Mould Testing
Many different species of mould exist in a range of environments and have the potential to negatively impact human health. Moulds reproduce spores that can cause damage to buildings and when inhaled can cause infections, trigger asthma and cause eye and skin irritation.
Mould can grow in all environments, generally preferring more humid conditions, however provided there is a nutrient source and adequate water activity, such as high humidity, mould can and will proliferate and cause contamination. Mould can also be a very good indicator of water damage within a property, which can be a very useful tool when determining risk of exposure for affected individuals, as well extent of damage to a property.
Testing for not only the presence of mould, but the different genera of mould present can help determine if there is water damage to a building, as well as the risk for potential health issues. Eurofins Environment Testing specialises in the analysis of mould for both residential and commercial properties.
Our Capabilities
Our range of testing options include:
- Mould
- Airborne and surface fungi and bacterial culture
- Bio-Tape, Via-Cell and Air-O-Cell analysis
- Bulk samples for fungi and bacterial culture (MATBF)
- PCR detection - Coffee Berry Disease and Human Bacteroides
- Membrane Filtration for Coliforms and Coli (including thermotolerant – NATA)
- Heterotrophic Plate Count – 37oC for 2 days (NATA)
- Testing for sewage ingress using Coliformsand E.coli and Human Bacteroides
- Agar plates
- Airborne and surface comprehensivemicroscopy
- Airborne and surface combustion products microscopy (soot, char, ash etc).
Our mould laboratories provide culturing services for viable mould and total bacteria using a range of agar media to best identify a broader range of fungi.
We are also able to provide other bacterial identification services such as Coliforms and E. coli from surface swabs, and via membrane filtration – thermotolerant and total, and heterotrophic plate counts (NATA accredited).
Our Sampling Techniques include:
By Tape Lift
Tape lift sampling is an easy way to collect samples on surfaces such as building materials where there is visible mould growth or discolouration. If there are no clear Sellotape or Bio Tapes readily available, a piece of the material can be removed for analysis. Direct examination is then carried out for the confirmation, semi-quantification, and identification of the mould growth.
By Spore Trap
The collection of air samples is performed using a sampling pump calibrated to a specific flow rate per minute to take in a known volume of air. The air that is taken in through the sampling pump is then impacted onto a cassette containing a gel coated slide. Fungal spores and other particulate matter are deposited onto the gel surface. Using direct microscopy, the sample is then analysed for the quantification and categorisation of fungal structures. Fungal structures are categorised by morphological type from the genus level (e.g. Cladosporium) to the phylum level (e.g. Basidiospores)
Accreditation
Our laboratories are IANZ accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, and conduct analysis to ASTM D7658-17 "Standard Test Method for Direct Microscopy of Fungal Structures from Tape", and ASTM D 7391-20 "Standard Test Method for Categorization and Quantification of Airborne Fungal Structures in an Inertial Impaction Samply by Optical Microscopy".
Please contact us for more information, or viist Eurofins Focus here.
