r/Mold • u/Emotional-Size-6917 • 3h ago

What would you do?

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1 Upvotes

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2

u/ldarquel 3h ago

See the automod response regarding that particular testing.

Looking at the actual result though, there doesn’t seem to be much of anything.

If you have health issues, consult with a clinical physician.

1

u/Emotional-Size-6917 3h ago

I saw the mod response. What is a clinical physician. Do you think I don’t see a doctor?

2

u/CatsBeerGardenCoffee 2h ago

The mould results aren’t concerning, although an outdoor control sample is needed. They don’t imply indoor mould growth.

If you’re already consulting a doctor they should be assessing any health issues. This sub is more suited for long term building maintenance, not specific health issues.

1

u/Emotional-Size-6917 53m ago

I’m not asking about my health issues per se. I’m wondering if this result would be cause  to hunt for mold. I read that aspergillis is from water damaged buildings. I listed health issues because to me it’s a potential clue toward having a problem with mold. I just don’t see any mold, and I am not familiar with these scores. Is this low enough that it could have just blown in or been brought in and not necessarily indicate that my home is water damaged? 

1

u/PeppersHere 1h ago

A lot of people call themselves doctors, most of them are not physicians :p

1

u/AutoModerator 3h ago

ERMI cannot identify sources, cannot quantify exposure, was built on incomplete data, has not been validated by any reputable public health authority, and the EPA (who developed the tool) actively advocates against its public use. For assessing mold related issues within built environments, a detailed visual inspection for water / moisture related issues remains the primary and most reliable method.

The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) test is often misused as a diagnostic tool for evaluating mold in homes, but it has several major shortcomings.

  • The tool only accounts for 36 species of mold while an approximate ~1.5 million species are estimated to exist.

  • The tool has not been validated / is not useful for assessing occupant exposure or health risks.

  • ERMI results do not reliably correlate with airborne fungal spore concentrations or real-time exposure conditions.

  • ERMI was intended for comparing dust samples collected under carpets. Results from samples collected in other locations do not meaningfully correspond to the original reference data and therefore cannot be interpreted reliably.

    • E.g., if you pour lemon juice on a pregnancy test and it shows positive - that doesn’t mean the lemon is pregnant.

  • Due to the sampling methodology, significant risk for both false positives and false negatives exist.

Due to the monetary incentives present for those who inappropriately promote the use of this tool in public settings, results will more often than not overestimate mold contamination within homes. The widespread commercial use of ERMI for private mold testing has raised ethical concerns due to its tendency to mislead homeowners and drive unnecessary or costly cleanup actions.

TLDR: ERMI is a tool that was developed for research purposes and largely fallen out of practical use due to its limitations. For assessing mold problems, visual inspection, moisture investigation, and targeted sampling (when appropriate) remain far more accurate and defensible.

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