Have you ever wondered if clusters and chains of Aspergillus/Penicillium-like spores have any meaning different from loose spores? Yes, they do! Clusters and chains of Aspergillus/Penicillium-like spores signify a more recent growth and/or a more nearby growth source than loose spores do.

Spores of Aspergillus and Penicillium are produced in chains and may stick together to form clumps in mold growth. Spores from older mold growth tend to break up easily into loose spores, whereas spores from more recent mold growth will tend to stay as chains or clusters in slightly to moderately higher percentages.

Chains or clumps of spores may also break up gradually or settle faster than loose spores do after they become airborne, therefore, percentage of spores in clusters and chains will mostly likely to decrease as the distance of air pathway increase (or more obstacles) from the mold growth source.

Outdoor Asp/Pen-like spores can be seen in clusters quite often, which may or may not contribute to indoor loose Asp/Pen-like spore count. Assuming those clusters didn't get broken up while entering the building, they would settle rather quickly than outdoor small spores (basidiospores, ascospores) due to their larger sizes. If smaller outdoor spores drop to 10% to 30% of their outdoor levels, it can be expected that most of outdoor Asp/Pen-like clusters would have settled or been trapped on filter already.

QLab's proprietary High Performance Spore Count (TM) now includes "Chain-Cluster-Loose Spore Profile"(TM), a breakdown percentage of Asp/Pen-like spores that belong in chains, clusters, or as loose spores. A cluster is defined as 10 or more spores in a clump. A chain is defined as 3 to 9 spores together. Loose spores are those spores that are in single or pair. This is probably new information to you and you may not be able to see the benefit right away. Typically, consultants need to compare the data to field observation and study the profile for some time before they can fully utilize its benefit. If you are interested in learning more about this new technology, please call Dr. Wei Tang at 888- QLab-Wei (888-752-2934).

As a general rule, which most of you are familiar with already, airborne mold spores sampling is only an investigation tool just like using a moisture meter and IR camera. Very useful information can be obtained using air sampling of mold spores. However, the source of mold growth need to be identified before a conclusion can be made. No one would make the conclusion of a discovery of mold growth just because of an unusual reading on those instruments. It goes the same way with air sampling of mold spores.

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
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(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!

Host: Joe Hughes/Cliff Zlotnik

Episode Notes: The AIHA Green Book "Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Indoor Mold" was released in May. Our guest this week Don Weekes, CIH, CSP was one of three co-editors for this long overdue book. Don was also at the recent Indoor Air 2008 in Copenhagen and will give us an update. The Green Book may well become the most important book in your library after hearing this interview!

Scheduled Time:
Date: Fri, September 26, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM EDT