Investing in a mold training course is crucial to those involved in mold related issues. An ideal course should cover the basic biology of molds, common indoor molds and their associated health effects, and factors that lead to mold growth. For those professionals who send their sample to a lab for analyses, it is important to understand the limitations of the testing methods that labs use and the meaning of some of the terms used on reports. Those investigating mold growth in building know how laboratory results can sometimes be difficult to interpret. The terms used in laboratory reports are sometimes very confusing. What, for example, do terms like "Aspergillus/Penicillium", "unidentified basidiospores", and "unidentified ascospores", "unidentified spores" exactly mean?

When it comes to interpretation of laboratory results, lack of a strong background in microbiology can hamper the efficiency of a mold investigator. For instance, with air samples, indoor airborne mold concentrations are usually compared with outdoor concentrations or another suitable control sample. But, is it right to compare and draw conclusions based on indoor/outdoor concentrations of Aspergillus/Penicillium, unidentified basidiospores, unidentified ascospores and unidentified spores? The answer is NO since in many cases the "unidentified" spores indoors are diffrent from those outdoors. Without some basic knowledge of the biology of molds, one may not understand the fact that unidentified ascospores reported in an indoor sample could be different from the ones reported in an outdoor sample. Similarly, the Aspergillus/Penicillium reported indoors could be diffrent from those reported outdoors. In some cases the Aspergillus/Penicillium spores could even belong to molds other than Aspergillus or Penicillium.

Apart from those investigating mold growth in buildings, property managers, insurance adjusters and lawyers involved in mold issues need to invest in a mold course so that they are not at the mercy of "experts" even for simple issues, and that they know what questions to ask the experts they hire for their mold projects.

It is important to know that there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding mold and decisions based on misinformation can be very costly. An employer should consider investing in a mold awareness course for their employees. Although it is widely believed in the scientific community that mold can cause ill-health, sometimes this belief is overstretched by the public. It is therefore important that employees understand what mold can and cannot do.

For the last 2 years, MBL has been offering a unique mold training course at their location in Mississauga. The objective of the MBL mold training course is to provide participants with skills and background information to enable them recognize indoor Mold, develop effective sampling strategies, interpret laboratory results and perform effective mold remediation. The MBL Mold Training Course provides insight into the causes of mold growth and control. It also provides up to date information on the most important indoor molds, including species of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Cladosporium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Alternaria and Scopulariopsis. Mycotoxins that may occur in an indoor environment are briefly covered.

For details about this course and the course dates, please visit http://www.moldtraining.ca

Alternaria alternata is one the fungal species referred to as “leaf fungi” (phylloplane). It has a worldwide distribution and is frequently isolated from a wide range of plants, soil, food, and indoor air. In indoor environments, Alternaria alternata has been isolated from dust on floors, carpet and mattresses. It is occasionally found on damp walls, gypsum board and wallpaper. Alternaria alternata is closely related to Ulocladium chartarum.

It is possible that Ulocladium chartatum is commonly misidentified as Alternaria alternata in commercial microbiology laboratories.

Alternaria alternata has been associated with a number of respiratory problems such as rhinitis, asthma, allergic dermatitis and allergic sinusitis. The spores and the hyphal fragments are the cause of the allergic reactions.

If you have any question related to mould or bacteria, feel free ro contact us at 905-290-9101.

Do you have or suspect mold growth in your house? A number of molds may be found growing in houses with damp, humid conditions. The mold can grow on anything from paper, wood, carpet, wallpaper, ceiling tiles, drywall, insulation material, cloth, leather, books to concrete. Some of these molds such as some species of Stachybotrys, Aspergillus and Penicillium are toxigenic (toxic molds). Others like Alternaria and Cladosporium are well known causes of allergic reactions in sensitized individuals.

The good news is that not all molds that occur in indoor environment are hazardous. However, any mold growth in a home should be treated as potential hazard. Current Canadian mold guidelines advise building occupants to clean-up and/or remove visible mold growth. Mold growth can be controlled by eliminating or reducing moisture on surfaces of materials susceptible to mold attack.

What are the indicators of possible mold growth?

• Excess moisture or water damage. Excess moisture may result from leaks (from pipes or roof), flooding, standing water, condensation, moisture from cooking or washing, and rising damp. Signs of moisture problem may include warping, peeling out of paint, efflorescence, rusting of metal and dampness to the touch.
• Discoloration of surfaces of building materials that are susceptible to mold attack. These discolorations could be due to mold growth or just water stains.
• Earthy or musty odours. Earthy odours are an indication of microbial growth. Lack of moldy odours does not mean there is no mold growth. Not all molds produce detectable odours and inactive or dead mold may not produce significant odours.

If you see mold growth or discolorations, you may send tape samples to a mold laboratory to determine whether the mold present is hazardous or is only of cosmetic concern. Cleaning large areas of hazardous mold requires special protection. To take a sample of visible mold growth, no special mold testing kit is required! For details on how to take a sample of visible mold growth click Tape Samples.

If there is earthy or musty odours but no visible mold growth, you can test the air for mold. Air testing may reveal hidden mold growth. Generally, a professional would be required to perform air testing. However, for peace of mind, homeowners can perform preliminary air testing using a cost-effective and easy-to-use mold sampling kit, which will enable them to take samples in their own homes and send them to a laboratory for analysis. For details on how you can perform this test click Mold Test Kit.

If you have questions regarding mold growth in your home, give us a call at 905-290-9101. We may be able to help you or direct you to the right professionals or resources.

In the past we’ve discussed Legionnaires’ disease, which is a disease caused by a waterborne bacterium. In our September newsletter entitled, Bacteria in the Water: Coliforms, Iron and Sulfur Bacteria, we have discussed three types of waterborne bacteria: coliforms, which, although not usually harmful, can be a sign of other bacteria that are harmful; and iron and sulfur bacteria, which are seen as annoyances rather than a health threat. For more details read our September Newsletter.



If interested in bacteria testing, visit the web page http://www.moldbacteria.com/bacteria.html or call 905-290-9101.

Cladosporium sphaerospermum is common on wet building material such as gypsum board, ceiling board, windowsills, insulation material, acrylic and oil painted walls, painted wood and wallpaper. Cladosporium sphaerospermum may cause allergy to sensitive individuals.

Many people often ask what are the types of mold commonly found indoors. Generally the prevailing conditions determine the types of mold prevalent in a given environment. A highly humid environment is likely to be dominated by those molds that require a lot of water such Aspergillus fumigatus, Chaetomium globosum, Stachybotrys chartarum, Ulocladium chartarum, Fusarium solani, Trichoderma sp, while a relatively dry environment may be dominated by those molds that require less moisture to grow such as Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium spp, and Wallemia sebi. For a more detailed discussion on the types of mold commonly found indoors and their hazard classes, visit the website http://www.mouldfacts.ca/mouldtypes.html.



If you have a question concerning indoor mold or bacteria, give us a call at (905)290-9101.

There are a number of methods that can be used to test air for airborne mould spores and fragments. The method chosen would depend on the objective of the investigation and subsequently the type of data required. The following methods can be used for testing air for airborne mould contamination.


Settle Plate Method For Detecting Viable Airborne Mould Spores And Fragments
With this method, a set of plates containing suitable growth media is exposed at table‑top level for half-hour to 4 hours. The mould spores and fragments suspended in the air settle by gravity onto the growth media. Light particles that remain suspended in the air for many hours are likely to be missed out. However, it is the cheapest way of sampling air since no other equipment is needed.


Volumetric Air Sampling For Detecting Viable Airborne Mould Spores And Fragments
The settle plate method is generally not recommended. A better method involves impacting a known amount of air on some suitable growth media. The media could be liquid or solid. With this method viable spores or vegetative material would form visible colonies (referred to colony forming units) in the media. These are counted in the lab and expressed as colony forming units (CFU) per cubic meter of air.


Volumetric Air Sampling For Detecting Total Airborne Mould Spores And Fragments
One disadvantage of impacting air on growth media is that only the viable propagules can grow on the media and hence detected. It is estimated that only about 10-15% of the mould spores may be viable. To enable us have a better estimation of how contaminated the air is, air is drawn on onto some inert sticky stuff. Depending on the efficiency of the sampling equipment used most of the spores and other airborne particulate matter including insect parts, pollen grain, and all sorts of fibres are trapped onto the sticky surface. Since these samples are directly examined under a microscope, the analyst is able to count the spores and vegetative fragments and express them as spores per cubic meter of air. It is also possible to identify some of the spores to genus level.


For more information on mould sampling visit our web page http://www.moldbacteria.com/sendingsamples.html.

A number of mold testing methods are available for the detection of mold contamination in indoor environment. Testing can be performed on dust from carpet, floor, mattress, or other surfaces; bulk material such as pieces of drywall, carpet, ceiling tiles, wallpaper and wood. In some cases air testing may be necessary. When should one test for mold in dust, on bulk material or in air? The decision should be based on the objectives of the investigations being conducted. The objectives of the investigation should help determine the type of data required, that is, either qualitative or quantitative and subsequently the type of samples to collect and the method the lab should use.

For more details on mold testing visit http://www.moldbacteria.com/services.html

Often we get calls from people asking us to give them names of companies that provide mould testing services. Below are links to the list of companies providing mould testing services in Canadian provinces and terrritories. If you provide mould testing or removal services and would want to be listed on our website, please fill in the request form at http://www.moldbacteria.com/servicelist.html.

1. Mould Testing Companies in Alberta
2. Mould Testing Companies in British Columbia
3. Mould Testing Companies in Manitoba
4. Mould Testing Companies in New Brunswick
5. Mould Testing Companies in Newfoundland and Labrador
6. Mould Testing Companies in Northwest Territories
7. Mould Testing Companies in Nova Scotia
8. Mould Testing Companies in Nunavut
9. Mould Testing Companies in Ontario
10. Mould Testing Companies in Prince Edward Island
11. Mould Testing Companies in Québec
12. Mould Testing Companies in Saskatchewan
13. Mould Testing Companies in Yukon

Note: Only companies that have provided us with their information are listed. We have provided this free information as a public service. The decision to use a company's services is solely yours.

Black mold is generally thought by the general public to be toxigenic. But what is black mold? There are a number of molds that grow indoors and they appear black. Some of these are not even known to produce any significant amounts of toxins. Stachybotrys chartarum, which is incorrectly referred to as black mold is known to produce toxins. However, even the toxigenic molds do not produce toxins all the time. Several factors including substrate composition, water activity, pH and temperature influence production of mycotoxins.

It is difficult to know whether a toxigenic mold has produced toxins or not unless the material on which the mold is growing is tested for mycotoxins.

If you are a home owner worried about black mold in your house visit this web page http://www.moldbacteria.com/moldtesting_for_homeowners.html

Mould growth can be recognized by appearance and texture (a magnifying glass can help). Generally, mould growth could appear as fluffy, velvety or hairy spots or patches of various colours.

Mould growth may not be visible at the early stages of growth or if it is of the same colour as the surface on which it is growing. If a material susceptible to mould growth has been damp for a few days, chances are that there is some mould growing on it even if it is not visible.

If not sure whether what you are looking at is mould or not or you want to know what species (type) of mould is growing in a building, you can send samples to a lab for testing. Click Mould Testing Lab for details.

If interested on how you can recognize mould in a buildings or how you can interpret laboratory results, click Mold Training for details.

In an effort to provide quality information we have created 2 websites dedicated to providing unbiased information on mould and mould training. For mould facts, visit http://www.mouldfacts.ca and for mould training, visit http://www.moldtraining.ca.

More technical mould information may be found at http://www.moldbacteria.com and if you can't find what you are looking for give us a call at (905)290-9101.