The laboratory team of the Environmental Mycology in Berlin is always good for an innovation. Under the direction of Dr. Christoph Trautmann and Dr. Ingrid Dill the mold experts developed a test strip system for mold detection handling surface contact samples. Their motivation is obvious: The more accurate the building biologist working at the sampling, the safer is the analysis result. Unprofessional sampling, however, prepare the laboratory team a considerable overhead.

Do not touch the contact surfaces

The adhesive film is divided visually into three areas: the very outside are left and right grips, in addition to the grips a small safety margin and in the middle of the actual contact surface. The contact surfaces are pressed onto the suspect area on the wall or piece of furniture. The adhesive surface absorbs the populated with mold particles. The findings are examined microscopically in the laboratory. To avoid misdiagnosis the adhesive surface should not be touched with the fingers.

Describe the sampling site well

The mold analyst wants to make of the whole situation in the space an image. Therefore, the test strip system offers additional space for the description of sampling point. On the back of the card format of the sampler provides further information: Acquirer and project name and the date of sampling. The whole system can be easily sent in an envelope.

What insights provides the film Contact sample?

The contact samples are examined by light microscopy after dyeing with Lactophenolblaulösung. The presentation of results is divided into three groups: The evaluation of the surface contains terms like “unobtrusive”, “low, gray lining” or “dense black lining”. The actual fungus evidence indicates the species, eg Asperillus or Penicillium and tells whether sporadic, moderately many or many spores were found on the sample. In the third segment of the report provides other information such as specifying whether bacteria were found at the sampling point.

Conclusion for a test application

The foil strip system guarantees for the Environmental Mycology Laboratory a uniform procedure for the sample preparation. Otherwise the danger would be that either no suitable test strips are used, the contact surfaces become dirty or the sampling point is not adequately described. The building biologist therefore contains a perfect system delivered by the hand and only needs to start thinking about the proper place of sampling make.

See more on German Website www.umweltmykologie.de