One of the main tests performed by our expert home inspectors is an Air Quality Test, this test looks for various airborne pollutants that can be present in the home. One of the main ways these tests are performed is by using an Air-O-Cell test. In today’s blog we will be going over the elements of an Air-O-Cell test and how our inspectors use it to determine the air quality during a home inspection.
The Air-O-Cell Sampling Device
The Air-O-Cell is a specialized sampling device that catches air contaminants on a small slide for microscopic analysis. Using an air pump the air is pushed through an intake slit and directed towards the slide where any contaminants are caught. The adhesive on the slide catches the particulates and holds them in place, preventing sample loss due to shipping, handling and lab testing. The slide can then be extracted from the Air-O-Cell cassette so it can be directly analyzed under a microscope.
Sampling Time and What It Detects
The whole sampling process usually only takes around 5 to 10 minutes. The Air-O-Cell Cassettes are designed for the collection of multiple airborne aerosols including fungal spores, pollen, insect parts, skin cell fragments, synthetic or cellulosic fibers and other inorganic particulates that may be present. An Air-O-Cell Test is one of the quickest and most accurate ways to perform an indoor air quality test and is one of the ways that our inspectors test for Mold Contamination in a home.
Conclusion
We hope that this has been an informative overview of what Air-O-Cell Tests are and how they help our inspectors determine the air quality of a home.
The Inspectors is a group of very experienced home inspectors who bring reliability and integrity to the practice of home inspection. These inspectors follow closely the established standards of the Canadian National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about home inspection, we encourage you to call us at (778) 788-5301.