Top Mold Lab EMLab Creates a New Industry Standard in Air Sampling With BioCassette

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- The announcement of the launch of BioCassette by Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Inc. (EMLab) today sets a new standard in air sampling with the new product's ease-of-use, accuracy and cost effectiveness. BioCassette is a single-use, disposable device for taking a viable (culturable) sample of the air. The new device is designed to both simplify the sampling process and protect the integrity of samples in the field and in transit to the lab.

"Indoor air quality professionals want a product that will simplify culturable air sampling without sacrificing quality or performance," said Jim Purves, product development manager of EMLab. "The BioCassette air sampling device has exceeded these expectations with its ease-of-use, cost-effectiveness and sampling integrity which will result in a new 'gold standard' in air sampling devices."

The goal of air sampling is to help determine whether the biological particles present in the air affect or cause irritation in certain individuals. Air sampling provides indoor air quality (IAQ) professionals with a scientific basis for evaluating whether or not irritants are present in an indoor environment and locating the sources of these microorganisms to facilitate an effective remediation.

Currently, more than 90 percent of culturable air samples received by IAQ laboratories in the United States are submitted as Anderson samples. The Anderson sampling device, manufactured by Andersen Instruments, has evolved as the standard air sampler over the past 40 years.

EMLab has improved upon the Anderson sampler by offering a single-use, disposable device that is simpler to use and therefore more cost-effective. The design eliminates the need for cleaning, eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from sample to sample and offers a high level of protection from external contamination. In addition, technical improvements in the BioCassette design allow for better performance in terms of collection efficiency and repeatability.

"Simplifying the air sampling process results in significant time savings at the sampling site," said Dave Gallup, CEO of EMLab. "When IAQ professionals use the BioCassette air sampling device, tests show that sampling can be completed 46 percent faster than with the Anderson sampler while reducing or eliminating the risks of contamination and damage."

EMLab is the leading commercial indoor air quality testing laboratory in North America. EMLab has more than 30 years of experience in mold testing and bioaerosol analysis, and helped pioneer today's indoor air quality (IAQ) industry.

Source: Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Inc.