Question: I have a question concerning mold in a home that will be put up for sale. There was a general test for mold done and we were told we had a high level of Aspergillus/Penicillium but not what type of either of these. After doing some research we realized that this did not tell us if we had one of the more toxic varieties or not and are wondering if we could get these cultured to determine the type of these we had. The test done was an air sample. The count in one area of the home was 4,960 spores per cubic meter of air. Please advise as to the best course to follow for culture.
Answer: For the purpose of selling the house, you possibly don’t need to culture the mold to know whether it’s toxic or not. All molds are a potential health hazard and should not be allowed to grow in buildings occupied by people. I would suggest you get a professional to thoroughly check for any hidden mold and/or water issues that require to be corrected.
Culturing of indoor mold is only necessary if you want to determine the specific types of molds present in the air (and if still viable). Although culturing is also recommended in situations where occupants complain of ill health which they suspect to be associated with mold, it does not prove that the mold is the cause of the sickness.