New NIOSH Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool for General Buildings

In December of last year, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced it had developed a Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool for General Buildings. It is available online and is meant to provide a mechanism to investigate, record and compare indoor conditions over time, as well as help to prioritize remediation of problem areas.

The NIOSH document discusses how the health of those who live, attend school or work in damp buildings have been a growing concern through the years due to a broad range of reported building-related symptoms and illnesses. The agency states that research has found that people who spend time in damp buildings are more likely to report health issues such as:

• Respiratory symptoms
• Development or worsening of asthma
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)
• Respiratory infections
• Allergic rhinitis
• Bronchitis
• Eczema

“This new NIOSH tool shares some important information, including the fact that building occupant exposures in damp buildings can be a complex issue and will vary from building to building, and often in different places within the same building,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “This is why a comprehensive building assessment is so important to identify the source of any indoor moisture and to determine the extent of mold or other indoor environmental quality concerns.”

Helping in these efforts are the laboratory and building science professionals at EMSL Analytical, Inc. With facilities across North America, EMSL offers indoor environmental quality (IEQ) laboratory services for mold, bacteria and other pollutants; easy-to-use test kits; air monitoring instruments and an array of inspection tools that can help to pinpoint moisture problems in all types of buildings. EMSL also recently sponsored an educational video about the new NIOSH assessment tool that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/JW-umfcGO-A.

To learn more about mold or other IEQ and building science analytical services, or to access monitoring tools and inspection equipment, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com . To view a comprehensive line of indoor environmental quality test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 46 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail