Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/289980
report was quite critical of both the EPA and some of the licensed laboratories. The conclu- sion was blunt in stating "[t]he EPA readily acknowledged that it had not validated MSQP- CR or ERMI for public use." The Inspector General went on to note"...that there is a risk the public may make inappropriate decisions regarding indoor mold based on the belief that the ERMI tool has been fully validated by the EPA for public use." So, if the agency that developed it says that it considers MSQPCR and ERMI to be research tools not intended for public use, does that mean that ERMI samples are useless for mold investigations and remedia- tion work? Not at all. The science of the analysis provides another important tool for IAQ and mold professionals. But, just like any powerful tool, ERMI samples can be dangerous to those who do not understand how to use them properly. The Hazard Of Using A Non-Repeatable Sample Collection Process For many years the EPA Of- fice of Science Policy web page contained a statement proclaiming that "anyone, anywhere, if the technique [MSQPCR] is used prop- erly, should get the same identification and quantifi- cation for the target mold as anyone else." A good part of that confidence was based on the fact that the EPA had standardized the sample collection method for ERMI. In the EPA research studies an ERMI sample is collected with a filter device attached to a vacuum. The instructions are very precise, with a composite sample collected from the flooring of the living area and main bedroom of a home. In each lo- cation a 3' X 6' area is marked out and carefully vacuumed for exactly five minutes. All of the EPA's comparison values were based on this process. Nevertheless, today some licensed laboratories are encouraging their clients to collect ERMI- 30 April 2013 ERMI Primer Continued from previous page In 2002, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency researchers developed a DNA-based Mold Specific Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction method (MSQPCR) for identifying and quantifying over 100 common molds and fungi. EPA, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, developed the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index scale (known as ERMI). 1 The MSQPCR method of mold analysis and the ERMI scale for estimating mold contamination have been developed for use in research studies related to mold exposure and health impacts. 2 These tools have been peer reviewed for research purposes, but they have not been validated for non-research purposes. Research studies that used ERMI to quantify mold & the relationship to Asthma: Asthma afflicts about 9 percent of school-age children in the U.S. and about 300 million people worldwide. The World Health Organization's 2009 WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould (www.euro.who) recommends that mold exposures be minimized. Since most everyone is exposed to mold at some level, EPA and academic researchers have conducted a variety of studies to determine if ERMI values are associated with childhood asthma. Major research findings are in two general areas – • Comparison between ERMI values in asthmatic childrens' homes vs. controls: The ERMI values were found to be significantly higher in asthmatic childrens' homes in Detroit, Boston, Kansas City, and San Diego compared to control homes. In fact, ERMI values were significantly higher in Kansas City homes of severely asthmatic children compared to those living in homes with moderate asthma. 3, 4 • Prospective study of asthma development in young children: ERMI assessments were applied to a prospective study of asthma development. Researchers and physicians monitored the environment and health of infants until the age of seven. The only exposure predictive of the development of asthma for these infants was living in high ERMI homes. 5 These infants' were often from poor, urban families living in old homes. 6 The risk of an infant developing asthma was nearly doubled for each 10 units on the ERMI scale. 7 These and additional studies 8 have demonstrated the correlation of ERMI values in homes with asthma in children. Published papers: 1. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2007;49:829-833. 2. Critical Reviews in Microbiology. 2011;37:15-24. 3. Science of the Total Environment. 2008:394:192-196. 4. Journal of Asthma. 2013;50:155-61. 2012;55:844-854. 5. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 2011;107:120- 126. 6. Environmental Research 2013;124:67-70. 7. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2012;130:639- 644. 8. Additional references supporting these findings can be found at: www.epa.gov/microbes/moldtech.htm Technical Contact: David Kryak, Ph.D. EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory kryak.davidd@epa.gov Learn More: www.epa.gov/microbes/moldtech.htm EPA Scientists Develop Research Methods for Studying Mold