RTL Staff Realtime Laboratories has received many inquiries asking about the difference between our Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment (EMMA) vs. the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI). There are numerous articles about the ERMI and the difficulties with the method of collection for dust samples and interpretation of results. The EMMA test uses dust samples from the … Read more
Mold growth can leave a lot of homeowners speechless and not in the right way. They may be small in size, but they can be a big problem once they are in large groups. Mold isn’t just something that grows on stale bread or outdated food. Did you know that they also grow in our … Read more
COVID-19 & Holiday Gatherings As 2020 comes to a close and we prepare to celebrate the holidays and the end of a challenging year, it is important to consider the various levels of risk exposure related to COVID-19. The safest way to celebrate the holidays is from your own home and with members of your … Read more
Welcome to Seattle! With a total land area of slightly less than 84 square miles, Seattle, Washington is home to an immense array of both natural and man-made features. It’s not enough to simply say you’d like to live in Seattle—the neighborhood that you pick within the borders of “the Emerald City” can have a … Read more
Often times, when clients ask us this question, they’re not actually inquiring about the dangerous mold strains like Aspergillus fumigatus or Candida auris that have been known to cause serious (sometimes even fatal) fungal infections, especially in immunocompromised people. What they really want to know is whether or not household mold—that is, the stuff they … Read more
How frequently do you get headaches? Are they a rare inconvenience that you sometimes contend with when you’ve spent too much time staring at your computer screen? Or are they a frequent issue that just seems to “act up” with little rhyme or reason? At RealTime Laboratories, one question we sometimes get from clients is, … Read more
When people hear about mold-related illnesses, they generally visualize someone retching after coming in contact with bread or fruit that’s sprouted blue fuzz. However, tainted food isn’t the only way for nasty fungus cause harm. Although most of the over 100,000 species of mold on Earth are relatively harmless, certain types of mold produce dangerous … Read more
Good news, everyone: spring is almost here! Soon, we’ll be able to say “goodbye” to cold, dreary outdoor conditions and say “hello” to warmth and sunshine! For a lot of people, the arrival of spring also means Spring Cleaning. And at RealTime Laboratories, we’d like to remind folks to add ‘Check the basements and crawl … Read more
How good is your sense of smell? Can you tell the difference between gardenia and jasmine, or do you think that they both just seem “kinda flowery?” Can you identify when the milk in your fridge is just starting to go bad, or does it not grab your attention until long after it’s become sour? … Read more
Picture this: you’re cleaning your bathroom, and you notice a patch of black “gunk” in the shower pan or wall tiles. Upon further inspection, you realize that the gunk in question is mold. Dark colored mold. Fear swirls in your gut—is this the dreaded “black mold” that can render a home uninhabitable for months at … Read more
