Mycometer: accurate, fast, and easy-to-understand mould testing.
Mould testing with the Mycometer system provides accurate data that will enable you to make the best decisions regarding resource allocation, allowing savings of both time and money and reducing disruption.
—— What is the Mycometer testing system?
The Mycometer mould testing system is used for the rapid and accurate quantification of fungi (mould) and bacteria. It is BS ISO 16000-22:2025 Compliant.
The technology is used to determine the level of fungi and bacteria on surfaces of building materials, wood, painted surfaces, concrete, gypsum board, coatings, render, ceramic and fiberboard tiles, plastic, furniture, textiles, and leather goods. It can be used to determine the level of fungi inside porous building materials.
We call the technology Enzyme Targeted Fluorogenic Detection (ETFD). It is about identifying naturally occurring enzyme activities that are present only in the taxonomic group of interest e.g. bacteria or fungi. The enzyme activity is determined using highly sensitive fluorescence detection.
The Mycometer system can test and analyse both air and surface samples. It was developed in Denmark following a rigorous testing methodology and data collection of indoor environments. The Mycometer system is widely utilised for mould testing in Europe and the technology is verified by the US-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and was shown to have a high reproducibility.
Features
FAST
SAVES TIME AND MONEY
NO LAB NEEDED
ANALYSIS TRAINING BY MYCOMETER
TRAFFIC LIGHT GUIDANCE
EASY TO UNDERSTAND RESULTS
When to test for mould contamination?
If there is visible mould growth it is generally not necessary to test to confirm the presence of mould. The exception to this, is if a person has a known sensitivity to a particular type of mould then speciation testing can be carried out to identify the moulds present in the building.
After a Flood or Storm Event
Flooding and Storm events can saturate building materials creating the perfect environment for mould growth. Mould can affect the IAQ, and cause damage to decorative finishes, contents and the building fabric.
After Mould Remediation or Cleaning
Mould remediation is expensive and disruptive. Ensure that the job has been completed to a high standard by having a Post Remediation Verification completed. This will highlight the efficacy of the remediation process.
After a Water Leak or Moisture Damage
Water leaks may go undetected for many months or years. When the leak has been repaired if drying has not been completed properly, moisture will still be available to facilitate mould growth.
Unattributed Health & Breathing Problems
If occupants of the building experience adverse health symptoms due to possible airborne contaminants, our Mycometer FAI air sampling may be able to offer an indication as to the cause.
Mould Testing: Essential for the Mould Remediation Process
Mould isn’t just an ugly stain. It’s a living organism that can damage your property, and more importantly, it can make you sick. If you own, manage, or work on buildings, understanding and using mould testing isn’t just a good idea – it’s crucial for keeping everyone safe and healthy.
The benefits of mould testing
—— Mould is a symptom of a damp issue.
Mould spores are microscopic; the colony is well established when you can see mould growing. Simply cleaning the mould will not fix the problem!
Testing for mould growth will provide the necessary information to focus on potential airborne contaminants that pose a hazard to health. Mould hidden behind walls and under floors may be affecting indoor air quality.
Our robust testing regime will provide guidance on the presence of mould and identify if there is mould growth or an issue with the quality of the cleaning process.
Mould testing gives us solid, scientific facts about where mould is and how much of it there is. This information is vital for several reasons:
- Protecting Your Health: Mould can cause many health problems, from allergies and breathing issues to more serious conditions for people who are sensitive. Testing helps find hidden mould that could be affecting health, even if you can’t see it.
- Saving Your Property: Undetected mould can lead to major structural damage, greatly reducing your property’s value. Early testing can stop small problems from becoming huge, expensive repairs.
- Effective Cleaning: Knowing the type and amount of mould helps cleaning contractors clean it up precisely and effectively. This avoids unnecessary work or, worse, not cleaning it well enough.
- Peace of Mind: For homeowners and building managers, testing offers comfort, knowing your environment is safe. If there’s a problem, it gives you the evidence you need to fix it.
- Legal and Insurance Needs: Sometimes, mould testing is required for insurance claims or legal disputes related to mould damage or health complaints.
- Checking that remediation or cleaning has been effective: Testing after cleaning confirms that the mould is gone and that the cleaning/remediation contractor has done a good job.
The Crucial Step: Post-Remediation Verification (PRV)
One of the most important uses of mould testing is called Post-Remediation Verification (PRV). This step is often skipped, but it’s absolutely vital. Imagine spending a lot of time and money getting mould removed, only for it to reappear soon after. PRV stops this by scientifically proving that the cleaning worked.
- Ensures the Job is Done Right: PRV tests show that the mould has been completely removed, not just superficially cleaned.
- Prevents Return: By confirming no mould is left, PRV helps make sure any underlying moisture problems have been fixed, which stops mould from growing back later.
- Gives Assurance: For property owners and residents, PRV provides clear proof that the area is now safe and healthy.
- Protects Contractors: For companies that clean up mould, PRV is undeniable evidence of a job well done. This protects their reputation and reduces potential legal issues.
Air Testing vs. Surface Testing: What’s the Difference?
Mould testing generally falls into two main types: air testing and surface testing. Each gives different, but equally important, information about mould.
What Is Mould Air Sampling and Testing?
Mycometer® air Fungi is the state-of-the-art test method for onsite quantification of fungal particles in the air in less than an hour.
The methodology measures the level of fungal particles in terms of viable and most nonviable spores and hyphal fragments. Two independent peer-reviewed publications have shown that it also measures microparticles from the fungi. The Mycometer® air Fungi methodology quantifies fungal particles in the air by measuring the level of the enzyme, β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (NAHA), from airborne fungal particles captured on a 0,8 µm pore size filter.
The Mycometer protocol is unique in that it employs ACTIVATED AIR SAMPLING this is a process where the air in the area to be tested is agitated/disturbed in a controlled manner. This allows testing for those particulates that due to their weight are not suspended in the air for long periods but can become airborne through disturbances in the air patterns, such as when a door is opened or closed or when a person moves through a room.
The passive air sampling that other testing systems employ does not account for the contaminants mentioned above and will therefore give inaccurate data on the contaminants that are affecting the indoor air quality.
Mould Air Testing
Superior Technology
The technology has been verified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency through the ETV programme. Linearity between enzyme activity measured as fluorescence and the number of spores was well documented(R2 = 0,997). An RPD of 5.3% was found. This is an exceptionally low variability, unprecedented in any other method available for measuring mould in air.
Activated Sampling
Activated sampling provides a more realistic sampling of the airborne contaminants suspended due to disruption in the airflow of the test area. This provides greater accuracy regarding indoor air quality when the property is occupied as it replicates the air movement with occupants. The team at Mycometer have been the leader in activated sampling technology.
The benefits of Activated Mould Air Testing
Activated mould air testing offers a more accurate and representative assessment of mould presence. It is better compared to passive air testing. This is because it actively draws a measured volume of air through a collection device. This process captures airborne mould spores and fragments efficiently over a specific time frame. It provides quantitative data that reflects the current indoor air quality.
Since mould spores are often unevenly distributed and may settle on surfaces, passive testing, which relies on spores naturally settling onto collection plates, can miss transient or low concentrations of spores in the air. Activated testing overcomes this limitation by sampling a larger air volume, thus increasing the likelihood of detecting mould spores even at low levels.
Additionally, air mould testing can help find hidden mould that is not visible to the naked eye. Mould often grows inside walls, under floors, or in ventilation systems, releasing spores into the air. By analysing the air quality, activated mould testing can identify these hidden sources, enabling timely remediation before structural damage or health issues arise.
Moreover, activated air testing allows for controlled and repeatable sampling conditions, which enhances the reliability and comparability of results. It can be conducted during various activities or times of day to capture fluctuations in mould spore concentrations caused by environmental changes or human activity. In contrast, passive testing is subject to environmental variables like air flow and settling rates, which can lead to inconsistent and less representative results.
Consequently, activated air testing is preferred in mould investigations as it provides a more comprehensive understanding of mould contamination and helps guide more effective remediation strategies.
What Is Surface Sampling and Testing?
Surface Sampling and Testing: An Overview
Why surface sampling is important.
Maintaining detailed, thorough, and comprehensive records of mould cleaning or remediation processes is absolutely essential, with mould surface testing playing a crucial, vital, and indispensable role in accurately confirming the success and effectiveness of these efforts.
Surface testing is especially important because it directly examines the actual presence of mould spores, hyphae, and fragments on affected surfaces, offering clear, concrete, and undeniable evidence of whether both visible and hidden mould growth has been effectively and completely removed.
Unlike other methods, surface testing delivers immediate, specific, and highly localised results from targeted areas, making it far more precise, accurate, and reliable than general air sampling, which can be influenced by various external factors and may easily miss mould that has settled on surfaces.
This focused and targeted approach ensures thorough and complete mould remediation, significantly reducing health risks and avoiding wasted time, effort, and resources on incomplete or ineffective treatment plans. For a truly comprehensive evaluation, surface testing can be effectively supplemented with air sampling and testing when additional verification is required.
The Surface Sampling and Testing system we use is robust, having been meticulously developed over more than a decade in partnership with mould remediation consultants, contractors, and the Danish Building Research Institute. This method has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness and value.
The results are empirically categorised into three classes: clean, dirty, and contaminated. A ‘clean’ status signifies a background level typically found on visually clean surfaces in well-maintained buildings devoid of mould and moisture issues. ‘Contaminated’, on the other hand, refers to samples that contain mould concentrations exceeding those found on dusty and dirty surfaces in similar well-maintained buildings.
The results are delivered rapidly, ensuring you receive timely and efficient feedback. Our streamlined process prioritises speed without compromising accuracy, allowing you to make informed decisions quickly. This quick turnaround supports urgent needs and helps maintain continuous progress in your projects or health assessments.
Mould is not always obvious, especially in porous materials. Protocols have been established to measure mould contamination within porous materials. These materials, which include insulation materials, cement-based materials (such as concrete, plaster, and mortar), and other porous materials commonly found in buildings, can harbour mould growth deep within.
On-site surface sampling with swabs
Surface samples can be collected by in house staff, contractors or DLO’s
Mould surface testing can be efficiently carried out by in-house operatives trained to collect samples with sterile swabs. The process involves carefully swabbing the suspected mould-affected areas to gather potential mould spores and residues. Once the swabs are collected, they are securely packaged and sent to Buildnostics for professional laboratory analysis.
Buildnostics then examines the samples to identify the types and concentrations of mould present, providing detailed reports that help inform appropriate remediation strategies. This approach enables timely and accurate mould assessment by leveraging on-site sampling and expert laboratory evaluation.
Effective Surface Sampling
Porous building materials
We have found that visual assessment was inadequate for evaluating insulation material. Sometimes, insulation material that looks clean may contain high levels of mould growth, while dirty-looking materials do not. Depending on the materials tested, bulk sampling allows testing of the materials directly without swabbing.
Accurate and repeatable
The Mycometer technology has been utilised daily for more than 15 years by consultants and contractors in tens of thousands of mould remediation projects. In 2011 the technology was verified by the US-EPA
(US-Environmental Protection Agency). The interpretation criteria are in accordance with those from WHO, and US-EPA.
Easy-to-understand results
Data has been collected from hundreds of samples to establish the interpretation criteria. These categories of surface contamination were developed as a result of testing performed in collaboration with the Danish Building Research Institute and the Technical University of Denmark to provide easy-to-understand results.
Fungi to Allergen Index-FAI Sampling
What Is FAI Sampling and Testing?
The Fungal to Allergen Index (FAI) is a system of measuring the amount of mould compared to the total allergens.
This relative measure of mould against the total allergen biomass is expressed as a number, which if high would indicate that there is a high level of mould, indicative of mould growth and an associated moisture problem.
Mycometer FAI sampling is also able to indicate the efficacy of the cleaning programme in the property based on the FAI score, this can save money on costly mould remediation if the problem is due to ineffective cleaning and not excessive mould.
Fungi to Allergen Index
Fungi to Allergen Index Sampling
The fungi-to-allergen index measures the levels of both mould and total allergens. It also measures the relative level of mould compared with total allergens, yielding an FAI value. It can determine potential exposure to mould and allergens, and indicate a high relative level of mould, indicating ongoing mould growth.
Efficacy of cleaning
Is there a mould problem or a cleaning quality control issue?
Potential allergen exposure
Health symptoms may be a result of allergens rather than mould.
Potential mould exposure
Air contamination will be indicated by the ratio of mould to allergens found.
Ultimately, mould testing isn’t just an extra step; it’s a fundamental part of maintaining healthy properties and ensuring the well-being of those who use them.
By understanding the different testing methods, recognising the critical importance of PRV, and using advanced systems, we can create safer indoor environments and protect our valuable assets.
Request a technical call-back
Briefly describe the issue and the warranty/dispute context. If you have documents or photographs, note what you have. We will confirm whether a desktop evidence review is proportionate or whether a site investigation is required.