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Last week, we talked about rounding numbers for proper precision. [Please see the end of this email for a clarification on "rounding".] What do we do when the variation is so large that even rounding to 1 digit of a significant figure does not reflect the correct precision?

For example:
Replicate (1): 2,000 counts/in2
Replicate (2): 20,000 counts/in2
Replicate (3): 8,000 counts/in2

As you might have recognized, this sampling and analytical method is not quantitative. The results should be qualitative (presence, absence) or semi- quantitative (high, medium, low, trace). For example, if someone tries to count the spores on a tape-lift, the data will be very similar to the example above with even larger variations. A one square inch tape-lift equals to about 35 times of the size of common spore trap impaction trace. As a result, only a very small percentage of that tape-lift can feasibly be read under microscope. Without extraction and proper mixing like the preparation procedure for swab samples, a small percentage of a tape-lift is absolutely not representative of the entire sample. Therefore, the results from replicate analyses are highly variable and not quantitative measurements.

On the other hand, spores on swabs samples are extracted and mixed thoroughly, so that the results from both culture method and direct microscopic examination can be quantitative, although the quality (precision) of the data may still vary widely among different labs depending on the preparation and analytical methods they use.

A tape-lift can only collect one or a few layers of spores. They have limited collection efficiency, especially for yeasts that grow very near the surface of material. If there are more spores than what will stick onto the tape, they will be left behind on the surface. A tape-lift sample can be used to determine the type of mold and the percentage of mold growth coverage on a surface, but not the spore count on that area because it maybe be a significantly underestimated number, thus inaccurate.

We all know that your lab can either be your best friend or your worst enemy! If standing between you and your customers is a "Money-Making Mega Lab" with un- reproducible data and watered-down cheap services, it is no wonder that your business is not growing the way you want it to grow. Quality analyses with personal attention from QLab can help you grow your business like no one else!

We typically help companies that have been frustrated with unsatisfying services from their current microbiology lab on issues such as:
(1) poor technical support
(2) no personal attention
(3) inconsistent results
(4) project delay; slow turnaround time
(5) reports not making sense
(6) lack of ethics

Call us today, and experience how some of your competitors have been gaining their advantage by using QLab's services!

What good is a mold report if the homeowner or property manager cannot even read it? Many bar graphs for airborne fungal spores are not proportional to the concentrations of spores, which makes it confusing to read, even for scientists-not to mention homeowners or facility managers. For example, the ratio of bar heights of 1000 to 100 to 10 spore/m3 on a log scale graph is actually 3 to 2 to 1. It's good for scientific research, but it's certainly not helping when you try to explain the results to homeowners.

QLab's proprietary and copyrighted MoldSense QGraph is "Visually-Representing and Proportionally- Correct." Homeowner can see a clear visual representation of airborne spore profiles in all samples as illustrated on MoldSense QGraph. On the other hand, they cannot understand why your competitor's report graphs are not even proportional to the concentrations reported. Show a copy of MoldSense QGraph to your prospects, and you can easily increase your sales closing rate. Stop giving your customers a cloudy mental confusion and start providing them a clear visual representation.

Switch TODAY!

Host: Joe Hughes/Cliff Zlotnik

Kevin Kennedy is an Environmental Hygienist and is the Manager for the Environmental Health Program at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri. The program performs research, training, education and patient based services in indoor environmental health. Environmental Health staff performs environmental assessments in homes, schools, clinics, and childcare centers throughout the region served by the hospital. Kevin has been involved in environmental science and industrial hygiene chemistry and consulting for over 20 years, and received his Bachelors Degree in Natural History and Environmental Science from the University of Kansas. He is a Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC), and is currently one of the instructors for the National Center for Healthy Housing, Healthy Home Practitioner training program. He has been certified to teach high school science and worked previously as a restoration carpenter and cabinetmaker.

Scheduled Time:
Date: Fri, August 1, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM EDT

In last week's newsletter, I used "rounding up" in several places. I was thinking of "rounding up" as "rounding to the higher decimal place". Apparently, it wasn't the correct way to describe it. "Rounding up" and "rounding down" have their own meanings. When I round the number, I choose to round up or down depending on the next digit is "greater than/equal to" 5 or less than 5, respectively. This is the common way of rounding.