Reference
Glossary
The terms you'll encounter in our reports, protocols, and guides—defined in plain English. Jargon should explain itself.
Testing & Sampling
- Spore trap (air cassette)
- A sampling cassette through which a calibrated pump draws a known volume of air, capturing airborne spores and particles on a slide for direct microscopic analysis. The standard method for mold air sampling.
- Outdoor baseline
- An outdoor air sample collected the same day as indoor samples. It establishes what's naturally present in the local air so indoor results can be interpreted by comparison rather than in a vacuum.
- Tape lift
- A surface sample collected by pressing clear adhesive tape onto suspect growth or staining, preserving particles in place for microscopy. Best on smooth surfaces.
- Swab sample
- A surface sample collected with a sterile swab, suited to porous or textured materials and tight locations—corners, seams, behind trim.
- Bulk sample
- A physical piece of material—drywall, carpet, insulation—sent to the laboratory for analysis of the growth within or on it.
- Wall cavity sample
- An air sample drawn from inside a wall, cabinet toe-kick, or other concealed cavity through a small opening, used to evaluate hidden spaces without demolition.
- Chain of custody
- The documented trail showing who handled a sample from collection to laboratory analysis. It's what makes results defensible with insurers, opposing parties, and courts.
- ERMI
- Environmental Relative Moldiness Index—a DNA-based analysis of settled dust quantifying 36 mold species, producing an index score. Developed by EPA for research; informative in context, but not a validated pass/fail standard for individual homes.
- HERTSMI-2
- A simplified score derived from five of ERMI's water-damage-associated species, used within the mold-illness clinical community as a building screening tool for sensitized individuals.
- MSQPCR
- Mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction—the DNA method behind ERMI, which identifies and quantifies mold species from dust by their genetic material.
- Mycotoxin testing (environmental)
- Laboratory analysis of dust or materials for chemical byproducts of toxigenic molds, such as trichothecenes or aflatoxins. Adds context in select cases; has no established health-based thresholds.
- On-site microscopy
- Direct microscopic examination of samples during the inspection itself, allowing immediate identification of visible growth instead of waiting days for a laboratory.
- Genus / spore group
- The level at which laboratories typically identify molds under microscopy (e.g., Cladosporium, Aspergillus/Penicillium-like). Species-level identification generally requires culturing or DNA methods.
Building Science & Moisture
- Moisture mapping
- Systematic measurement of moisture across building materials to define the footprint of a water problem—where it starts, how far it travels, and what it has wet.
- Thermal imaging
- Infrared photography that reveals temperature anomalies suggesting hidden moisture, missing insulation, or air leakage. A screening tool—anomalies are verified with moisture meters, not assumed.
- Psychrometrics
- The science of air and water vapor: temperature, humidity, dew point, and vapor pressure, and how they interact. It explains why condensation forms where it does.
- Dew point
- The temperature at which air becomes saturated and water condenses. Any surface below the dew point of surrounding air will collect moisture—no leak required.
- Relative humidity
- How much water vapor air holds compared to its maximum at that temperature. Agencies recommend keeping indoor RH below 60%—ideally 30–50%—to limit mold growth potential.
- Vapor pressure
- The driving force that moves water vapor from wetter to drier air. Understanding it lets an investigator trace where moisture will migrate through a building.
- Water activity
- A measure of the moisture available in a material for microbial growth. Different molds require different water activity levels—one reason species found can hint at moisture history.
- Building envelope
- Everything separating indoors from outdoors—roof, walls, windows, foundation. Most moisture intrusion is an envelope failure somewhere.
- Pressure testing
- Evaluating pressure relationships between building zones, which govern where air—and airborne contaminants—flow. Explains how a crawlspace or attic problem reaches living space.
- MVOC
- Microbial volatile organic compounds—gases emitted by actively growing mold and bacteria. The source of the characteristic musty odor, and a clue that growth is active rather than historical.
- VOC
- Volatile organic compounds—chemical gases emitted from paints, finishes, furnishings, fuels, and cleaning products. A non-mold factor in indoor air quality complaints; formaldehyde and benzene are notable examples.
Remediation & Standards
- Remediation protocol
- A written scope of work specifying what will be removed or cleaned, how contamination will be contained, what equipment and controls are required, and how success will be verified. Included with every EnviroHealth investigation.
- Containment
- Physical isolation of a work area—barriers, sealed openings, controlled entry—to prevent spores and fragments released during remediation from spreading to clean areas.
- Negative air pressure
- Running filtered exhaust inside containment so air flows in rather than out, ensuring disturbed contaminants stay in the work zone and exit through filtration.
- HEPA filtration
- High-efficiency particulate air filtration, capturing 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns. The standard for air scrubbers, negative air machines, and vacuums used in remediation.
- Air scrubber
- A portable machine that pulls room air through HEPA filtration to reduce airborne particle loads during and after remediation work.
- Post-remediation verification (PRV)
- Independent evaluation after remediation—visual inspection plus air and surface sampling—confirming the work succeeded before containment comes down and walls close. Also called clearance testing.
- ANSI/IICRC S520
- The industry consensus standard for professional mold remediation, governing assessment, containment, work procedures, and verification. Our recommendations align with it.
- IICRC S500
- The companion standard for water damage restoration, including the Category 1–3 classification of water by contamination level and the drying procedures each requires.
- Dry-in-place
- Drying wet materials without demolition, appropriate when water was clean and drying happens fast enough to prevent growth. The judgment call between drying and removal is a core protocol decision.
Health & Exposure
- Spore
- A microscopic reproductive particle released by mold into the air. What spore trap sampling counts, and one component of what occupants of moldy buildings are exposed to.
- Fungal fragment
- Tiny pieces of fungal material shed by damp or disturbed growth—far smaller than spores. Fragment load helps explain persistent complaints when visible growth seems minor.
- Mycotoxin
- A chemical byproduct certain molds can produce under some growth conditions. Not alive and not a spore; can persist in dust after the mold that made it is gone.
- Toxigenic mold
- A mold species capable of producing mycotoxins under the right conditions. CDC's guidance: address it the same way as any indoor mold—correct moisture, remove growth.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- An inflammatory lung condition that can develop in some individuals from repeated inhalation of biological material, including fungal antigens. Uncommon, and a medical diagnosis—one of the more serious associations reported with damp buildings.
- Immunocompromised
- Having a weakened immune system—from illness, transplant, chemotherapy, or medication. CDC identifies immunocompromised individuals among those at higher risk of significant effects from mold exposure.
- Sensitized individual
- Someone whose immune system reacts to lower exposures than the general population—through allergy or prior heavy exposure. A key reason "typical" levels aren't automatically acceptable for every occupant.
- CIEC
- Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant—a board-awarded certification from the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC), requiring examination plus peer-verified field experience.
- Industrial hygienist
- A professional trained in anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling environmental hazards that can affect occupant health—the discipline underlying environmental investigation.