Mold Testing NJ (or Air Samples)
Do you want to do mold testing in NJ the most rational & affordable way?
If you need mold tests in New Jersey you’ve come to the right place.
Mold spores are found everywhere in our environment. We are constantly exposed to them.
But high concentrations of mold in any living or work environment is unacceptable. This is because of possible health problems & structural damage. This article will discuss why mold testing is done in NJ.
If mold is present, it’s important to ask 2 questions:
- What kind of mold is present?
- How much mold is present?
These are the 2 questions that mold testing (air sampling) will help answer. Mold tests will be sent to a qualified lab in New Jersey. They will analyze & run tests so they can answer these 2 questions.
A Basic Overview of Mold Testing / Mold Sampling in New Jersey
During your initial mold inspection, you may deem it’s necessary to run mold tests. So the inspector will have to collect air samples.
Proper equipment, collection, handling & documentation of air samples is required for valid mold testing to be done in NJ.
- The person running the mold tests must use the same sampling media.
- They must use the same sampling time when running tests.
- Assessors must follow all mold testing procedures as accurately as possible.
Poorly collected samples will lead to unreliable mold tests.
This is why it’s important to have a certified professional at your NJ property.
When Do I Need To Get Mold Testing Done in New Jersey?
You should get mold testing done when large amounts of mold are present. Sometimes NJ homeowners will also report feeling sick. It makes sense to run tests even if there’s not a lot of mold. Since there could be mold hiding behind walls, that mold tests will find.
The whole reason we collect air samples is to see what’s in your indoor air. What type of mold toxins show up on the tests?
But these mold tests are still a “captured image” of time.
To get a truly reliable glimpse you’d need repeated mold tests in your NJ home.
Which leads us to a conundrum of money & economics.
Does It Make Sense To Do Mold Testing If I Need Remediation Anyway?
Most of the time the answer will be no. When you’re performing mold tests or collecting air samples, you need valid reasons that directed you to perform this.
Many times it will make sense to skip mold testing, and go directly to remediation.
Other times there are valid reasons to perform mold testing at your NJ property.
These reasons include:
- Real estate transactions
- Potential mold growth
- Specific health effects
- Rooms with moisture events or other red flags
- Post remediation verification (PRV) tests are all valid reasons.
When is mold testing not needed in NJ?
All too often we hear stories where people paid thousands of dollars on mold tests that did not need to be done. I hate hearing that this happens in NJ.
The issue is, mold is scary. Let’s face it. One of the most lethal toxins in the world comes naturally occurring from mold. It’s called the “T2 toxin”. Similar to Aflatoxin B1. Which is approx 50xs more deadly than saran gas. Molds make these toxins. Yes that’s scary!
And yes, you find these toxins in NJ homes. But not in most homes. It takes quite a lot of water for molds to mature to that level. Normally seen in serious flooding.
Conducting mold tests after a flood is a good idea. Though you still don’t need a lot of mold tests in your NJ home! Maybe 2 or 3. It will depend on your situation.
So how dangerous is household mold…. really? How many mold tests would you recommend?
Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this. We don’t know how dangerous the mold is till mold testing is done. In New Jersey that’s how it works. We have no idea what’s in your home. If you want to know, we can run mold tests & let you know.
But in most cases we will skip testing if remediation is the real priority.
Mold testing only gives a glimpse in time. Even if you find toxic molds on the tests. Because there are new species being discovered every single day. New toxic species that will show up on tests.
At any rate, mold toxins are very finicky the way they can show up on mold tests
What are some symptoms of mold toxins that can show up on mold tests in New Jersey?
Mold toxins can attack organs, liver, cause disease & death in humans. They can also cause:
1) Allergies and asthma – It’s estimated that 34% of asthma and allergies are cause by indoor mold.
2) Lung infections & skin rashes
3) Head aches
4) Fatigue
5) Nausea
6) Red eyes or dry eyes
7) Swollen nasal and lung passages (makes it hard to breathe)
8) Immuno-suppressive disorders – This is a big one. Mold toxins can wreak havoc on ones immune system. This can trigger indirect, but widespread systemic changes to your health over a long period of chronic exposure.
9) Carcinogenic – We know that many mold toxins are carcinogens. And you can find doctors who believe they cause cancer. You can find many books that would agree. But it would be virtually impossible to say “mold causes cancer”.
Humans are exposed to all sorts of toxins on a daily basis. Whether its radioactive radon gas coming from Mother Earth, PCBs in water, pesticides, VOCs, dioxins from combustion, lead, mercury or arsenic…. we are being bombarded by toxins on a daily basis. Due to how common mold toxins are compared to other environmental toxins, it makes sense to test for mold toxins.
So…..
What makes mold so special? Do I have to get tests done?
Let’s just say, it’s rated the #3 most common environmental toxin in the US & Canada. Right underneath pesticides and PCBs. So be weary, just try not to be that paranoid. The main issue is what you’re being exposed to and how much.
The primary focus of any mold test is to find out what types of mold are growing in your NJ home.
You also want to measure how high the “spore counts” are. There are specific thresholds for spores considered “safe”. That is for the average person. For children or the elderly these levels change. They have weaker immune systems so lower levels can still cause problems.
With that said, there is more to this issue that people tend to overlook.
Isn’t it true that you can skip mold tests in many cases?
Yes, absolutely! You may be scared after reading all this but the fact remains, mold testing is commonly abused by businesses. They will talk or persuade you into doing dozens of mold tests. They will charge you an arm and a leg.
But the key thing to keep in mind is pretty simple. If you have any type of mold growing in your home, it needs to be remediated. This is because mold doesn’t just cause health issues. It quite literally devours your home. It triggers accelerated aging. Frames degrade, wood breaks down, walls collapse, structural failure begins to occur.
If you visit the EPAs website they stand pretty firm on the motto, “if you see or smell it, it needs to be removed”. That’s a concept we strongly agree with.
If our inspectors find significant amounts of mold, whether behind your walls, your insulation, hiding under your floors…. we will skip mold testing the majority of the time.
Because why waste money on taking samples and sending them to a lab? It makes no sense. If tests come back with a high level of a “safe” strain of mold, your home is still in danger. Because mold of any form poses structural problems.
How Many Different Types Of Mold Tests Are There in New Jersey?
New Jersey mold testing can be done in 3 different ways.
All of which are recognized as valid forms of mold sampling. Though there are pros & cons with each method of testing.
- Air sampling, industry standard mold tests – Requires both a viable culture & a control (non-viable culture). This draws out a sample of indoor air to test for mold.
- Direct sampling, mold swab tests – Requires a viable culture & non-viable control test. This form uses swabs or tape. It can directly test carpet, insulation or wall cavities.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, AKA “ERMI” – DNA collection tubes.
When you choose one of these mold testing methods, it’s important to understand what the results will produce. All mold tests in NJ will produce 1 of 2 main results:
- Qualitative results of mold tests – These will identify only the types of mold present in an air sample.
- Quantitative results of mold tests – These will identify the types & quantities of mold present in an air sample.
Both tests will be highly specific in their results. And data can be compiled into graphs that are easy to explain to the NJ homeowner.
The Difference Between Indoor Mold Tests & MSH Tests in New Jersey
One last word about a different form of mold testing in NJ: MSH Testing for your Blood.
As already stated, children & the elderly are most susceptible to mold. And they can also be resistant in getting blood work done. But there is a serious problem that is commonly overlooked. This the widespread ignorance the medical community holds towards MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone). These types of blood tests are not to be confused with normal mold tests (air samples) in NJ.
It has been well documented over the years that mold toxins reduce MSH levels in both children and adults.
These hormones are responsible for memory, learning, controlling obesity, pain relief, inflammation, emotional swings, coping abilities, libido, energy, body temperature, nerve pain, and various other aspects of human health.
This is why allergy & respiratory tests are not enough. If you plan on having MSH tests done at any point, please find a good doctor. Most physicians do not have the proper training to conduct these types of tests, nor do the labs they work with.
If you have any questions about: mold testing, air samples, indoor air quality or MSH testing in NJ – you can reach our testing department at: 908-601-1307.
There is a lot more that can be said about this topic and we will update this page as often as possible.
To check out our online reviews, feel free to visit – MMRG, Mold Removal & Mold Testing Reviews
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