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CMA Sampling & Testing Methods Flashcards

6 cards from real CMA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A spore trap analysis report shows predominantly Cladosporium at low levels both indoors and outdoors. What does this finding most likely indicate?

    Answer: Normal background fungal ecology with no indoor source

    Cladosporium at low concentrations matching outdoor levels is normal background; it is ubiquitous outdoors and its indoor presence often reflects normal air exchange.

  2. Which mold genus is considered a strong indicator of water-damaged building materials when found in elevated concentrations indoors?

    Answer: Stachybotrys chartarum

    Stachybotrys chartarum requires chronically wet cellulosic materials to grow and is rarely found in outdoor air, making its indoor presence a reliable indicator of water damage.

  3. What does the ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) score measure?

    Answer: A DNA-based index comparing water-damage indicator molds to common outdoor molds in dust

    ERMI uses qPCR to quantify 36 mold species in settled dust, calculating a score that compares Group 1 (water-damage associated) species against Group 2 (common outdoor/background) species.

  4. When collecting a tape lift sample from a surface, which laboratory analysis method is typically used?

    Answer: Direct microscopy

    Tape lifts are examined directly under a microscope, allowing identification of fungal structures (spores, hyphae) by morphology without requiring culture growth.

  5. What minimum air volume is typically recommended when collecting an Air-O-Cell spore trap sample?

    Answer: 75 liters

    Standard Air-O-Cell protocol recommends collecting 75 liters of air (typically at 15 L/min for 5 minutes) to obtain a representative sample for analysis.

  6. What is the primary limitation of non-viable (spore trap) air sampling compared to viable (culture) sampling?

    Answer: Spore trap sampling cannot distinguish between live and dead spores

    Non-viable spore trap analysis identifies and counts spores morphologically but cannot determine whether they are alive (viable) or dead, which matters for exposure and remediation assessment.