Clean Air Labs, LLC now provides mold analysis using advanced DNA methods developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Just like the popular TV drama CSI, DNA is now being used to accurately identify homes and buildings that have unusual amounts and types of mold. DNA is 99.99% accurate at determining the amount and species of molds that are found within a building. The United States EPA has spent ten years developing a highly sophisticated DNA test for mold. The EPA proved their technology by testing over 1200 homes across the United States. Half of the homes were known to have extensive water damage and occupants  who suffered from significant respiratory illness. The other half was from dry homes whose occupants did not experience respiratory distress or asthma. The study showed that two major groups of molds are present in homes. Group 1 molds were found in homes with water damage and whose occupants often suffered from respiratory problems and asthma related disease. Group 2 molds were found in dry homes whose occupants lacked symptoms of respiratory distress. From this major study the EPA developed the ERMI index. ERMI stands for Environmental Relative Moldiness Index. Each home in the study was assigned an ERMI score. Homes with Group 1 molds had high ERMI scores, whereas homes with Group 2 Molds had low ERMI scores. What is your ERMI score?

Every homeowner, renter, or property owner should have their home tested annually to ensure the health of occupants and integrity of the building structure. However, until recently, the ERMI test was extremely cost prohibitive. Only a handful of labs in the United States are licensed by the EPA to conduct the ERMI analysis. The analysis is labor intense and most labs rely heavily on technicians and older  DNA processing equipment, which is often incapable of running many samples simultaneously. Under such economics, older labs are forced to charge well over $500.00 for an ERMI sample just to make a profit. Unfortunately, few people are willing to pay such an exorbitant price. So most people opt for either  an unreliable spore trap test or no test, and continue to suffer respiratory distress from mold. But that is all about to change.

Clean Air Labs located in Oak Ridge, TN has struck a strategic partnership with Roche Diagnostics and is able to offer the ERMI test at a fraction of the cost of other laboratories. Our cost is much less because Clean Air Labs is the only EPA licensed lab that uses Roche’s state-of-the-art DNA testing platform with robotic automation. We have the capability to run ERMI samples faster with greater accuracy than any other lab. Moreover, we pass our cost savings onto our clients. “It’s all about handling DNA” according to Clean Air Labs’ lead Molecular Biologist James Campbell, Ph.D. “No level of technician experience match the accuracy, precision, or speed of robotics when handling small volumes of DNA”. Clean Air Labs’ DNA platform can easily run over 100 samples a day. Moreover, together with Roche Diagnostics, Clean Air Labs has standardized the ERMI protocol; Roche guarantees the quality of their reagents through a rigorous quality control system and Clean Air Labs adheres to the ISO 17025 quality system standard to insure that every ERMI score is accurate and reported in timely manner.

The Equilibrium Theory of Spore Dispersal Indoors 

Homes/businesses receiving a high ERMI score are more likely to have unwanted indoor mold growth than those homes that receive a low ERMI score. A high score is indicative of a current or past water intrusion event, such as a broken pipe or a window that leaks every time it rains. Often mold won’t be visible, but hidden in the walls, crawlspace, or attic. However, as mold grows, it releases small microscopic spores. These spores become airborne and move from either dormant or growing, but highly concentrated spore beds, into the living space. For example, mold growing on the interior of a wall cavity serves as a common spore bed, which may contain millions if not billions of spores. Since, mold spores are small, they can easily move through porous construction materials, outlets, and various wall openings. Spores are dislodged and moved by updrafts, downdrafts, vibrations (such as an opening garage door) and may follow extremely circuitous paths to end up in the living space. But once in the living space, spores adhere to dust particles, drop out of the air and are deposited in various dust reservoirs. Eventually, over several weeks, spore concentrations reach equilibrium between the interior building space and living space. Once equilibrium is reached, invasive wall cavity sampling is unnecessary because a portion of the spores in the wall cavity now occupies dust reservoirs in the living space. Hence, a representative dust sample from the living space is all that is required to determine the EPA ERMI score, which in turn will identify and quantify the Group 1 and Group 2 mold that is present. ERMI analysis replaces multiple destructive sampling methods such as wall cavity or drywall removal, with a single non-invasive dust sample. The EPA has shown that ERMI samples are extremely accurate at determining the level of mold in a home, and more importantly, whether the mold is related to water intrusion and a risk factor for respiratory illness or asthma related disease. 

Clean Air Laboratories, Clean Air Inspections, and Infrared Consultants are owned and operated by the Chiodo Companies. The Chiodo Companies is a diversified family of corporations, with interests in biotechnology, indoor air quality, infrared thermography, facility predictive/preventative maintenance, and real estate.

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