The Evolution of Mold Testing

Mold may be common in the air we breathe, but high concentrations of spores in homes should be avoided and could indicate larger issues, according to Jim Bates, director of sales at Sporecyte.

“From my vantage point, mold testing has become much more a top of mind issue for home buyers and property owners,” Bates said. “I think this increased awareness stems from people spending more time in their homes since Covid changed the way we work, play, and live. Mold testing and mold awareness is also growing around the world.”

Sporecyte uses AI technology to count and classify mold spores and other particulates in the air. “Ideally, a home’s air will be free of particulate matter (mold and other particles) for the best indoor air quality,” Bates said. “Elevated mold levels can indicate moisture issues that should be addressed for both homebuyers and homeowners.”

Mold will only grow on building materials when moisture is present. “It’s important to know that when above-normal levels of these spores are found, the goal is to resolve the moisture issue first and then clean and/or remediate the mold,” Bates said. “Most often there is a fairly simple resolution to high mold levels, and it does not need to be the end of a home purchase.”

He said indoor/outdoor mold spores and predominantly outdoor spores can enter a home through doors, windows, vents, and very small cracks. These spores are often found in the outdoor sample and do not always indicate a moisture problem in the home.

While a report cannot diagnose a health condition, it’s known that mold can cause health issues to those who are sensitive to it, though trusted health professionals should be consulted to make any diagnosis. “The report can be used to understand the condition of the air at the time of the test, and this might provide some information to the health professional,” Bates said.

ASHI recently talked to Bates to learn more
about the matters of mold. Here is some of what
he had to say.

How is mold testing changing?

The big change is in mold lab sample analysis and reporting. The explosion of computing power in recent years has allowed AI to be developed and used for many tasks and processes.

For decades, mold labs have had a human analyst who looks through a microscope and manually identifies and counts mold spores. This is a laborious process, and labs can only financially devote a certain amount of human time to analyze each sample—usually looking at approximately 30%
of a sample.

Sporecyte AI allows us to analyze 100% of the sample, making us more accurate and consistent. Another huge benefit with AI is that it looks at mold spores and particles the same way every time, and
it never gets tired.

The Sporecyte AI process also allows us to create a report that is designed to make home inspectors’ lives easier, more fun, and more profitable.

   

       
   

   

        FROM LEFT: Mold will only grow on building materials when moisture is present. Often there is a fairly simple resolution to high mold levels. • General particulate matter (mold and other particles) can often be addressed by simply replacing the home’s filters more frequently or upgrading to HEPA filters for advanced
air cleaning. • Mold may need to be remediated, depending on the extent of the issue. This protects the buyer and their investment and is particularly important for families with elderly members, infants, or people with breathing issues or sensitivity to mold.

   

What should home inspectors
watch for regarding mold?

Inspectors should specifically look for indoor water-related mold spores, which are easily identified
in our reports and understood by buyers, agents,
and property owners.

Most moisture issues can often be resolved quickly, and the mold can then be cleaned or remediated depending on the extent of the issue. This protects the buyer and their investment.

Often we find a lot of particulates and only normal mold amounts (mold spores often enter homes from open windows, doors, pets, and small cracks in the home). General particulate matter can be addressed by increasing the home’s filter replacement and might even be upgraded to a HEPA filter for advanced air cleaning.

The particulates we count and classify are mold spore and particulate matter.

   

       
   

   

        While mold reports cannot be used to diagnose health issues, they can be used to see what is in the air of the home. If elevated levels are found, homeowners can take the report to a health professional who can then help them with health diagnosis.

   

Why is mold testing important?

Mold testing can be a valuable due diligence tool for your homebuyers and real estate agents.

First, it’s important to understand if there are any water or moisture issues that need to be resolved and fixed.
For homes that have had past water issues (plumbing, high humidity, leaks), mold tests are important to make sure the problem was resolved. If high levels of mold are found during due diligence, the buyer can negotiate to have the problem resolved by the seller prior to closing, or after closing using a price discount or credit.

Second, homes with dirt crawl spaces can cause mold problems in a home with mold growing in the soil and then entering the home above through cracks in walls and foundations.

Third, families with elderly members, infants, or people with breathing issues or sensitivity to mold might want to test for mold. While reports cannot be used to diagnose health issues, they can be used to see what is in the air of the home. If elevated levels are found, they can take the report to a health professional who can then help them with health diagnosis.

A mold test and/or report gives buyers and property owners peace of mind when making possibly the biggest investment of their lives.

It is important for inspectors to be able to provide mold testing for their clients who need it. Offering the mold test at the time of the inspection will save buyers time, stress, and money. Mold testing is also a very good source of additional revenue for inspectors
when the test is appropriate for their clients.

   

       
   

   

        Benefits of AI mold testing and reporting include increased accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.

   

How is AI helping advance this industry?

AI is advancing mold analysis and reporting in
multiple ways.

First, AI has increased the accuracy and consistency of results because it allows us to analyze the complete sample. Other labs usually only analyze up to 30% of a sample.

A complete sample analysis resolves issues of undercounting or overcounting, which can be problematic with incomplete sample review.

Also, the AI looks at spores the same way every time, and this is increasing the overall continuity of spore recognition and reporting.

At Sporecyte highly skilled spore analysts review the AI result prior to the report being emailed to the inspector. Our methodology uses the best of AI and the best of humans to provide the best possible reports.

What does the future hold
for mold testing?

Sporecyte is opening a second US lab in Atlanta soon. By the end of this year we will have a lab in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and are working to open labs in the UK and Australia.

We have also helped with the development of a new air capture cassette made by Apacor. The Apacor Airtrap XL has been optimized to work with the Sporecyte AI system. Apacor is a manufacturer of medical diagnostic products distributed globally. They manufacture test kits for the human and animal parts of our business.

ABOUT SPORECYTE

Sporecyte is a mold lab that uses AI to provide home inspectors and industry professionals access to fast, accurate, and affordable mold and air quality testing. Sporecyte is part of Techcyte, which creates AI-powered solutions for environmental, human, and animal health. Mayo Clinic is one of their collaboration partners in human health, for example. They work together to create new products for health care facilities all over the world.