Sterile materials should remain sterile (free of bacteria and mold) until you use them to collect a sample. Wearing gloves is helpful but not necessary. If visible mold is present or suspected, please use caution when collecting the sample; a face mask or other protective respiratory gear is recommended to minimize mold spore inhalation during collection.
1.
Fill out the chain of custody form with all necessary information including descriptions of the sample location, material sample will be taken from, surface area tested, etc.
2.
At the sample site, remove a swab, stick end first, from the package. There are two swabs in each package but only one will be needed per sample (the second one can be used for a second sample). Do not put the exposed swab down before or after you've collected the sample and hold the swab by the very end of the stick.
3.
Open the sterile water tube (the cap should be placed face down on a clean surface) and dip the swab into the water. Recap the sterile water tube immediately since you may be using it to collect other samples and the water needs to remain sterile.
4.
Collect the sample with the wetted swab by lightly brushing the swab on the surface. Molds on kitchen wallboard will almost certainly be different from molds on the basement floor joists, therefore, different swab samples should be collected on each surface type containing visible mold. At each site, swab different types of molds identified by different colors or textures.
5.
Open an empty, clearly labeled (by you), sterile test tube and place the cap face down on a clean surface. Place the swab into the tube and gently snap the end of the swab stick off on the edge of the tube. Replace the cap.
6.
When comparing contamination conditions, collect samples consistently at each site. In other words, at each site, for example, swab a 3"X3" area of the material in question.
7.
Store samples in a cool place (4 ° C) and send them to the lab as soon as possible for analysis. |
