Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Helping People Resolve Mold Problems

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Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101
Mobile: 437-556-0254

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Testing Carpets For Mold

Carpets are reservoirs of health hazard particulates including mold spores, dust mites, and animal hair. These particulates are allergenic to some people when inhaled. Mold spores are very tiny and easily become airborne when the carpet is disturbed as people walk in the house or when the carpet is being cleaned.

Cleaning the carpet with a good vacuum cleaner on regular basis significantly reduces the number of settled mold spores and other particulates. In fact there is no need to test carpets for mold if they are well maintained.

Carpets can be tested for:

  • Settled mold spores
  • Mold growth.

To test a carpet for settled spores a dust sample is required. Dust can be collected from an area of 1 square meter. It’s important to ensure that enough dust is collected to enable the laboratory perform both culture analysis and direct microscopic examination of the dust.  

When is it necessary to test a carpet for mold growth? You can test a carpet for mold growth following water damage if the carpet was not completely dried within 48 hours. This test may involve cutting a piece of carpet from the affected area and sending it to the laboratory for testing.

Chaetomium

Chaetomium species are strong producers of the enzyme cellulase. They are, therefore, adapted to growing on cellulosic (cellulose containing) materials. They thrive particularly on paper, straw and cotton. Chaetomium species have caused problems in libraries, military equipment and food. Apart from causing spoilage of various materials, they are also producers of mycotoxins. Because of their strong ability to biodegrade organic materials, several strains are used in mold growth testing.

The species commonly encountered in chronically water-damaged buildings is Chaetomium globosum. Chaetomium globosum is also a common “weed” of mushroom beds, where it inhibits the growth of cultivated mushrooms.

Exposure limits to black mold

Many times we’re asked the exposure limits to black mold. Unlike other indoor pollutants, there are no exposure limits to mold. Exposure limits to mold would be difficult to set because human beings differ in their susceptibility to mold. Similarly, the molds themselves differ in their ability to cause health problems.

Molds may affect human beings in three different ways:

  • Allergenicity
  • Infection
  • Toxicity

As concerns common indoor molds the most likely effect is allergenicity. Very few fungi (molds and yeasts) are known to cause infection to healthy individuals. Toxicity is most likely to occur if one eats food contaminated with the fungal toxins. While toxicity is also possible through inhalation of spores or dust containing toxins, little is known about this possibility. 

Generally, elderly people, infants, sick people and other individuals with weak immune systems are at higher risk of suffering from mold exposure related diseases than healthy people.

Black Mold Growth In Buildings

The black mold, Stachybotrys chartarum, is the mold feared most by the general public. It’s one of the molds used as indicators of moisture damage in a building. Black mold thrives on wet materials rich in cellulose. It’s commonly isolated from soil and decaying plant matter such as straw. In buildings black mold is found growing on very wet gypsum board, wallpaper, cotton fabrics and textiles,  and other materials containing cellulose.

Unlike some other indoor molds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium that produce dry spores, spores of black mold (Stachybotrys) are produced in wet form. This means that the spores of Stachybotrys do not easily become airborne until they dry out or get disturbed say during renovations. Therefore, if pre-remediation air samples, for example, contain a few spores of black mold, it’s important to try and locate the source of those spores. The mold is most likely to be located in areas with a history of moisture damage.

Medical Significance Of Black Mold

While black mold is highly publicized as the cause of all sorts of health problems, it’s medical significance still remains controversial.

How To Test For Mold

Mold testing has 2 components:

  • Assessment of the extent of mold growth in the building
  • Laboratory testing of the samples collected during the building assessment

Assessment of the extent of mold growth

This component of mold testing is very important because the results of this assessment are used to determine the level of remediation required. Mold assessment in a building should be performed by a qualified professional.

Laboratory Testing Of Samples

Laboratory testing of samples for mold is necessary especially in situations where mold is suspected to be the cause of illness to the building occupants. The samples tested for mold include the following:

  • Bulk and Surface Samples: These include samples such as pieces of carpet, carpet dust, drywall, wallpaper, swabs, tape lift samples or any other material suspected of mold contamination.
  • Air Samples. Air samples may be collected on culture media or on inert non-culture media depending on the objectives of the mold investigation.