What is used for Mold Testing?

AIR SAMPLES:
Air Sampling tells you what types of mold is in your air and tells you how much of it is there. An air test consist of two samples, one sample from of the indoor air, and one control sample from the outdoor air. The outdoor sample serves as a baseline standard, this will tell you the what the levels and types of mold should be in your home. An “elevated mold condition” exists when lab results show that the indoor air has a higher spore count than the outdoor air.

SURFACE SAMPLES: (Swab or Tape Lift)
Surface sampling will accurately identify all types of mold growing on a single surface, but will not quantify. Furthermore, mold found in surface samples is not necessarily an accurate representation of what is in the air. In fact, it is entirely possible to find specific types of mold growing on surfaces that has not yet become airborne.

WHY IS IT USEFUL TO IDENTIFY SURFACE MOLD TYPES?
Mold produces mold spores. When surface mold is disturbed, thousands (perhaps even millions) of tiny spores become airborne, which may ultimately end up in the lungs of anyone nearby. It is beneficial to know whether or not the mold growing on a surface is toxic before attempting to clean it so that you can take adequate measures to protect yourself and others from potentially harmful effects.
Both surface and air sampling techniques are widely recognized as the best processes for achieving accurate evaluations of both indoor air quality (IAQ) and the specificity of surface mold types. However, the use of one without the other may result in an inaccurate characterization of the area sampled. For example, Stachybotrys (a known toxic mold) has shown up in surface samples but not air samples in the same property. Often times there can be certain types of mold on a surface that are not airborne… YET. For that reason it is prudent to sample both air and surface molds (in some cases).