Air sampling - is the collection of airborne microbial contaminants that may have an impact on product spoilage, product safety, and human health.
Allergen - An Allergen is a substance that elicits an ige antibody response and is responsible for producing allergic reactions. Chemicals are released when IGE on certain cells come into contact with and Allergen These chemicals can cause injury to surrounding tissue - the visible signs of an allergy. Only a few fungal allergens have been categorized, but all fungi are thought to be potentially allergic.
Allergic symptoms - Signs of an allergic reaction to mold (i.e. nasal and sinus congestion, coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing, skin and or eye your rotation, sinus infections, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, or nosebleeds).
Bacteria - Single celled organisms that lack chlorophyll and reproduce by fission.
Biocide fungicide - Biocides and fungicides are chemicals that limit the growth of or kill micro organisms such as fungi.
Black mold - The poorly defined term black mold or toxic black mold has usually been associated with the mold stachybotorys chartarum. While there all are only a few molds that are truly black, there are many that can appear black. Not all molds that appear to be black are stachybotrys
Bulk sample - Bulk samples are samples of the material affected by microbial growth and submitted to a lab for analysis. This may include a piece of fabric, a section of carpet, or building material.
Colonization - The act or process of establishing a colony or colonies. Usually refers to fungal mycelium growth.
Condensation - Collection of moisture due to differences in temperature that results in gases changing to liquid.
Conidiophores - A specialized fungal hypha that produces conidia.
Dry rot - An event and that could cause severe damage to your home due to moisture being transferred via vine like branches called rhizmorphs even before the house is infested.
Fruiting body's - Mushroom like growths on rotten wood, on the underside of flooring or a cabinet. Fruiting bodies are flat, up to a half inch thick, and are pale, gray, brown, or black.
Fungi - fungi are neither animals nor plants and all are classified in a Kingdom of their own; the Kingdom of fungi. Fungi includes a very large group of organisms, including molds, yeasts, mushrooms and puffballs. They're >100,000 accepted fungal species, but current estimates range to 1.5 million species. Mycologists (people who study fungi) have grouped fungi into four large groups according to their method of reproduction.
Grout - A thin mortar used to fill cracks and crevices in masonry or a thin plaster for finishing walls and ceilings.
Hepa filter (high efficiency particle arresting respirators) - Filters harmful bacteria and microbial particles from the air.
Hidden mold - This refers to visible mold growth on building structures that is not easily seen, including the areas above drop ceilings, with in a wall cavity (the space between the inner and outer structure of a wall) inside air handlers, or within the ducting of a heating ventilation system.
Humidity - Dampness, especially of the air.
Hygrometer - Measuring instrument for measuring relative humidity.
Hyphae - Any of the threadlike filaments forming the mycelium of a fungus.
Infestation - Inhabited or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening or obnoxious.
Microbial growth - Refers to the organic material thought to be mold or fungus during an inspection that may require laboratory analysis.
Microbial volatile organic compounds (mvoc"s) - Fungi produce chemicals as a result of their metabolism. Some of these chemicals (mvoc's) are responsible for the characteristic moldy, musty, or earthy smell of fungi, whether mushrooms or molds. Some mvoc"s are thought to be characteristic of wood rot and mold growth on building materials. The human nose is very sensitive to mold odors and sometimes more than current analytical instruments. Unfortunately people living in mold conditions become use to the scent and are unable to detect it.
Microbiology - The branch of biology that deals with micro organisms and their effects on other living organisms.
Mold - Molds are a group of organisms that belong to the Kingdom of fungi. Even though the terms mold and fungi had been commonly referred to interchangeably, all molds or fungi, but not all fungi or molds.
Mold inspection - Contracted examination of a property for the degree of severity of mold levels inside the home.
Mold inspection report - A written evaluation prepared and issued by a residential mold inspector upon completion of a mold inspection.
Mold remediator - Person(s) who is responsible for removing mold from contaminated environments.
Mycotoxin - Mycotoxin's are compounds produced by some fungi that are toxic to humans or animals. By convention, the term mycotoxin excludes mushroom toxins. Fungi that produce mycotoxin's are called toxinogenic fungi.
Mycelium - The vegetative parts of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae.
Remediate - The term remediate simply means to fix a problem. Related to mold contamination, remediation includes fixing the water/moisture problem, and the cleaning, removal and/or replacement of damaged or contaminated materials.
Rhizomorphs - A dense mass of hyphae forming a root like structure characteristic of many fungi.
Spore - General term for a reproductive structure in fungi, bacteria, and some plants. In fungi, this spore is the structure which may be used for dissemination and may be resistant to adverse environmental conditions.
Stachybotrys - Stachybotrys (pronounced stack-ee-BOT-ris) is a genus that includes approximately 10 species. These species occur mainly on dead plant materials. Of these, stachybotrys chartarum (pronounced shar-tar-um) is the most common. This species is cosmopolitan, and one of its natural substrates is straw. In the indoor environment, it is commonly found on cellulosic materials including paper,canvas and jute which are wetted to eight water activities greater than .98. This is a toxinogenic mold. Antigens to stachybotrys chartarum have been identified.
Substrate - A surface on which an organism grows or is attached.
Tape lift - A tape lift is a test for determining types of visible mold present on a surface. Tape lift samples can be taken on walls, furniture, or any other surface where mold is present.
Toxic mold - The term toxic mold has no scientific meaning since the mold itself is not toxic. The metabolic byproducts of some molds may be toxic.
Toxinogenic fungi - These are fungi that can produce mycotoxin's.