond the capabilities of microscopic examination. Finally, we may recommend ERMI and HERTSMI-2 testing in circumstances where it is warranted, such as after cleaning or remediation activities or for especially sensitive individuals.

    We do not act as virtual consultants. We will only provide guidance if we were physically onsite to assess. However, we will provide rudimentary comments on your ERMI/HERTSMI-2 as courtesy if you email them to us.

  • First, the issue might not be mold. Be sure the symptoms aren’t from bacterial exposures (such as Actinomycete bacteria or endotoxins from Gram-negative bacteria, allergens, gases/chemicals, or irritating particles.

    If all other contaminants are ruled out, then consider if the mold is simply being overlooked because it can be light-colored and easily missed. See our YouTube video titled “Detecting and Finding White Mold for Remediation Professionals”.

    You may also be exposed to concealed areas of water damage, such as water leaks into walls around windows. A good assessment includes physically assessing walls and floors for hidden/concealed damage.

    What if your symptoms are not from your building exposure, but instead is a different health issue developing? Or, what if you are reacting to outdoor allergens that are still present in your dust from the last outdoor/mold pollen season. If you haven’t been consulting with a healthcare provider that specializes in sensitive clients, now may be the time to see such a provider.

    If you have already determined it is from your building because of what your healthcare provider is suggesting or because your symptoms lessen when away from the building, then consider hiring us for an assessment.

  • Reactions to water-damaged buildings are not so much about what is present, but who is present. Most people do not react to water-damaged buildings. Think of all the plumbers, HVAC techs, mold remediation techs, and the like who are in moldy situations constantly and appear to have no reaction. Yet, some people react to incredibly small amounts of water damage and the associated microbes.

    People react based on their genetics and current health status. The reactions can range from irritation of the mucous membranes, to allergies (both immediate and delayed-type allergies), to various general and localized inflammatory symptoms.

    Some research-led groups have identified specific genes that can screen a person for susceptibility. Blood samples and other diagnostic procedures are available to show which component of the water damage is causing the health issue. There are healthcare providers that specialize in working with these sensitive people.

    Often, sensitive people with the correct genetics will have a sensitizing event in their life. This could be a car accident, an extreme emotional situation, or an infection such as Lyme’s disease or other intense bacterial or viral infection. After the person is sensitized, they may no longer be able to be in buildings that once posed no problem.

  • For water-damaged building assessments, our job is to locate the relevant sources of water damage and microbial growth and determine how far into the building the biological particles penetrated. We then provide a workplan to address the situation that is based on the sensitivities of the occupants.

    We can collect any type of sample that is requested by the client. However, we almost always only need to rely on surface and air samples that we analyze on-site with a microscope to identify the sources of growth and presence of loose mold spores. When you can collect an unlimited number of samples and get instant results, other types of samples usually become irrelevant to develop that workplan to address the situation.

    When our physical assessment and on-site microscope sample analysis does not locate sources of water damage or microbial growth, we then collect surface contact plate samples - which are Petri plates that are applied directly to a surface to grab the dust. Lower concentrations of mold particles in the are then more obvious to us when the individual spores grow into colonies (this takes 4-6 days). Sometimes we collect other types of samples, such as ERMI, HERTSMI, Actinomycete, endotoxin, or mycotoxin samples if we continue to not find sources.

    However, if our detailed assessment and dozens of samples analyzed on-site with the microscope did not find sources of interest, then usually the exposure causing the illness is coming from a different building.

  • We do not consult on buildings that we have not assessed. If we assessed the building, then we continue to answer a reasonable amount of questions and will talk with contractors, insurance, healthcare providers or others who are involved in the situation.

  • The person completing your assessment is a full-time consultant that has experiences, education, and training that is focused on this industry. Although all of us can and do consult on all types of situations, we do have specialties. We may choose a consultant with more construction experience, or health experience, or litigation experience, depending on the situation.

    While some companies send technicians to the building to collect data to funnel back to the consultant - we do not.

Smoke and Fire Damage

  • We assess for the spread of smoke through buildings from structure fires and from the burning of synthetic materials. Wildfires produce smoke particles that are fairly different from structure fires. We would refer you to one of our colleague laboratories that services clients in wildfire-prone areas.

  • Usually, yes. Different types of soot and char are produced based on what was combusted. We frequently locate past smoke damage that wasn’t properly remediated when we assess buildings for the spread of smoke from a fire. Restoration contractors and insurance companies frequently use us to determine what cleaning is to address the current issue versus past issues.

  • Yes! We conduct this type of assessment very frequently. We use a few different devices to locate remaining smoke particles in walls and other concealed cavities, and we use a microscope on-site to collect and instantly analyze as many samples as needed to track down those lingering sources of smoke particles.

  • Analyzing surface samples using a microscope can identify far, far lower concentrations of char and soot on a surface than the use of soot sponge. However, having a contractor use soot sponges to find the more obvious areas of smoke contamination is very useful in the beginning stages to jumpstart the remediation process.

    Our reports provide both our analytical data AND our commentary on the situation and how far to conduct the remediation. This service is used by some restoration companies and insurance companies on all of their fire jobs, while others use us only when there is disagreements on how to proceed with restoration.

    Click HERE for a video describing this service.

Indoor Air Quality Testing

  • Formaldehyde is a rather small chemical that is primarily used in composite materials, such as flooring and cabinetry that is not solid wood.

    We do test for formaldehyde, but it is rarely the cause of the occupant’s health symptoms. Although, some people are far more sensitive than most.

    Although air samples can be collected and sent to a laboratory for formaldehyde analysis, nearly all consultants use direct-reading devices. But…most consultants use the wrong device (in our opinion).

    The cheaper devices have either electrochemical sensors or metal oxide semiconductor sensors. These types of device scan give instant results - but the results are almost always falsely elevated. These types of sensors will react to many other chemicals and falsely read them as formaldehyde.

    If you are interviewing different consultants, ask how quickly their formaldehyde device gives them a reading. If they say “instant”, then they likely have no idea how their sensor works and that they have been giving the wrong advice to some of their clients.

    The device we use is method that requires 15 minutes per sample and has nearly zero cross-reactivity to other chemicals. We usually test 4 to 8 locations during our air quality assessments when we suspect formaldehyde of interest.

  • Back in 2003 when we started assessing buildings for health reasons, EMF testing was an emerging topic. At that time EMF sensitivity was considered a separate health issue. In the last couple of decades the view has changed. EMF sensitivity is now primarily seen as a symptom of other bodily issues, such as chronic inflammation. These issues also cause sensitivity to chemicals, light, touch, vibrations, and other inputs.

    If the contaminants that are causing the inflammation are found and the body properly treated, the EMF sensitivity dissipates. At least, this is our experience from working with thousands of sensitive people and the physicians that treat them.

    So, when a person’s primary reason for calling us is a perceived sensitivity to EMFs, we typically conduct our general indoor environmental assessment to identify all the potential triggers impacting the occupants.

  • Determining the cause of an odor is often as simple as having one of our more seasoned consultants walk into the space and match the odor with a past experience and then using a few specialized devices to locate the general or specific location of the source.

    If you are brining us in to identify an odor, be sure to understand that pattern of when the odor comes and goes to hopefully schedule us on a day that the odor is present. We can often tease out the odor using a few techniques - but it is far more effective when the odor is obviously present.

  • Yes. Radon is a gas that enters from the soil. The amount of gas that can rise into a building changes based on weather conditions for a variety of reasons. Because of this variation, we use a type of sampler that is left in the building for 1 to 2 weeks. Obviously, we don’t test for radon during real estate transactions and we usually don’t test radon as a stand-alone service. If you are having us in to assess for water damage/mold, asbestos, or air quality and also want a radon test, be sure to tell us during the scheduling process. We don’t keep the devices in our service vehicles unless we will be using them.

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