Toxic Mold

Bacterial and Fungal Contamination of Metalworking Fluids (MWFs)

2008-03-21T10:33:00.003-04:00

Metalworking fluids are used to cool and/or lubricate metal works during machining, grinding, cutting, milling, etc. MWFs can get contaminated when good hygiene practices are not followed or when fluids are not properly managed or maintained. Bacterial and fungal contamination of metalworking fluids (MWFs) is a major concern in the industries which use these fluids. Contamination may cause equipment malfunction, off-odors, degradation in the fluid quality, economic losses and finally, they pose as a major health hazard. Several Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria are found as contaminants. These include Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp. and Coliforms. Fungal contaminants include, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. and Cephalosporium sp.

Major health concerns of bacterial and fungal Contaminated metalworking fluids include skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and, occasionally, breathing difficulties such as bronchitis and asthma. Learn more about contamination of metalworking fluids.

How Do I Know If I Have Black Mold in My Home

2008-02-14T10:37:00.004-05:00

The only way to know whether you have black mold in your house is to have the mold tested by a qualified mold laboratory. If you have visible mold growth, you can easily take samples for laboratory testing by using clear scotch tape. All you need to do is to cut 2-3 inches of clear scotch tape and stick it onto the surface with mold growth. Then remove the tape and stick it onto a plastic bag and then send it to a lab. For details on how to take air samples, please visit http://www.moldbacteria.com/moldtesting_for_homeowners.html

If the mold is not visible but there is musty smell, you can take air samples. While negative air samples do not necessarily mean there is no mold growth, air samples can help in detecting hidden mold growth. For details on how to take air samples, please call 905-290-9101.

Canadian Mould Remediation Guidelines

2008-02-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

There are a number of mould guidelines in Canada. These include:

Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry

The Guide prepared by the Canadian Construction Association offers practical advice on mould-related issues (legal, insurance, and health considerations). It also offers helpful information on how to minimize mould growth, identify and measure it, and step-by-step instructions on remediation.

The guide is free to download from the CCA website http://www.cca-acc.com/documents/electronic/cca82/cca82.pdf and hardcopies can be purchased from your local construction associations.

EACO Mould Abatement Guidelines

Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario prepared this guideline to assist building owners, constructors, contractors, subcontractors and workers who have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations to safely perform work activities involving Mould (Microbial) Abatement and remediation. A free copy is available on their site at http://www.eacoontario.com/downloads.htm

OAA Mould Control Practice Guide

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) issued the Mould Control Practice Guide to assist and educate its members with respect to certain matters related to mould and mould in buildings. The guide is available at their website at http://www.oaa.on.ca/client/oaa/OAAHome.nsf/web/Mould+in+Buildings+-+OAA+Mould+Practice+Guide?OpenDocument

Fungal investigations in public buildings, workplaces, and homes

2008-01-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Investigation of fungal contamination in indoor environments normally includes visual inspection and sampling. The samples to collect, the number, when and where to collect them and the methods to be used for sample analyses depends on the objectives or goal of the investigation. The samples that may be collected include air, dust or bulk samples. Swabs or clear cellophane tape can be used to sample for fungi from contaminated surfaces. The samples can be analyzed by either direct microscopy or by culture methods depending on the type of data required.

Symptoms Of Mold Exposure

2008-01-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Mold exposure through inhalation of airborne spores may affect human health in many ways. Some of the severe diseases associated with mold exposure include infection of the respiratory system (including the lungs) by species of Aspergillus. Aspergillus fumigatus, for example, is a common cause of Aspergillosis in individuals with weakened immune system.

A variety of other health problems have also been associated with airborne mold spores, such as chronic respiratory infections, dry cough, eye irritations, skin symptoms, asthmatic symptoms and allergy. Non-specific symptoms include headache, fever, and lack of concentration.

Cladosporium herbarum

2007-12-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Cladosporium herbarum is a common outdoor and indoor mold. It is commonly found on dead herbaceous and woody plants, textiles, rubber, paper, and foodstuffs of all kinds.

In the indoor environment, Cladosporium herbarum is found in floor, carpet and mattress dust, damp acrylic painted walls, wallpaper, HVAC insulation, filters and fans. It is frequently the most prominent mold in air-spora. It grows over a wide range of temperatures, and has frequently been reported causing spoilage of meat in cold storage.

Cladosporium herbarum is not known to be toxigenic but can be highly allergenic to sensitive individuals. For more information about Cladosporium herbarum and other species of Cladosposporium, click http://www.moldbacteria.com/learnmore/cladosporium.html

Indoor Air Quality: Biological Pollutants

2007-11-25T09:52:00.002-05:00

Indoor air quality is compromised by both biological and non-biological pollutants. Sources of biological pollutants include microorganisms, animal, insects and related organisms.

The most common biological pollutants include molds and their byproducts, dust mites, pet dander (scales from hair, feathers, or skin), droppings and body parts from cockroaches, rodents and other pests or insects, viruses, and bacteria. Due to their small size, many of these biological pollutants are airborne and easily inhaled deep into the lungs.

Health Effects From Biological Pollutants
Some biological pollutants may cause serious health problems including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and some types of asthma. Other health problems attributed to biological pollutants are sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, shortness of breath, dizziness, lethargy, fever, and digestive problems.

It is believed allergic reactions occur only after repeated exposure to a specific biological allergen. The reaction may occur immediately upon re-exposure or after multiple exposures over time.

Testing For Airborne Mold Spore Concentration

2007-11-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

Testing for airborne mold spore concentration is achieved by impacting a known volume of air onto a surface coated with sticky material. As the air hits the sticky surface the spores and any other particulates in the air are trapped. In the laboratory the spores are identified under a microscope, categorised into various groups and counted. This method is excellent for estimating how contaminated the air is but it does not tell us what proportion of the counted spores are still viable. If an estimate of the proportion of viable mold spores is needed, then the air has also to be impacted onto some growth agar media. Viable mold spores would then grow on the media and appear as mold colonies, usually referred to as colony forming units (CFU). CFU is not a very accurate way of measuring the viable proportion of airborne mold spores. This is because a single colony can develop from one spore or a group of spores. Secondly, fast growing colonies tend to overgrow slow growing colonies. Also, the agar media used may not support the growth of all categories of viable spores present in the air.

Testing For Mold Requires Training

2007-11-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

Testing for mold is not difficult. But you need to know not only where to look for it but also which species are toxigenic or allergenic. One also requires to have a clearly defined objective for the testing. If the objective of testing for mold requires that samples be taken, it is important to know what types of samples to take and the limitations or disadvantages of different types of samples. The type of samples to take is determined by the type of data the mold investigator requires. The type of data required, on the other hand, is determined by the objective(s) of the investigation.

There are some mold training courses out there that can provide you with basic skills necessary for mold investigation. You may want to review the Mold Training Course offered by MBL. This unique, comprehensive one-day training course focuses on how to recognize indoor mold, how to develop effective sampling strategies, how to interpret laboratory results and current guidelines on mold remediation. Course dates are found at http://www.moldbacteria.com/training.html.

Is Air Sampling Of Mold Necessary?

2007-11-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

Is air sampling of mold necessary? Any type of mold sampling whether air or surface sampling should be based on a well defined objective. For example, if the objective is to determine whether occupants were exposed to airborne mold spores, then air sampling would be recommended. Air sampling may also help to detect hidden mold growth.

Before sampling for mold, it is important to have a well defined objective.

Mold Information

2007-11-10T07:26:00.000-05:00

Mold is a recognized health hazard. Every single day thousands of people who suspect they or their families are sick due to mold are looking for mold information from the Internet. But how reliable is the information posted on the Internet? Most of the mold information on the Internet is intended to create fear and panic so that the consumer of this information can buy a service or a product.

Where can one get reliable mold information?

Reliable information can be obtained from government sites, academic sites and a few private sites owned by mold experts. By mold experts, I mean people who studied molds at universities for their higher degrees. There are many self-proclaimed "mold experts" online.

Before believing what you read about mold online be sure you can trust the source of the information.

Black Mold Fungus Called Stachybotrys

2007-11-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

Many people get concerned if the black mold fungus called Stachybotrys appears in lab results even if only a few spores were reported. Some people conclude the results are okay if Stachybotrys was not present even when counts of other mold spores are relatively high. But is Stachybotrys the most dangerous indoor mold? Possibly not. Species of Aspergillus such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger (A. niger is a black mold too) are well known health hazards. Personally I would not be concerned if a few spores of Stachybotrys are reported in air samples especially immediately after mold remediation.

How To Take Bacteria Samples

2007-11-02T07:22:00.000-04:00

Sampling Air For Bacteria
Bacteria air samples are taken by impacting air onto some suitable growth media. Two of the commonly used samplers are Andersen (N6 Single Stage) and Reuter Centrifugal sampler (RCS). The Andersen sampler uses petri-dishes while the RCS uses agar strips. For environmental bacteria, a general purpose media such as Tryptic (Trypticase) Soy Agar (TSA) can be used.

Sampling Surfaces For Bacteria
Sterile cotton swabs can be used to sample for bacteria contaminating surfaces. The swabs are then sent immediately to a laboratory for culturing and identification of the bacteria to genus or species.

How To Collect Swab Samples For Microbiological Testing

2007-10-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

Sterile swabs can be used to test the level of microbial contamination on various surfaces such as air conditioning units, kitchen equipment, hospital wards, spas or any other place. The samples can be analysed for total viable counts (usually referred to as colony forming units) or specific indicator organisms for food spoilage or sewage contamination.

How To Collect Swab Samples

Wear gloves

Select a sampling area of about 10 cm X 10 cm (or 20 cm x 20 cm)

Break the seal round the tube containing the swab

Remove the swab from the tube and rub and roll it firmly several times across the sampling area.

Return the swab into the tube and label the sample

Send the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

If one is sampling a dry surface, it is recommended that a wet or moistened swab is used. The swab test method has proved a popular testing method with flood damage insurance claims, where there may be sewage contamination.

Airborne Bacteria In Indoor Environments

2007-10-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

Significance Of Airborne Bacteria In Indoor Environments

Indoor Bacteria have not received as much publicity as the mould. Are indoor bacteria of health significance?

Cladosporium cladosporioides in Homes

2007-10-14T11:31:00.000-04:00

Cladosporium cladosporioides is a common household mould found growing on damp walls in the bedroom, living room, bathrooms, around tubs, shower stalls, or window frames and ceilings. It may appear as dark brown or black scattered colonies or patches. Cladosporium cladosporioides is a common cause of mould allergy. But, not everybody is allergic to this mould! So, if you see this mould growing in your house and you or your family members are not feeling sick, do not panic. Just have the mould cleaned up.

Sick Building Syndrome

2007-10-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

The causes of sick building syndrome (SBS) are still not well understood. SBS has always been associated with poor ventilation in airtight energy efficiency buildings and biological and chemical pollutants. In the April issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dr. Stafford and colleagues suggest that job related factors could be a major contributor to sick building syndrome.

How To Collect Mold And Bacteria Samples From Air

2007-10-06T11:55:00.000-04:00

Collecting mold and bacteria samples from air is very easy. The first thing to decide is the kind of results you want and for what purpose. This will help you to decide on the sampling equipment and the media to use. For example, if sampling for a specific bacterium or fungus, you would want to use a sampling agar media that is suitable for the growth of the target organism. The efficiency of the air sampling pumps for the collection of the target organism has also to be considered.

Sampling equipment can be expensive. However, for a company that does not collect air samples every other week, renting the equipment is a better option. Sampling media can be obtained directly from the manufacturers or their resale agents. For companies collecting only a few samples in a month, sampling media can be obtained from a good mold testing laboratory.

Colony Forming Units (CFU)

2007-10-05T09:07:00.000-04:00

A colony of bacteria or yeast refers to a mass of individual cells of same organism, growing together. For moulds, a colony is a group of hyphae (filaments) of the same mould growing together. What are colony forming units then? A colony forming unit refers to an individual colony. It is used as a measure of the number of microorganisms present in or on surface of a sample. Colony forming units may be reported as CFU per unit weight, CFU per unit area, or CFU per unit volume depending on the type of sample tested. To determine the number of colony forming units, a sample is prepared and spread or poured uniformly on a surface of an agar plate and then incubated at some suitable temperature for a number of days. The colonies that form are counted. CFU is not a measure for individual cells or spores as a colony may be formed from a single or a mass of cells or spores.

Moulds commonly found in carpet and mattress dust

2007-09-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

A number of moulds are frequently found in carpet and mattress dust. Eurotium repens is the most frequently detected mould in mattress dust. Others include Aureobasidium pullulans, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus penicilloides and Aspergillus restrictus.

More than 100 species of moulds have been recorded from carpet dust. As with mattress dust, the most frequently isolated mould in carpet dust is Eurotium repens. The others are Penicillium chrysogenum, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans and Phoma herbarum.

Concentrations of these moulds in carpet and mattress dust can be as high as 70 million colony forming units per gram of dust. Such high concentrations of moulds are likely to cause respiratory allergy or irritating symptoms. Therefore, it is import to regularly HEPA vacuum the carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture to reduce the dust and spore concentration. If people are suffering from reoccurring respiratory allergy or irritating symptoms in a building where there is no visible mould, it is suggested that dust be tested for the types and concentrations of mould present.

Legionella: Health Effects, Occurrence and Sampling

2007-08-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

Health effects

In 1976, in Philadelphia, USA, over 200 attendees of the US-American Legion, developed pneumonia. The disease was later called "Legionnaires' disease". The causative agent, a Gram-negative bacterium, was named Legionella pneumophila. Legionella pneumophila causes 85-90% of all cases of Legionella infections (legionellosis). There are over 40 species of Legionella.

Legionella pneumophila can cause very severe infection of the respiratory system. However, Legionnaires' disease epidemics are rare but the disease is fatal if untreated. The disease may develop within 2 to 13 days (average 5-6 days).

Another form of legionellosis is Pontiac fever, named after an outbreak in 1968 in Pontiac, USA. This form of disease, caused by a number of Legionella species, is milder than Legionnaires’ disease. Pontiac fever develops within 48 to 72 hours and the illness may clear in 2-5 days. No fatal cases have been reported in relation to Pontiac fever. This disease mainly appears as epidemics. Pontiac fever is believed to be a reaction to inhaled Legionella antigens rather than an infection.

Disease transmission

There is no evidence for transmission of legionellosis from person to person or by ingestion. Legionella infection occurs when people inhale the bacterium via fine water droplets as aerosols from the environment. Indoor transmission of legionellosis has been reported via contaminated hot water supplies in hospitals, hotels and other public buildings, respiratory therapy equipment, jacuzzis, spas and air-humidifiers.

Occurrence

Legionella bacteria are part of the natural aquatic bacterial population of lakes and rivers. They are present in all types of fresh water, including tap water. Legionella multiply in water, using other microorganisms like bacteria, algae and protozoa. Their concentration in fresh water is influenced mainly by the temperature. They are isolated more frequently and in higher concentrations from warm water (30 to 50 °C.). However, Legionella also survive at much lower temperatures indoors as well as outdoors. At temperatures above 60 °C Legionella can't survive.

Sampling Of Legionella

Sampling of Legionella in indoor air or water on a routine basis is not recommended. However, sampling is recommended to:

determine the source of outbreaks of legionellosis
check the effectiveness of maintenance practices and control measures for hot water supplies and humidified ventilation systems
guarantee the safe use of hot water supplies and humidified ventilation systems.

When investigating the water services within a building for Legionella, the condition of pipes, the joining methods used, the presence of lagging, sources of heat, and the standard of protection afforded tanks should be noted, as well as disconnected fittings, 'dead-ends', and cross-connections with other services.

Water Sampling
Water samples should be collected in sterile autoclavable plastic containers. The samples should be taken from:

the incoming supply;
tanks;
an outlet close to, but downstream of, each tank;
the distant point of each service;
the water entering and leaving any fitting under particular suspicion.

Surface Sampling
Using swabs, surface samples should be taken from shower heads, pipes and taps. Also, sludge, slime or sediments within building water services or humidifiers can also be collected, particularly where accumulation occurs.

Sample Handling and Storage
Samples should be stored at room temperature (20 ± 5 °C.) in the dark and should be processed within 2 days. That means the samples should be sent to the laboratory within 24 hours. It is also important to confirm with the lab that they have the necessary media before sampling is done.

Air sampling
The presence of Legionella in indoor air can be investigated using Reuter Centrifugal Sampler (RCS) or the Andersen sampler. Regardless of the sampler used, the recommended sampling agar at present is BCYE-agar.

References

Flannigan, B., R.A. Samson, and J.D. Miller (Editors). Microorganisms in home and indoor work environments: diversity, health impacts, investigation and control. 2001. London, UK: Taylor & Francis (ISBN: 0-415-26800-1).

Wanner, H-U, AP Verhoeff, A Colombi, B Flannigan, S Gravesen, A Mouilleseux, A Nevalainen, J Papadakis, and K Seidel. 1993. Biological Particles in Indoor Environments. Indoor Air Quality and Its Impact On Man. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities. Report No. 12.

For more information on indoor bacteria, please visit http://www.moldbacteria.com/ or call 905-290-101.

How Fast Does Mould Grow On Building Materials?

2007-08-13T10:22:00.000-04:00

Under experimental conditions moulds are found to cover artificially inoculated building materials in 4-10 days. For example, fast growing strains of Stachybotrys chartarum produce visible mould growth on new water-damaged gypsum boards in 5 days. Slow growing strains of Stachybotrys take 14 days to completely cover the test materials. These observations suggest that visible mould growth could appear within 1-3 weeks after water damage. Under natural conditions mould growth is influenced by a number of factors.

Key factors that determine how fast mould grows

Type of mould: All moulds don't grow at the same rate. Some moulds grow faster than others. For example, under the same conditions of growth, Ulocladium would grow faster than Stachybotrys.

Temperature: Moulds grow faster at or closer to their optimal temperature for growth. For most indoor moulds the optimal temperature is around 25 °C. However, mould can still grow at temperatures as low as -7 °C. Some species of Cladosporium and Penicillium are capable of growing on wood at -5 °C although spore germination requires at least 0 °C. At low temperatures mould growth is very slow.

Water activity: Growth rate of mould increases with increasing water activity. Most indoor moulds have their optimal water activity at 0.96-0.98. Lowering the water activity of the material lowers the growth rate significantly. However, a few species such as some species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Eurotium and Wallemia are able to grow at lower water activities. Germination of spores requires slightly higher water activity than the minimum required for growth.

Age of the spores: Older spores require longer time to germinate than relatively younger spores.

The spore load: If a building is full of settled viable spores, mould would cover a wider area in a shorter time, than, if there were a few settled spores.

Composition of the building material: Most building materials derived from plants are highly susceptible to mould attack. For instance, wallpaper allow fast growth for cellulolytic moulds such as Chaetomium and Stachybotrys.

pH of the material: pH of the material strongly influences the rate of mould growth, sporulation and metabolite production. Some moulds such as Aspergillus fumigatus grow best in the pH range from 4-7 and less well at acidic and basic extremes.

Nutrient availability in the material: Growth could be unrestricted if all nutrients are in excess but restricted when not all nutrients are in excess.

Presence of antimicrobial compounds in building materials: Some building materials contain antimicrobial compounds. These compounds slow down mould growth.

Competition with other micro-organisms: In a moisture damaged environment, there is a great diversity of microorganism. These microorganisms (including bacteria) compete for nutrients and also produce by-products that may inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. Fast growing moulds tend to over-grow slow growers.

Conclusion

Since there are many factors that influence mould growth in buildings, it is hard to say when mould growth started. However, if we know where and when the moisture problem started, we could speculate how long the mould growth has been there.

References

Nielsen, K. F. (2002). Mould growth on building materials. Secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, and biomarkers. Ph.D. Thesis. BioCentrum-DTU, Technical University of Denmark.

Nielsen, K. F., Holm, G., Uttrup, L. P & Nielsen, P. A. (2004). Mould growth on building materials under low water activities. Influence of humidity and temperature on fungal growth and secondary metabolism. International Biodeterioration & Biodegredation, 54(4) 325-336

For more information on mould growth, please visit http://www.moldbacteria.com/ or call 905-290-101.

Mould Exposure

2007-08-04T13:09:00.000-04:00

The best strategy to determine if building occupants are exposed to hazardous mould is to take air samples. It is important to note that even in rooms with visible mould growth air sampling may give very low spore counts. Two methods are widely used in sampling air for mould.

Impacting air on some growth media. This method is used when one is interested in determining the concentration of viable mould spores/fragments in the air.
Impacting air on some inert sticky surface. In this case the mould spores and other particulate are directly counted under a microscope regardless of whether the spores are viable or not.

Both methods have limitations. Therefore, whether to use the first, second or both methods depends on the type of data required, which in turn depends on the objective of the investigation.

It's The Allergy Season!

2007-07-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

While we are enjoying the summer, it can be a tough time for allergy sufferers. The concentrations of pollen and mold spores in outdoor environment is highest in summer months. Since mold spores and pollen tend to infiltrate into indoor environment their concentration indoors can also be very high in summer. Molds and pollen capable of causing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals are said to be allergenic. Allergy follows inhalation of large amounts of spores or pollen grains. The amounts capable of triggering allergy depends on the specific allergen and the sensitivity of the individual.

Types Of Mold Allergy
Molds as causative agents of respiratory allergy and asthma have been known since the 18th century. Allergic reactions to molds may be either immediate, developing within minutes of exposure (Type I), or delayed, occurring 4 - 8 h later (Type 111). Two of the most important allergenic molds are Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium herbarum. Concentration of these two molds are usually highest outdoors from June to October.

Fungi produce huge amounts of spores. In his book, "The Fifth Kingdom", Dr. Bryce Kendrick, gives the following examples:

One specimen of the common bracket fungus discharges 30,000,000,000 spores per day every day from beginning of May to the end of September

A 2.5 cm diameter colony of the green mold, Penicillium, can produce 400,000,000 spores.

Fortunately, these huge numbers are diluted by air and we inhale far much less spore concentrations.

Allergenic Pollen
Among the well known allergenic pollen is the ragweed pollen. Individuals sensitive to ragweed pollen are also sensitive to other pollen grains such as those of poverty weed and false ragweed. Concentrations of these pollens are highest within the months of June to September depending on the flowering time of the particular weed.

Mold Removal

2007-07-23T23:44:00.000-04:00

When to call a professional mold removal company

Although it's tempting to remove any mold you see, it's not always practical or safe to remove it yourself. Removing mold before you know whether it's toxic can make your family feel ill. And sometimes there's simply too much mold for you to remove safely yourself.

What mold guidelines say

You may clean small areas of mold (less than 1 square meter or 3 square feet) yourself. If you do choose to clean small areas of mold yourself, please follow mold guidelines for your safety and that of your family.

Mold growth covering an area less than 10 square feet is categorised as level 1 mold growth. Level 1 mold growth can be one single area of mold or it can include several patches of mold which together would be less than 10 square feet. Remember! Cleaning the mold without fixing the moisture problem, doesn't solve the mold problem.

If visible mold growth in your house covers more than 10 square feet or if you are not sure how to clean the mold safely, it is recommended you seek professional advice. Cleaning large areas of mold growth releases high concentrations of mold spores into the air, which could make your family feel sick.

Therefore, extensive areas of mold growth should be cleaned by a professional. Heavy concentrations of mold spores can cause or worsen health problems.

Molds don't have to be toxic to cause health problems. Even a common, usually harmless mold can be a health issue if there is a lot of it. However, always consult a professional if your house mold is a toxigenic mold, or if you even suspect a toxigenic mold.

How Do You Tell If A Mold is Toxigenic?

If you need to know whether your house mold is toxic or not, you may want to send a sample to our lab for testing. To send a sample, download the Order Form, complete it and send it together with your samples.

Remember! - please call a mold remediation professional when:

You the area covered by mold growth is greater than 10 square feet
You're not sure of the extent of your mold problem
Mold comes back after repeated cleaning
The home is very damp
A family member suffers from allergies or asthma
You think the mold may be a toxic mold because a family member is suffering from unexplained symptoms that may be related to exposure to toxic mold

If you need a professional mold removal company, please visit this mold remediation professionals directory for a comprehensive list of mold remediation specialists listed by province. We also work closely with some mold removal companies and we may be able to direct you to the right people. Give us a call at 905-290-9101.