Recently,  PowerBees was contacted to perform a Mold testing analysis of a property in Stow.  The customer and his family have been living in this single family house (built in 1947) for the last fifteen years. The customer reported a musty odor on the first level of his home in an entry off the kitchen and in the office area within the kitchen.  The odor appeared to be coming from two adjacent crawlspaces below.  The customer indicated that he the odor was noticeable in the basement as well. The customer stated that although the partially finished basement does not have a history of significant flooding, approximately one month ago after returning from being away for several days, the humidity was noticeably higher in the basement and the pungency of the musty odor had increased. The dehumidifier was reportedly shut off during the family’s absence.  In an effort to reduce the odor, the customer sprayed a commercially available “mister” in the crawlspaces.  However, the misting was not a functional solution. Concern was expressed over the air quality and the possible impact on his family’s health, although there had been no reported health issues at the time.

Three non-viable air samples were taken at the property.  One air sample was taken in main crawlspace, a second air sample was taken from the kitchen/office and a third air sample was taken outside.  The results from the samples showed high levels of airborne Penicillium / Aspergillus spores in the main crawlspace and slightly elevated Penicillium / Aspergillus levels in the kitchen/office. Stachybotrys was also found in the basement, although only 1 raw count or 53 counts/m³ was identified on the slide.

After the request of a property management company in Lexington, MA, PowerBees conducted emergency mold testing at a property.  the Four non-viable air samples were taken at the property. All three indoor air samples were taken from the basement.  One air sample was taken in the basement living room/kitchen, a second air sample was taken from a basement bedroom, a third air sample was taken from the storage room and a fourth air sample was taken outside.  The results from the samples showed elevated levels of airborne spores in the basement storage room and bedroom.   The airborne spores in the living room / kitchen were just below what is considered an acceptable count.  For fungi to grow, there must be adequate and constant moisture present, a food source (organic material), and the proper temperature.  In homes and structures, nearly all building materials and furnishings can serve as a food source.  The temperature, which is comfortable for occupants, is also conducive to fungal growth, typically between 65 and 85 degrees.  Growing fungi can release spores into the air resulting in health problems.

A mold inspectionin Kings, Point, FL occurred recently after the homeowners discovered water damage in their kitchen.  A dehumidifier was not present for the inspection.  A musty odor was not discernable anywhere within property.  Water staining was observed on the floor of the boiler room.  Water staining was not identified anywhere else within the unit.  There is no indication of past flooding in the bedroom.  Moisture levels, measured with a Delmhorst moisture meter, were high in the floor of the cabinet below the kitchen sink but normal throughout the unit.  PowerBees was able to verify that visible mold was not observed anywhere within the unit.  Various improvements have been made to the drainage, e.g, regarding the back patio and unclogging a drain, since the flooding last spring.  However, several of the drain spouts are still not directed far enough away from the property to be fully effective.

Concern about water damage in a kitchen caused the tenant of a unit in Manchester, MA to contact PowerBees to perform mold testing.   The property is a single family home, built in 1963, with a basement in-law apartment. The tenant has been living in the in-law apartment since 1994.  The kitchen in the unit flooded through an exterior wall approximately one year ago.  The water was cleaned up right away, but the tenant believes that that water had been trapped beneath the kitchen cabinets.  He is also concerned that the carpet in the master bedroom may have been wet from the flooding as well.  Another instance of water intrusion occurred this past winter when water came in below a boiler room door and leaked through the wall into the kitchen.  The tenant started suffering from allergy symptoms last fall.  Those symptoms appear to be exasperated when he is in the apartment. He was recently diagnosed with allergies to both mold and dust mites.  The tenant believes that airborne mold spores may be related to his allergy symptoms.  After PowerBees conducted the mold testing it was found that the Penicillium / Aspergillus spore counts are elevated and may pose certain health risks.  A total spore count of 2000 counts/m³ is considered a threshold level by most Industrial Hygienists. That count of 2000 counts/m³ should consist of no more than 1/3 Penicillium / Aspergillus, 1/3 Cladosporium and 1/3 Other.   The Penicillium / Aspergillus count was 747 counts/m³ in the bedroom compared with a count of 107 counts/m³ outside.  Considering that the tenant had reported mold allergies, the identified spores could indeed be contributing to his allergy symptoms

PowerBees conducted mold testing at a large colonial style home build in the 18^th century in Cambridge originally and was moved to Wellesley early 1900s.  The home has been reportedly unoccupied for over one year.  The client is considering purchasing this prospective residence and became concerned about the air quality after a home inspection revealed possible mold in the basement.  There is a report of a prior plumbing leak beneath the kitchen sink and a report of possible flooding in the basement.  The home inspector noticed a water line around the boiler during his recent inspection of the property.  There was also a report of a leak near a second level fireplace.  There were no reports of other water damage or microbial issues in the property.  Three non-viable air samples were taken at the property.  One air sample was taken in basement, a second air sample was taken in the kitchen on the first level and a third air sample was taken outside.  The results from the samples showed very high levels of airborne Penicillium/Aspergillus spores in the basement and high levels of airborne Penicillium/Aspergillus spores on the first level.   The Penicillium / Aspergillus spore counts in the basement are extremely high and may pose certain health risks.  The Penicillium / Aspergillus spore counts in the kitchen are high as well.  A total spore count of 2000 counts/m³ is considered a threshold level by most Industrial Hygienists. That count of 2000 counts/m³ should consist of no more than 1/3 Penicillium / Aspergillus, 1/3 Cladosporium and 1/3 Other.  The Penicillium / Aspergillus count was 145000 counts/m³ in the basement and 4590 counts/m³ in the kitchen compared with a count of 267 counts/m³ outside.  The air quality in the kitchen is most likely impacted by the high readings in the basement.  Based on these results and the visible mold in the Basement,  PowerBees recommends a remediation process to eliminate visible mold.