MRS Mold Identification and Assessment 4

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

qPCR (quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction)

Answer

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

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

(MRS) Mold Remediation Specialist Practice Test

(MRS) Mold Remediation Specialist Practice Test

MRS Mold Identification and Assessment 4