Four Critical Aspects of a Mould Remediation

• Protecting Yourself and the Public
• Assessment
• Establishing an Effective Remediation Environment
• The Remediation Process
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Assesment

1. Investigation of mould contamination

The extent of mould contamination can be determined in two ways. The primary method is through a visual assessment to establish the presence of mould and the extent (area) of growth. This could include an intrusive investigation for the presence of hidden mould.

The secondary method is via air sampling to establish the presence and types of mould spores in the air. Trained individuals are required to identify the presence of specific types of mould and to carry out representative sampling (industry standard is equal to or less than outdoors and representative of species and genus). Microscopic identification of the spores and mould colonies requires considerable expertise, and these services are not routinely available from commercial laboratories. For someone with limited experience, sampling results are difficult to interpret. Experience in interpretation of results is essential.

Keep in mind that air sampling for mould provides information only for the moment in time in which the sampling occurred, much like a snapshot. Generally accepted standards for judging what is and what are not acceptable or tolerable quantities of airborne mould spores have not been established.

In cases where a particular toxic mould species has been identified or is suspected, when extensive hidden mould is expected (such as behind vinyl wallpaper or in a ventilation system), or when the chances of the mould becoming airborne are estimated to be high, a more cautious or conservative approach to remediation should be considered.

It is important to remember, dead mould can still have allergenic or toxic properties!