When people talk about testing for indoor mycotoxins, most of the time, they think about a short list of Classic Mycotoxins, such as Ochratoxin, Gliotoxin, and Aflatoxin Zearalenone Trichothecenes. However, you need to know this is a complex and controversial issue primarily because the list and methods are still under review. The big question is what constitutes a valid list and how valid the methods used for testing mycotoxins in indoor dust samples are. 

When people talk about testing for indoor mycotoxins, most of the time, they think about a short list of Classic Mycotoxins, such as Ochratoxin, Gliotoxin, and Aflatoxin Zearalenone Trichothecenes. However, you need to know this is a complex and controversial issue primarily because the list and methods are still under review. The big question is what constitutes a valid list and how valid the methods used for testing mycotoxins in indoor dust samples are. 

DMS uses a costly machine and needs a lot of expertise to produce reliable results. This is why it is not so widely used as the competitive ELISA. The competitive ELISA method uses one antibody to detect mycotoxins and compete for the target. The problem with this method is that it is subject to chemical interference, such as the one used in chemical remediation. Also, the ELISA method was validated for screening foods and cereals, not for dust or human samples. 

Also important is to know that most of the classic mycotoxins of concern in medical practice, such as Ochratoxin, Gliotoxin, Aflatoxin, and Zearalenone, are mostly never found in indoor dust samples using the DMS method; however, the ELISA method will report positive for the same list, and we are left to wonder how many of those are false positive. 

A quick search of the scientific literature will find almost no publication on the list of classic mycotoxin and indoor dust; the few publications are mainly from the same commercial labs.

Most people agree that the so-called Classic Mycotoxins are in cereals, fruit, veggies, and chocolate. That is why those food supplies get tested by government mandate before going to the grocery stores and before consumers get those to the table; however, the problem can happen in your kitchen or pantry, where food may grow mold if left unchecked. 

In dust samples, you may find mycotoxins, but rarely the "Classic Mycotoxins," 

I will argue that non-classic mycotoxins in dust samples may be crucial for your health. So, it is essential to test for as broad a spectrum as possible using the DMS method.

We use only the DMS method and test for over 50 mycotoxins, which includes classic and none-classic, which may sound promising, but it is not perfect either. For example, Cyanobacteria may produce neurotoxins that are involved in ALS and other neurological conditions. Testing for toxins from Cyanobacteria is rare because the methods are not widely available. However, the government should always be vigilant of toxic cyanobacteria blooms, and you can always Google search for news about this problem in your area. To monitor this Cyanobacteria toxin, we measure the actual Cyanobacteria and provide a Normal Range and Quartiles of Distribution, which is critical information to decide whether the site is safe.