lab analyses what they can tell you what they can’t and how to know the difference
TRANSCRIPT
Lab Analyseswhat they can tell you
what they can’t
and how to know the difference
Sample Types
• direct microscopic• bulk sample, tape lift, BioStrip
• culture samples• bulk sample, swab, Hycon
• spore traps• Air-O-Cell, MCEM, Micro-5
• viable air samples • RCS, Andersen
Direct Microscopic
will tell you
• is there a fungus growing here?
• what is it?but not
• how much of it is there?
• how widespread is it?
• how long has it been there?
Sample Types
• direct microscopic• bulk sample, tape lift, BioStrip
• culture samples• bulk sample, swab, Hycon
• spore traps• Air-O-Cell, MCEM, Micro-5
• viable air samples • RCS, Andersen
Cultured Samples
can tell you
• could viable fungal propagules be isolated from the substrate?– will they grow and thrive in vitro?
• what type of fungi were isolated?
• how many?but not
• were they actually growing there?
Sample Types
• direct microscopic• bulk sample, tape lift, BioStrip
• culture samples• bulk sample, swab, Hycon
• spore traps• Air-O-Cell, MCEM, Micro-5
• viable air samples • RCS, Andersen
Spore Traps
can tell you
• how many fungal elements were in the air at the moment of sampling?
• based on their appearance, to which fungal grouping do they belong?
Spore Traps
can’t tell you
• are the elements living or dead?
• precisely what are they?
• is there fungal growth in the area, and where?
• will they still be there tomorrow?
• is the room safe?
Sample types
• direct microscopic• bulk sample, tape lift, BioStrip
• culture samples• bulk sample, swab, Hycon
• spore traps• Air-O-Cell, MCEM, Micro-5
• viable air samples • RCS, Andersen
Viable Air Samples
can tell you
• how many culturable fungal elements were in the air at the moment of sampling?
• in culture, will they produce enough distinguishing characteristics to name them?
• if so, to which genus and/or species do they belong?
Viable Air Samples
can’t tell you
• is there non-viable fungal material in the air?
• is there fungal growth in the area, and where?
• will they still be there tomorrow?
• is the room safe?
Direct Microscopy
YYN?YYFUNGAL GROWTH INDICATED?:
1+-----mite faeces
tr-----mites
1+-3+2+1+1+inorganic and organic microdebris
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
tr---tr-unknown spores, pigmented, globose
2+-tr-tr-hyphal fragments, pigmented
--tr-tr-basidiospores NOS
1+1+
tr1+
--
--
--
--
Stachybotrys myceliaspores
-2+
--
--
-1+
--
--
Penicillium myceliaspores
--
--
-tr
-1+
-3+
2+3+
Cladosporium myceliaspores
1+2+
--
--
--
--
--
Acremonium myceliaspores
MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS (RATING):FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION: ELEMENTS:
atticpowder room
drawing room
libraryballroomwinecellar
Location:
654321SAMPLE NO.:
Cultured Samples
027,0000000Alternaria alternata
0008,2004800sterile mycelium
12,000500,000NFG14,9003,360316,200TOTAL (CFU/g):
0450,00009007200yeast
12,0009,000002400Penicillium subgenus Penicillium
09,000007206,200Cladosporium cladosporioides
0005,8001,200310,000Aspergillus versicolor group
COMPOSITION (CFU/g)*FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION:
fibreglasscarpetpipe wrapdustair filtercarpetLocation:
80045001104802403100LOD (CFU/g):
RBARBARBARBARBARBAMedium:
B6B5B4B3B2B1SAMPLE NO.:
Cultured Bulk Samples
Microbial populations in duct dust
• Standard method to test duct dust for mould is to calculate CFU/g (NADCA)
• This method does not work
• Better to test CFU/100cm2
• Here's why...
BEFORE CLEANING:
Mass of dust sampled = 0.1 gYielded 100 fungal colonies
Total fungal concentration = 1000 CFU/g
AFTER CLEANING:
Mass of dust sampled = 0.01 gYielded 50 fungal colonies
Total fungal concentration = 2000 CFU/g
Cultured Samples
SAMPLE NO.: S1 S2 S3 S4 - -
Medium: RBA RBA RBA RBA
Location: window
Sill
air duct behind sink
vent grill
FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION: MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS (RATING†):
Alternaria sp. 2+ 1+ - -
Aspergillus niger group - 1+ - 2+
Cladosporium herbarum - 1+ - 1+
Eurotium sp. - 1+ - -
Fusarium sp. - 1+ - -
Scopulariopsis brevicaulis 3+ 1+ - 2+
Stachybotrys chartarum - - 1+ -
† - = not observed; 1+ = 100-101 CFU/plate; 2+ = 101-102 CFU/plate; 3+ = 102-103 CFU/plate; 4+ = >103
Cultured Swab Samples
"Viable" Air SamplesSAMPLE NO.: RCS 1 RCS 2 RCS 3 RCS 4 RCS 5 RCS 6
Volume (L): 80 80 80 80 80 80
LOD (CFU/m3): 6 6 6 6 6 6
Location: laundry rm utility rm kitchen bedroom attic outdoors
Expiry Date: Oct. 4/08 Oct. 4/08 Oct. 4/08 Oct. 4/08 Oct. 4/08 Oct. 4/08
FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION: COMPOSITION (CFU/m3)
Aspergillus ochraceus group - - - - (2) 25 -
Cladosporium cladosporioides (4) 50 (30) 375 (1) 13 (1) 13 (5) 63 (1) 13
Cladosporium herbarum (8) 100 (7) 88 (18) 225 (41) 513 (22) 275 (42) 525
Cladosporium sp. - - - (3) 38 - -
Epicoccum nigrum - - - (5) 63 (1) 13 (4) 50
Eurotium sp. - - - - (2) 25 -
Penicillium subgenus Aspergilloides - - (6) 75 - (1) 13 -
Penicillium subgenus Penicillium (16) 200 (22) 275 (1) 13 - (3) 38 -
cf. Scedosporium sp. - - (1) 13 - - -
Stachybotrys chartarum (20) 250 (1)13 - - - -
sterile mycelium (2) 24 (2)25 (4) 50 (18) 225 (17) 213 (18) 225
Ulocladium sp. - - - - (1) 13 -
yeast - - (1) 13 - - -
Raw Count (CFU/strip) 50 62 32 68 54 65
LOD (CFU/m3) 13 13 13 13 13 13
Total Count (CFU/m3) 630 780 400 850 680 810
Spore Traps
28,0005,60053,0004,3002,3001,200TOTAL (elements / m3):
17587291444444LOD (elements / m3):
16164182995227TOTAL (raw count):
SUMMARY DATA¶:
5%(8)8%(5)4%(8)tr(1)4%(2)7%(2)unknown spores, pigmented, globose
tr(3)5%(3)25%(45)3%(3)12%(6)22%(6)unknown spores, hyaline, globose
- - - - - 4%(1)Stachybotrys
4%(6)3%(2)- 2%(2)4%(2)4%(1)hyphal fragments, pigmented
7%(12)16%(10)tr(3)11%(11)58%(30)- Cladosporium
39%(62)34%(22)- 63%(62)19%(10)44%(12)basidiospores NOS
tr(tr)3%(2)69%(126)- - - Aspergillus / Penicillium
12%(20)25%(16)- 16%(16)4%(2)11%(3)ascospores NOS
31%(50)6%(4)tr(tr)4%(4)tr(tr)7%(2)Alternaria
COMPOSITION (raw count) approx. % of TOTAL‡FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION†:
5103101010No. of transects enumerated:
2+3+2+1+1+1+Background (rating)§:
100010001000500500500Magnification (x):
757575757575Volume (L):
12/0812/0812/0812/0812/0812/08Expiry date:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSerial #:
outdoorsatticbedroomkitchenutility rmlaundryLocation:
654321AIR-O-CELL SAMPLE NO.: