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KEYWORDS: Mold Terms
Mold: A fungus that eats and grows on and in damp or high moisture or decaying organic matter. Synonym: mould.
Toxic Mold: A fungus that emits chemical mycotoxin poisons that become airborne & cause serious human health diseases. Toxic mold & black mold are also slang terms for brain-damaging Stachybotrys toxic mold [misspelled Stachybotris].
Fungus: a parasitic plant lacking chloro- phyll, a rigid cell wall, leaves, true stems & roots. Multicellular. Composed of thread- like hyphae. Reproduces by spores.
Mold Spore: A small reproductive cell that is resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions such as no water, & is capable of mold reproduction fungal growth when water & organic materials to eat exist.
Hyphae: Fungi usually are filamentous, with the single filaments being termed hyphae. Fungal hyphae grow and branch to make a filament network [mycelium].
Dormant Mold: Mold that is inactive & awaiting future moisture and food to begin again mold reproduction & growth.
Mold Inspection: The thorough physical examination of a building by a Certified Mold Inspector to find & locate visual & hidden mold growth & water problems that enable mold spores to grow into mold colony infestations. Includes mold testing & mold laboratory analysis of collected mold samples and samplings. Certified
inspection & testing are often necessary to file a mold-related insurance claim.
Mold Testing: Collection by a Certified Mold Inspector of direct physical samples of visible mold and of indoor air samples in rooms, attic, crawl space, basement, & heating & air conditioning equipment & ducts, so that the mold samplings can be grown by a mold lab in mold culture plates [viable mold testing] to produce full- grown mold colonies for mold analysis & identification by the mold laboratory.
Mold Inspector: A mold professional who has been specially trained in the detection of toxic mold contamination in homes, condos, apartments, offices, & commercial buildings. The mold expert inspector utilizes high-tech inspection devices such as moisture meter [to find water problems hidden inside walls, ceilings, and floors], fiber optics [to look inside walls & ceilings for mold infestation], timed mold culture plate impactor, air sampling pump & cassettes, & hygrometer [to check for the high humidity that mold can grow in].
Mold Analysis Laboratory: a scientific mold lab that specializes in the analysis and identification and quantification of various mold species from mold samples.
Viable mold test: immediate microscopic examination of the collected substance to determine:
(1) whether it is mold or not; (2) if mold, how many mold spores are present in sample; and (3) where possible, to identify the few mold species that can be visually identified without the highly accurate viable mold lab analysis done after 5-7 days' mold culture plate growth..
Chain of Custody: a mold laboratory form which is completed by the Certified Mold Inspector who collects the mold samples to record the details of the mold sampling work done, and to document both the transfer of custody of the mold samplings directly from the inspector to the mold lab, and their receipt by the analysis lab.
Mold Remediation: The safe & complete killing & removal of mold spores & mold
colony growth from mold contaminated homes and other buildings. Effective mold remediation usually requires the removal of mold-damaged building materials and the use of a fungicide to kill mold and an antimicrobial coating to prevent future mold growth & danger. Usually done by a Certified Mold Remediator or Contractor.
Mold Remediator: A mold professional who has been specially trained as a mold remediation specialist for toxic mold detection, inspection, testing, sampling, prevention, remediation, and removal.
Fungicide: An effective, safe, and quick indoor mold killer that is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Antimicrobial coating: After all moldy building materials have been removed & the area has been cleaned and disinfected with a fungicide, an antimicrobial coating is sprayed onto the mold-free surfaces & new replacement building materials to protect them against future mold growth.
Mold Training: Mold instruction and certification at a professional toxic mold school, class, seminar, or course on mold inspection, testing, remediation, removal, prevention, & mold business practices.
Mold Report: A written presentation from a Certified Mold Inspector to his client of his physical building inspection findings & mold sampling mold lab results, detailed analysis thereof, and recommendations for specific mold remediation & removal steps that are required to remove any
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