Air-O-Cell Recommended Sampling Time Intervals
by Nancy McDonald on 02/22/16
The recommended sampling flow rate is 15 liters per minute (lpm). Flow rates exceeding 20 lpm have been known to cause "bounce off" of large particles such as pollen grains. Flow rates lower than 10 lpm will not collect the small mold spores (such as Aspergillus and Penicillium) as efficiently. Recommended sampling times (at 15 lpm) for different environmental sampling conditions are given in below.
Environmental Dust Conditions | Sampling Time (minutes) 15 lpm |
Outdoor sampling on a clean windless day | 10.0 - 60 min. |
"Clean" office environment or outdoors (no visible dust) | 10.0 min. |
"Indoor" environment, high activity personnel | 5.0 min. |
"Indoor" environment, evidence of drywall renovation, or industrial dust | 1.0 min. |
"Indoor" environment, visible dust emissions from point sources present | 0.5 min. |
References:
Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Indoor Mold, AIHA
Field Guide for the Determination of Biological Contaminants in Environmental Samples, AIHA
Sampling and Analysis of Indoor Microorganisms, Wiley
Our mold testing laboratory reports include a photograph taken by our microscope camera of mold spores found in your sample that represent the condition of the indoor environment. This will allow you to better explain the mold sample analysis and its significance to your client.
