No, the petri dishes contained within the kits are designed to grow mold spores. Since mold is everywhere in the environment, the dish will grow mold confirming the presence of mold. Similarly, the mold swab test kits will confirm the presence of mold since mold can grow on dust and dirt. DIY test kits do not confirm that the mold present is a health concern or the types of mold present. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines do not recommend testing but removal of the visible mold and the water source.
Molds are a natural part of the environment and therefore are present in the indoor and outdoor air and on surfaces all day, every day.
The college follows recommendations of the Center for Disease Control ( CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) both of which do not recommend routine sampling for molds. If visible mold is present, controlling the water source and removing the mold are recommended.
If you can see or smell mold, a health risk may be present. You do not need to know the type of mold growing in your home, and CDC does not recommend or perform routine sampling for molds. No matter what type of mold is present, you should remove it. Since the effect of mold on people can vary, either because of the amount or type of mold, you cannot rely on sampling and culturing to know your health risk.
In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building’s compliance with federal mold standards.
Standards or Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for airborne concentrations of mold, or mold spores, have not been set. Currently, there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants.