Florida Institute of Mold 561.577.7202

	Mold inspector multi specie optimum recovery mold test kit. This mold test kit should be used with both mold media to recover as many of the molds in the sample. The multimedia mold test kit will also recover most species of fungal yeast.
Includes: Low Ph Aspergillus/Penicillium recovery media. Stachybotrys/Yeast recovery media. Sterile Swab for composite sampling. Pre-taped Plates using tape that will hold. Storage and shipping container with labeled Chain of Custody and Notes and Comments included. Web match photos to assist recognition of molds and yeast.

The dust in a home is a history of settled airborne fungal spores and vegetative materials as old as the dust. This readily available assessment tool allows for on site state of fungal contamination reporting.

The process of surface sampling, using clear tape as the procuring agent and a glass or plastic slide as a mounting for visual and direct microscopic examination for the purpose of general evaluation and recommendations for laboratory analysis, is simple and easy. Recognition of fungal materials is as easy as recognizing plants; identifying individual species or genera requires scientific discipline for most specimens.

A microscope is needed for the assessment process. Quality microscopes are available for under $200.00 from many sources. The microscope should be a mononocular with 4 oculars ,and eyepieces of 15x and 20x are needed for the recognition process. Microscopic examination should be preformed at lower magnifications. A subject may be examined with higher magnification; however, although encouraged, the 1000X type of magnifications not necessary for the assessment process.

Training time for the use of a microscope for the purposes of fungal recognition is about two to five hours.

You should have completed a minimum of three on-site mold surveys under the instruction of a certified mold inspector trained and certified in tape lift surveys.

Materials:

Frosted Glass Microscope Slides

Microscope Slide Box

Paper Towels

Scotch High Gloss Multi-task Tape

Set a clean slide on a paper towel.

Dispense a piece of tape 2 to 2 1/2" long. Try to keep your fingers only on the edge of the tape where you pull it out.

Holding the tape by the edges, bend it into a loop, with your thumb and index finger holding the two ends of the tape together, with the sticky surface facing out. Touch the center of the loop of sticky tape to the surface to be sampled. When you remove the loop, you should be able to see that you've picked up dirt, dust, or sample on the loop. If you also get some paint, that should not make the slide unreadable, but you might want to take another sample, just in case.

Place the tape on the clean slide, still holding by the edges, and lightly press down the length of tape on the slide.

Using a permanent marker (Sharpie's are excellent), label the slide. You can write on the frosted edge, if you have pearl edged slides.

Store the mounted slides in the slide box.

List the slide number, location where the test was taken, and date on a chain of custody.

Sample Chain of Custody

Live Colony On Site

A live mold colony will give you a base of information (sample) of what you are looking for as a fungal contaminate throughout the subject property. From a live colony you can find fungal spores and vegetative material, which may match fungal spores and vegetative material found in surface samples throughout the subject property. At the edge of the mold colony on a wall, the molds will begin to thin out and you can sample sparse mold growth which is a real aid to gain recognition of the mold material in lower concentrations. Fungal spores and vegetative material spread throughout the house and settled in dust from the live colony will be much easier to recognize after a examination of the slides from the live colonies.

Mold Concentrations are measured by count. Examine the slide under several magnifications. Your magnification for recognition is 400X non oil. If you do not find any fungal spores or vegetative material your slide rating should be ND, non detected. VF is for visable fungal spores and vegetative material. If you as a mold surveyor can see more than three spores or vegetative material on any tape lift slide, there is a lot of Fungal material on that tape lift. The third classification is TNTC, too numerous to count.

The tape mounted slide should be held so light passes through the slide. Dark spots should be noted and examined at 400X. If the field of view is filled with fungal spores and vegetative material, note and examine another dark spot on the slide. If the second dark spot field of view is filled with fungal spores and vegetative material, archive the slide and report as TNTC.

If the tape mounted slide is uniform in coverage and there are no apparent dark spots, scan the slide at 100X. If no dark spots are seen, re-scan the slide a 200X. At the 200X scan if no indications of fungal spores and vegetative material is found rate the slide ND, non detected.

Note: if slide has recognizable fungal spores and vegetative material location from which the slide was taken should be reinspected.

If visable mold is found, the subject property fails.

If no visable mold is found, and the debris rating is medium or heavy, you should examine the A/C coils and plenum. If the A/C is in need of cleaning, presume a fungal count of VF. The reason is that the combined factors of the dirty A/C and a dust level of medium or higher will obscure fungal materials from your view.

If the tape lift slides are clean, and the dust readings are light, and all the slides are ND, you should wait to pass the dwelling until the air test results are received. You may, however, report that the subject has passed the tape lift survey