We Spend About 90% of Our Time Indoors.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns. “Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later.” – EPA
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HTX Consulting Services has access to the industry’s most advanced instrumentation and utilizes recognized industry testing protocols. Our expert staff performs a comprehensive site assessment using tools such as infrared cameras, moisture meters, relative humidity meters and other instruments to create a complete picture of the building, both indoors and outdoors.
When sampling is required, HTX has partnered with the industry’s most renowned third-party laboratories for all our testing needs. All samples are processed in these testing facilities to ensure accurate and timely results.
Testing Equipment and Sample Matrices include:
- Infrared (IR) Thermography Cameras
- Wall Inspection Cameras
- Zefon Bio-Pumps
- Psychrometers
- Hygrometers
- Moisture Meters
- Relative Humidity Meters
- Sample Types – Air, Swab, Tape Lift, Bulk, Water and Dust
Air Sampling Methods
Air samples are possibly the most common type of environmental sample that investigators collect to study bioaerosols (mold, pollen, particulates). The physics of removing particles from the air and the general principles of good sample collection apply to all airborne materials, whether biological or other origin. Therefore, many of the basic principle’s investigators use to identify and quantify other airborne particulate matter can be adapted to bioaerosol sampling. Common to all aerosol samplers is consideration of collection efficiency.
Air-O-Cell Cassette
The Air-O-Cell spore trap cassette is used with a portable air pump (15 liters/minute for 1 to 10 minutes) to collect airborne aerosols including mold, pollen and other airborne particulates. Air is drawn through a small opening at the top of the cassette and spores are trapped on a sticky coated glass slide inside the cassette. These cassettes are efficient at collecting spores as small as 2.6μm.
Surface Sampling Methods
Surface sampling can be useful for differentiating between mold growth and stains of various kinds. This type of sampling is used to identify the type of mold growth that may be present and help investigate water intrusion. Surface sampling can help the interpretation of building inspections when used correctly. The following are the different types of surface samples that are commonly used to perform a direct examination of a specific location. Spore counts per area are not normally useful.
Swab
A sterile cotton or synthetic fiber-tipped swab is used to test an area of suspected mold growth. Samples obtained using this method can be cultured for species identification or analyzed using direct microscopy for genus identification. The laboratory is usually able to determine if there is current of former mold growth or if only normally settled spores were sampled. Identified spores are generally reported as “present/absent”.
Tape (or tape-lift)
These samples are collected using clear adhesive tape or adhesive slide for microscopic examination of suspect stains, settled dust and spores. Tape lifts are an excellent, non-destructive method of sampling. The laboratory is usually able to determine if there is current of former mold growth or if only normally settled spores were sampled.
Bulk
This is a destructive test of materials (e.g., settled dust, sections of wallboard, pieces of duct lining, carpet segments, return-air filters, etc.) to determine if they contain or show mold growth. Bulk sampling collects a portion of material small enough to be transported conveniently and handled easily in the laboratory while still representing the material being sampled. A representative sample is taken from the bulk sample and can be cultured for species identification or analyzed using direct microscopy for genus identification. The laboratory is usually able to determine if there is current of former mold growth or if only normally settled spores were sampled.
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