Mold Detection Dogs |
 The use of dogs for mold detection began in Europe over 20 years ago. The Europeans invented this method of detecting mold and refined it to the point of its becoming a very reliable inspection method. In America, dogs are a more recent addition to the mold inspector’s available set of tools. Their use is becoming more widely accepted and many cases of early mold infestations have been detected and remediated before any adverse health affects were experienced by the home-owners who employed the dogs. Dogs have a very sensitive olfactory system and are a valuable tool to the mold investigation procedure. It has been proven that canines can detect the presence of some substances in concentrations of parts per trillion. It is not known just how prolific all species of mold are in odor production. However, based on trained dog’s track records in finding hidden mold that was later confirmed through lab testing it is safe to assume that dogs can detect unseen mold in very small quantities. This means that molds that may have been missed in the past by other instruments and conventional detection methods can now be located and detected using these specially trained canines or mold dogs as they are commonly referred to. Fungus and molds come in a diverse array of colors, growth patterns and forms. Mold colonies can exist in a variety of locations often not visible to humans, such as behind walls and under floor-boards A dog's keen sense of smell however gives it the ability to locate this "invisible" mold. If a mold infestation starts behind a wall, by the time it becomes visible there is a fairly large infestation. A mold dog can detect this mold before it grows to the point of visibility. Mold dogs have “X-ray” noses and can detect very small traces of the odor generated by mold. This allows a human inspector to detect mold growth early, many times preventing the exposure of a structures occupants to the health risks associated with mold. FSI has worked to improve the training methods for mold detection dogs and brings the experience of training other scent detection dogs to this important field. FSI’s efforts in training mold dogs has resulted in producing a more dependable and thorough search dog with a higher drive. George Carroll, Ph.D. of Mould-Works, LLC, with over 30 years of experience in mycology says, "The appearance of mold-sniffing dogs is a brilliant solution to the problem of locating sources of household mold. Dogs, when properly trained, are in fact exquisitely sensitive walking gas chromatographs with a proven record in locating moldy substrates even when hidden behind partitions or on the insides of walls. Once the moldy areas are located, the moulds can be identified by optical examination and culture of tape lifts, which provide a degree of certainty that can never be attained with filters from air samplers." There is no better, more effective tool available for finding hidden mold than a properly trained mold dog. |
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