Reading the lab report
Mycotoxin test results explained, line by line
Units, detection limits, flags, and what a result can and can't tell you about your home.
How do you read mycotoxin test results?
Here are mycotoxin test results explained simply. Each line names a toxin the lab looked for, the amount found in your sample, and the lowest amount the method can reliably detect. A result below that limit is reported as not detected, which isn't the same as zero. Because there are no official limits for mycotoxins in house dust, results are read by comparing rooms, comparing before and after, and matching toxins to the molds found in dust testing.
Why mycotoxin reports confuse almost everyone
A mycotoxin report looks precise: toxin names, decimal numbers, maybe a red or yellow flag. But the numbers only mean something in context. Labs use different methods and units, some report groups of toxins while others report single compounds, and there's no government threshold to hold a result against. Online forums fill that gap with guesses.
The most common mistakes are treating one number as a verdict on the house, comparing results between labs that measure differently, and reading not detected as proof that a toxin is absent.
Sound familiar?
- You have a report full of numbers and no one to explain it.
- One toxin is flagged and you don't know how concerned to be.
- Your before and after results came from different labs.
- The report says not detected, but you're still not sure it's clear.
We do it differently.
| Reading a number alone | Reading it in context | |
|---|---|---|
| A flagged result | A verdict on the house | A reason to look at where and why |
| Not detected | Zero, all clear | Below the method's detection limit |
| Results from two labs | Directly comparable | Comparable only if methods and units match |
| Toxin and mold data | Read separately | Read together to point toward a source |
| Before and after | Any two tests | Same locations, method and lab |
Why families trust us with their homes
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Family-owned since 2008
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Indiana doesn't license mold remediators. We hold IICRC, CMR, CRMI and CCMI credentials anyway.
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Called on as experts
Attorneys bring us into legal cases involving mold and mycotoxins.
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Lab results in 24 to 48 hours
Every inspection comes with a written report, color photos and lab results.
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The AME Clearance Method
How we walk you through a mycotoxin report
Whether the report is ours, another company's or from a mail-in kit, we read it in the same order.
Talk to a specialist-
Check the sample details
Sample IDs, locations, sample type, collection date and the lab's method. A number without these details can't be interpreted.
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Read the units and limits
We confirm whether results are per gram of dust or per sample, and find the detection and quantitation limits for each toxin.
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Compare locations
Which rooms are highest, which are lowest, and whether the pattern points toward one area or the whole house.
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Match toxins to molds
If dust DNA testing was done, we check whether the molds found are ones known to make the toxins detected. Agreement strengthens the picture.
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Separate known from unknown
We tell you plainly what the report supports, what it doesn't, and what another sample would or wouldn't add.
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Turn results into a scope
The findings become a written plan: where to look for the source, what to remove, what to clean, and how clearance will be measured.
What a results review includes
- A line-by-line review of your lab report
- An explanation of units, detection limits and flags
- A room-by-room comparison of results
- Matching of toxins to molds found in dust testing
- Notes on what the results can't show
- Review of reports from other companies or mail-in kits
- Recommendations for next steps, including when none are needed
- A written summary you can keep
- A copy for your doctor, with your permission
Proof you can hold in your hands
When we finish, you don't get a handshake and a promise. You get the paperwork your family, your doctor, your insurer or your buyer can rely on.
Inspection report
What we found, where it is coming from, with color photos.
Written remediation plan
Scope, timeline and what will and won't be removed, before work starts.
Clearance lab report
Air, surface and mycotoxin results after the work is done.
A report for your doctor
With your permission, we share results directly with your care team.
Reading a mycotoxin report
The parts of a mycotoxin report
Layouts differ from lab to lab, but most environmental mycotoxin reports carry the same basic fields. Here’s what each one means.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Sample ID and location | Which sample this is and where it was collected. Without a location, a result can’t be tied to the house. |
| Sample type | Dust, wipe, swab, bulk material or air. Each is read differently. |
| Analyte | The toxin or toxin group measured, such as ochratoxin A or macrocyclic trichothecenes. |
| Result | The amount found, in the lab’s units. |
| Detection or reporting limit | The lowest amount the method can reliably find or report. |
| Flag or reference range | The lab’s comparison of your result with its own data, if it provides one. |
| Method | Immunoassay (ELISA) or mass spectrometry (often LC-MS/MS), which affects how results compare. |
Units and detection limits
Most dust results are reported in parts per billion, which for dust means nanograms of toxin per gram of dust. That normalizes the result for how much dust was collected. Swab and wipe results are sometimes reported per sample instead, which depends heavily on how much material the swab picked up. Don’t compare a per-gram result with a per-sample result.
Two limits matter. The limit of detection is the smallest amount the method can tell apart from nothing. The limit of quantitation is the smallest amount it can measure with confidence. A result between the two may be reported as trace or estimated. A result below detection is reported as not detected, which means the toxin wasn’t found at a level the method can see, not that it’s definitely absent.
Reference ranges and flags
Because no agency sets limits for mycotoxins in house dust, some labs provide their own reference ranges or colored flags, usually based on the distribution of results in samples they have tested. That’s useful for context. A flag says your result is high compared with other samples the lab has seen. It doesn’t say the result is dangerous, and it doesn’t say a lower result is safe for someone who is sensitive. Ask the lab how its ranges were built.
Reading toxins alongside molds
A mycotoxin panel tells you what’s present. A dust DNA test such as ERMI or HERTSMI-2 tells you which molds have been growing. Read together, they narrow down the source. These patterns come up often, though none of them is a rule.
| What the reports show | What it may suggest |
|---|---|
| Trichothecenes, with Stachybotrys in dust DNA | Long-term water damage in cellulose, often drywall paper or ceiling tile. See trichothecenes and Stachybotrys. |
| Ochratoxin A, with Aspergillus or Penicillium species | Damp building materials or stored goods. More than one source is possible. See ochratoxin A in homes. |
| Sterigmatocystin, with Aspergillus versicolor | Damp building materials, a pattern often seen in water-damaged buildings |
| Gliotoxin, with Aspergillus fumigatus | Warm, damp spots such as HVAC components or organic debris |
| Toxins found but few matching molds | Older growth that has died, or contamination carried in on belongings. Check the history. |
If the report includes mold DNA results, our page on ERMI testing explains how that half of the picture is scored.
When results disagree
A second test that doesn’t match the first is common and usually explainable. Common reasons include samples from different spots, much more or much less dust collected, cleaning between tests, a different lab or method, and real change in the house, such as remediation or new water damage. Before deciding one test was wrong, line up the sample details side by side.
What a report can’t tell you
- Where the source is. Dust travels, so an inspection still has to find it.
- Whether the level is safe for a particular person. That’s a medical question.
- Anything about toxins that weren’t on the panel.
- What the house looked like on a different day or in a different room.
We interpret test results for the building, not for anyone’s health. We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions, and nothing here is medical advice. If you have symptoms, please work with a doctor. With your permission, we’ll share your results and our notes with them.
Common questions
Have a question that isn't here? Call a specialist
What does ppb mean on a mycotoxin test?
Parts per billion. On a dust result it usually means nanograms of toxin per gram of dust. Some labs report per sample instead, for example picograms per swab, and those numbers aren't comparable with per-gram results.
What does not detected mean?
The amount in the sample, if any, was below the lowest level the method can reliably detect. It's a good sign, but it isn't proof of zero, and it only applies to the toxins on that panel and the spots that were sampled.
Is there a safe level of mycotoxins in a house?
There's no official standard for mycotoxins in house dust. Some labs flag results against reference ranges built from their own sample data. Those ranges are a comparison with other buildings, not a health threshold, and no number on a report can say what's safe for a particular person.
Why are my results different from a second test?
Sample location, the amount of dust collected, cleaning between tests, the lab and the method can all move the numbers. Two tests are only fairly comparable when those factors match.
What if only one toxin is detected?
It narrows the list of likely source molds. For example, trichothecenes alone point toward Stachybotrys, while ochratoxin A points toward certain Aspergillus or Penicillium species. The next step is finding where that mold grew.
Can I compare results from two different labs?
Only loosely. Immunoassay and mass spectrometry methods report on different scales, and labs set different limits. For before and after comparisons, use the same lab and method.
Should I share my results with my doctor?
That's your decision, and many families do. We're glad to send the full lab report and a plain-language summary to your doctor with your permission. We describe the building. Your doctor interprets anything about your health.
We're done when the lab says so.
Every remediation ends with clearance testing, and our work is backed by a complete-removal guarantee. We don't close a job on a failed result.
Talk to a specialistGet a second set of eyes on your report
Send us the lab report you have, from us or anyone else. A specialist will call you back and walk through what it shows.
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