Mold and mycotoxin testing framework.
Different tests answer different questions. Start with what you’re trying to understand, then choose the testing method that fits.
Start with the question,not the test.
An air test, a dust test, and a surface test may all be accurate — but they do not answer the same question. Identify what you’re trying to understand, then choose the method that matches.
Am I breathing it?
Airborne Mycotoxin Environmental Analysis
What has accumulated over time?
Environmental Mold & Mycotoxin Assessment
Is this surface contaminated?
Mycotoxin Environmental Surface Analysis
Am I breathingit?
Finding mold or mycotoxins somewhere in the home doesn’t automatically mean they’re being inhaled.
Present in the home
A test confirms mold, spores, or mycotoxins exist somewhere — in dust, on a surface, in a material.
Reaching the air you breathe
Exposure only happens when that contamination travels into occupied indoor air — through pathway, airflow, and time.
The exposure framework.
Five questions that organize mold and mycotoxin findings into clear, comparable evidence.
Step 01
Hazard
What is it?
Mold, spores, DNA, or mycotoxins.
Step 02
Pathway
Are you breathing it?
Is the concern reaching occupied indoor air?
Step 03
Domain
Where was it found?
Air, dust, or surface.
Step 04
Timing
Is it happening now?
Current conditions or past accumulation.
Step 05
Verification
Was it resolved?
Did follow-up testing evaluate the original concern?
Air, dust, and surface answerdifferentquestions.
What’s in the air I may be breathing?
Air testing evaluates what may be airborne during the sampling period — the most direct evidence for inhalation exposure questions.
What has settled over time?
Dust testing characterizes accumulated material — useful when the question is about history, not current air.
What’s on this specific surface?
Surface testing isolates contamination on a specific location, material, item, or HVAC component.
Mold and mycotoxinsare not the same thing
A biological organism
Mold spores are biological particles mold uses to reproduce and spread. They may become airborne, settle into dust, or collect on surfaces.
- Visual inspection
- Moisture assessment
- Spore trap testing
- Mold DNA testing
- EMMA dust testing
Chemical compounds
Mycotoxins are chemical compounds certain molds may produce under specific environmental conditions. They are not spores, mold DNA, or living mold.
- AMEA™ air testing
- EMMA dust testing
- MESA™ surface testing
Compare every testing option.
Mold & Mycotoxin Test Comparison
| Test | Sample | Measures | Best question | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AMEA
Air exposure question
|
Air | Mycotoxins | Are mycotoxins present in the air I may be breathing? | Breathing-zone mycotoxins |
|
EMMA
Best initial dust screen
|
Dust | Mold + mycotoxins | What has accumulated in settled dust? | Dust-based mold + mycotoxin history |
|
MESA
Surface specific
|
Surface | Mycotoxins | Is this surface or item contaminated? | Localized surface concern |
Spore Trap |
Air | Mold spores | What spores are airborne right now? | Airborne mold spores |
ERMI® / HERTSMI-2® |
Dust | Mold DNA | What mold DNA accumulated in dust? | Mold DNA profile |
Why different tests can show different results
Positive dust / negative air
Material may have accumulated, but may not have been airborne during sampling.
Positive surface / negative dust
Contamination may be localized to a specific surface or location.
Positive biomarker / unclear source
Exposure may have occurred somewhere — the source is not identified by the biomarker alone.
Find the righttest for your concern.
Answer a few questions. We’ll match your concern to the testing option that fits your objective.
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