Should I have an ERMI mold test done?
No. The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, or ERMI, developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency researchers, is a research tool and is not recommended for use except as a research tool.
(source: https://www.epa.gov/mold/should-i-test-or-sample-mold-my-home-using-environmental-relative-moldiness-index-or-ermi September 2021)
ERMI is strictly for research purposes.
I had an ERMI mold test done in my home and it doesn’t match the mold test from my mold inspector. What should I do?
Go off of the report from your mold inspector! Why? Read below!
The ERMI scale for estimating mold contamination was developed for use in research studies related to mold exposure and health impacts. ERMI has been peer reviewed for research purposes but has not been validated for non-research purposes.
For this reason, EPA does not recommend the routine public use of ERMI in homes, schools, or other buildings.
Per the EPA, as of September 2021, ERMI should not be used for accurate mold tests in homes, offices or any other buildings.
ERMI is a swiffer type of technique that gathers information on certain types of mold for research only. Information gathered is dampness, building conditions, etc.
ERMI uses the analysis of settled dust in homes and buildings to determine the molds’ current situation.
The methodology is based on using a mold-specific quantitative polymer chain reaction (MSQPCR) to identify the quantity of 36 molds and calculate an index number for comparison with a database of reference homes.
Pure Maintenance of Florida (FL) can explain the ERMI testing in further detail.
Contact one of our mold testing specialists at Pure Maintenance to gather more information and find out the best method to go about testing your home, office or commercial building.
Pure Maintenance of Florida (FL) provides accurate mold tests using state-of-the-art machinery and technology. Each test takes about 5-a0 minutes, depending on the environment’s condition.
We use air cassettes to gather liters of air. We can also use tape tests to pick up surface mold and have that tested by the lab as well.
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