Mold Identification and Assessment Flashcards

Which analytical method used in mold assessment can identify mold DNA without requiring viable spores?

Answer: qPCR (quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction)

qPCR detects and quantifies mold DNA directly from samples, identifying species even from dead or non-culturable spores.

What does the ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) score assess?

Answer: The relative mold burden in a home compared to a national reference database

ERMI compares dust sample qPCR results for 36 mold species against a national reference database to score a home's relative mold burden.

A mold inspector finds elevated Cladosporium levels both indoors and outdoors after a windstorm. What is the most appropriate interpretation?

Answer: The elevated indoor levels likely reflect outdoor infiltration rather than a building moisture problem

Cladosporium is the most abundant outdoor mold, and elevated indoor levels that mirror outdoor counts typically indicate air infiltration rather than indoor amplification.

Which building material provides the best substrate for Stachybotrys chartarum growth and why?

Answer: Paper-faced gypsum drywall, because it provides cellulose nutrients when wet

Stachybotrys requires wet cellulose (paper) as a nutrient source, making paper-faced drywall the ideal substrate when it remains chronically wet.

What is 'clearance sampling' in the context of mold remediation?

Answer: Post-remediation sampling to verify contamination levels have returned to acceptable conditions

Clearance sampling is conducted after remediation to verify that mold levels have been reduced to acceptable baseline conditions before containment is removed.

When using infrared thermography during mold assessment, what does a cold spot on an interior wall surface typically indicate?

Answer: Evaporative cooling from moisture or a thermal bridge, suggesting potential water intrusion

Cool spots on infrared images indicate moisture evaporation or thermal bridging, which are signs of water intrusion that can support hidden mold growth.

Which factor most significantly affects the accuracy of air sampling results for mold assessment?

Answer: The flow rate and duration of sampling, which determine the volume of air analyzed

Accurate spore concentration calculations (spores/m³) require a precisely known air volume, which depends on calibrated flow rate and exact sampling duration.