Mold Test Results From Lab

[jumpingjack]

We have a commercial customer who wanted us to check their air ducts for mold. We cut out 2 pieces of ductboard as samples and sent them to a lab for a test to see if mold was on the surface. The tests were only about $25 a piece but the lab will not give me any interpretation of the things they found or any advice: (prob. because of liability) In the report they listed things from Alternaria Species, Aspergillus/Penicillium Species, Epicoccum Species.....(greek to me) All of these results came back as "Rare" or "Low" which means all of the spore counts on the surface of the duct ranged from "11 to 100". I guess this means there is mold but not a significant amount. The report lists "high" as any spore count greater than 1000. And none of the results came back as a "high" count. Any advice? Guess I got in over my head on this one.

We are planning to clean the surface of the duct. Does anyone think it is necessary to coat the duct with Foster paint after cleaning. This coating resists future mold growth on the surface of the duct. It does not sound like a very high mold count to me, but I need to know what to reccomend to my customer (commercial building). Thanks.

[strionair]

I don't know what to tell you about the counts. The problem is that these molds are uiquitous in some concentration both indoors and out.

You can go here to learn a bit about each of the species the lab identified: http://www.emlab.com/app/fungi/Fungi.po

You might be able to find an expert in your area by searching here: http://www.iaqa.org/

[mattm]

Try http://www.doctorfungus.org that's going to tell what they are exactly. Give the customer the info and if they want to know what to do refer them to a IAQ company that specializes in this.

[cxagent]

Those mold counts don't appear to indicate a mold problem. But the real proof will be in how those counts compared with your control tests. You should have tested some other locations in the building that were thought to not be moldy as 'control points'. If the control points were about the same as the duct samples, it would show that the ducts were not any more contaminated than the control points.

Check with Fosters but I don't think the coatings are recommended for use on duct board or lined duct. Any biocide is supposed to be used strictly in accordance with the EPA listing.

[sneezer]

Cxagent has good advice about the control samples. You could also consider sending a couple of pieces of brand new material from your favorite builders' supply.