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New Study Defines "Typical" Mold in Homes

Air Quality Sciences (AQS) announces the release of a landmark study on mold in homes, "Air and Dustborne Mycoflora in Houses Free of Water Damage and Fungal Growth," in the November issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. This is the complete report from a study conducted by AQS in 2002 for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, in which data was collected from 50 single family homes with no history of major water damage to determine typical types and levels of molds found in homes in the southeast.

With much discussion about the potential dangers presented by mold indoors, homeowners are seeking guidelines for acceptable types and levels of mold. To date, experts have been unable to define specific thresholds or to clearly understand the link between damp buildings and health problems. However, most experts agree that extensive mold colonization indoors has a negative impact on occupant health and can also threaten the structural integrity of a building. This study is a critical step in understanding what is "normal and typical" so that there is a baseline against which to compare data from suspected problem homes.

"Previous studies have focused exclusively on buildings where mold growth was a problem. This study looks at buildings without a history of moisture problems, providing a basis for comparison that could help clearly determine cases that are not normal. The study begins to consider mold conditions that may be harmful by defining conditions that are not harmful," commented Dr. Elliott Horner, Director of the Microbial Laboratory at AQS and lead on the project.

The complete report may be purchased at http://aem.asm.org/.

About AQS

AQS is a fully integrated, indoor air quality company that provides solutions to create healthy indoor environments and avoid potentially dangerous indoor pollution. With a proven 15-year track record of solving complex indoor air quality issues, AQS is the industry leader in product emissions testing, chemical and microbial laboratory services, building studies of indoor environmental pollution and development of corrective strategies. As the only indoor air quality firm with internal labs that are both ISO 9001:2000 registered and AIHA EMLAP accredited, AQS sets the standard for effective diagnoses and solutions. For more information, visit www.aqs.com.