Nov. 20, 2006: Aerotech P&K Offers New Mold Test Based on EPA Research
PHOENIX - Aerotech P&K has announced the availability of a new mold test suited to screen homes for mold. Based on recently published data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers and the 2006 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) American Healthy Home Survey, the test has been developed as a tool to evaluate the potential risk of indoor mold growth and associated health effects.
The test involves the analysis of a single sample of dust from a home. The sample is analyzed using mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MSQPCR), a highly specific DNA-based method for quantifying mold species. A simple algorithm is used to calculate a ratio of water damage-related species to common indoor molds and the resulting score is called the EPA Relative Moldiness Index or ERMI. The ERMI value is typically between -10 and 20.