Testing homes, offices and vehicles
EnviroBiomics
Offers ERMI, HERTSMI-2, actinobacteria, endotoxin, beta-glucan and other dust-based environmental tests frequently used by people investigating possible CIRS-related exposures.
Website: envirobiomics.com
Phone: 210-570-2095
Mycometrics
Offers ERMI, HERTSMI-2, mold-specific quantitative PCR, direct microscopic examination and other environmental microbiology testing.
Website: mycometrics.com
Phone: 732-355-9018, extension 6
EMSL Analytical
A large national environmental laboratory network offering mold identification, air and surface-sample analysis, ERMI and other microbiology services.
Website: emsl.com
National customer service: 800-220-3675
West Coast: 866-798-1089
Phoenix laboratory: 602-276-4344
ImmunoLytics
Offers do-it-yourself air, HVAC and surface sampling kits with laboratory mold identification and optional consultation.
Website: immunolytics.com
Phone: 505-217-0339
Understanding the different tests
ERMI analyzes settled dust for DNA from 36 mold species and calculates a comparative moldiness score. HERTSMI-2 is a smaller panel focusing on five molds associated with water-damaged buildings. These tests evaluate the building; they do not diagnose illness.
Air and surface testing can help identify mold present at a particular place and time, but a brief air sample may miss intermittent or hidden contamination.
Urine mycotoxin testing measures selected compounds or metabolites being excreted in urine. It does not, by itself, identify the building where exposure occurred or prove that a person’s symptoms were caused by that exposure. Vibrant explicitly states that its results cannot establish the exact source or timing.
For someone investigating possible CIRS, the most useful approach is often to combine a detailed exposure history, proper building assessment and medical evaluation rather than relying on one test alone.