Thx, Garzie. I tried what you suggested and it worked. Wow!! Rainy, that was so kind of you. That must have taken a long time.
Okay, I agree with sara that the ERMI results are “good” in the sense that the HERTSMI-2 is zero. I didn’t try to calculate that myself since sara already did.
While the results are reassuring in a number of ways, there are some concerns.
Group I:
A. Niger
Pullulans
Penicillium corvlophilum
Wallemia - low but present
Chaetomium- present
A. Pen. - low but present
Chaetomium requires more water, so this could indicate a leak. It is also sometimes called a precursor to Stachybotrus, which you definitely don’t want to show up. A. Pen is almost always present in a building with a moisture problem. It only requires moisture (humidity) rather than water (leak). A. Pen, I believe, has been my biggest problem. My last inspector believes it is actually more toxic and sickens people more than Stachy.
Group I molds are more those typically found in water damaged buildings and are more toxic. The results here suggest there are reservoirs of mold somewhere. A good inspector or a well trained mold dog can help locate hidden sources.
Group II:
Alternaria - my inspector told me that this should be in Group I, as it can be problematic and toxic.
Cladesporiums
These are common molds found outdoors and on plants. These tend to be more allergenic and irritants as opposed to toxin producing. Cladesporiums are often found in bathrooms - a dark colored mold that can be mistaken for Stachybotrus.
Somewhere in my past readings, I saw Shoemaker commented that OSHA said a total score (Group I plus II) above 30 was cause for concern. Yours is 33.
Do you need to flee for your life and leave everything behind?
- No.
Do you need to forget about
mold and believe everything is fine now?
- In my opinion, No.
I don’t know what you know about
the history of the house, but there’s lots of possibilities. The mold could be there from a prior problem that was fixed but not adequately cleaned. There could be a hidden problem area that could cause mold to increase as time goes on. Some of the sources may be inside the HVAC system or ducts. Carpet can be a reservoir for mold.
I would suggest doing your own inspection and sleuthing, noting any areas of concern including any smells detected, water stains, knowledge of any past leaks, plumbing repairs, etc.
Also, I suggest calling the lab for a consultation. They can help you interpret the results and give you ideas of where certain species may be coming from. If you still need help, look on the internet and you may find some information about
the species in question.
Great source of internet information:
https://createyourhealthyhome.com/And
http://moldcontrolonabudget.com/my-service-areas/Pull down the menu to see all the topics discussed.
Here is a link to the HERTSMI-2 score calculator. Take a look at this with your ERMI results. It will give you a better perspective about
the scores of those 5 species.
https://www.mycometrics.com/hertsmi.htmlPost Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 2/5/2022 5:23:40 PM (GMT-7)