PATI Announces Ability to Improve Sick Building Syndrome Safety by Testing for and Measuring Active Mold Growth Without Destruction of Property

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. -- Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc. (PATI) today announced that MoldScan, its cutting-edge MVOC detection technology for the safety of buildings, now enables property owners, healthcare personnel, insurance companies, lawyers and others concerned about indoor air quality (IAQ) issues, including Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), to test for the existence of active mold growth without causing any damage to the buildings being surveyed.

PATI, an analytical laboratory with a broad array of IAQ products and services, has concentrated its efforts on developing a technology solution, analytical protocol and calibration curves that can consistently detect and analyze samples down to as low as 90 parts per trillion, all without disruption to the buildings being analyzed.

"Many companies have tried and failed to develop tests that are accurate, reliable and don't force property owners to tear apart or punch holes in their buildings," says Randall Fike, PhD, CTO of PATI'. "We resisted the urge to rush a product to market and instead embarked on a quest to develop nondisruptive technology that allows us to accurately and efficiently identify the culprits - compounds that are produced by actively growing mold, are not produced by bacteria, and have few secondary sources."

MoldScan screens for microbial metabolites known as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) that themselves can cause irritation and allergic reactions but more important indicate the presence of actively growing mold. As numerous studies have found, mold activity can lead to SBS and generally unsafe buildings by producing severe allergic reactions and respiratory irritation, may exacerbate conditions in individuals with asthma or other respiratory ailments, and is the cause of hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage and insurance claims every year.

In developing MoldScan's new capability, PATI also conducted comparative trials between its products and those of its competitors. Fike explains: "We compared MoldScan against other MVOC analyses by blind- testing samples that had been provided by customers. In every case, MoldScan effectively detected the presence and level of actively growing mold. And in every case, the other MVOC analyses failed to even detect the presence of mold."

PATI supports a range of IAQ professionals including industrial hygienists, IAQ consultants, environmental specialists, insurers, legal and real estate professionals, mold remediation contractors, hospitals and medical professionals, public health departments, building owners, property managers, home inspectors, and engineering and construction firms.

Source: Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc.