Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality testing and investigation.
A microbiologist-led indoor air quality investigation for Orlando and Central Florida homes and commercial buildings. One assessment, the full panel range: mold, VOCs, formaldehyde, mycotoxins (including EMMA), ERMI, endotoxins, and allergens, analyzed by AIHA-LAP accredited laboratories. The goal is to identify which contaminant is actually degrading your air, not just whether mold is present.
What is an indoor air quality investigation?
An indoor air quality (IAQ) investigation is a structured assessment of the air inside a building to identify which airborne contaminants are present and where they come from. It combines a moisture and building-science inspection with targeted laboratory testing, mold spores, VOCs, formaldehyde, mycotoxins, endotoxins, and allergens, so the report names the specific contaminant class affecting occupants rather than testing for mold alone. In Florida it is performed by a licensed mold assessor under chain of custody with AIHA-LAP accredited lab analysis.
The panels
Seven indoor air quality panels, one investigation.
Most companies that advertise air quality testing check for mold and stop. An indoor air quality investigation asks a harder question: of everything that could be degrading this air, which is it? Daniel selects from the full panel range based on your symptoms, the building, and what the moisture inspection finds, then interprets the lab data as a microbiologist and former lab analyst.
- Mold air & surface testing. Spore-trap air sampling and surface or cavity swabs to detect and identify active microbial growth.
- VOC testing. Volatile organic compounds from off-gassing materials, cleaning products, and combustion, by GC-MS.
- Formaldehyde testing. A specific irritant common in new construction, cabinetry, and flooring, measured on its own scale.
- Mycotoxin testing, including EMMA. The toxic compounds some molds produce, central to many CIRS and MCAS medical workups. Includes the EMMA (Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment) dust panel, alongside AMEA and MESA.
- ERMI & HERTSMI-2. DNA-based dust analysis that scores a home’s mold burden against a national index.
- Endotoxin testing. Bacterial cell-wall fragments that drive respiratory inflammation, often missed by mold-only testing.
- Allergen testing. Pollen, dust mites, pet dander, fibers including fiberglass, and carbonaceous combustion particles from smoke or fire, named room by room.
When you need it
Right scenarios for an IAQ investigation.
- Symptoms that clear when you leave the building and return when you come back
- A mold inspection came back clean but occupants are still unwell
- A physician-referred CIRS or MCAS environmental workup
- New construction, renovation, or new furnishings with lingering chemical odors
- A commercial building with recurring occupant complaints
How it works
Process overview.
Consultation → Moisture and building-science inspection → Targeted panel sampling → AIHA-LAP accredited lab analysis → Plain-English report naming the contaminant and its source.
The inspector
Daniel Melendez
Founder · Lead Inspector
- License
- MRSA #4575
- Certifications
- ACAC CMI · NAERMC CMH · NAERMC Green IAQ · Pathways™
- Education
- B.S. Microbiology
- Background
- Former lab analyst
Why a microbiologist
A microbiologist with a lab background, not a contractor with a weekend course.
Most Florida mold inspectors learned the trade in a weekend course. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and worked as an environmental laboratory analyst, the person other inspectors ship their samples to, before founding PureSpec.
He reads spore counts, growth patterns, and species behavior the way the labs that run the analysis do. Every inspection is founder-performed, lab-supported, and assessment-only: Daniel personally walks the property, collects the samples, interprets the lab data, and writes the report.
No subcontractors, no remediation upsell, no kickbacks. Florida law (FS 468.8419) prohibits the same firm from inspecting and remediating, and PureSpec is built around that line.
How an inspection actually works
Nine steps. Same scientific process, every property.
The depth of each step adapts to your situation. HVAC and borescope inspection happen when conditions warrant. Sampling is decided based on what your specific environment is asking, not a fixed checklist.
- 01
Consultation
We talk through what you’re seeing, the building, and the question you need answered. Free, no pressure, no upsell.
- 02
Visual inspection
Daniel personally walks every accessible space. No subcontractors.
- 03
Moisture mapping
Pin and pinless moisture meters identify elevated wall, floor, and substrate moisture invisible to the eye.
- 04
Thermal imaging
Infrared imaging surfaces temperature differentials that often correlate with hidden moisture or insulation gaps.
- 05
HVAC evaluation
Coil, plenum, return, and ductwork assessment. The #1 hidden vector for indoor mold in Florida buildings.
- 06
Targeted sampling
Air, surface, swab, ERMI, HERTSMI-2, mycotoxin, Pathways™, VOC, or formaldehyde, only the tests your situation warrants.
- 07
Lab analysis
Samples sent to AIHA-LAP-accredited third-party laboratories. Results returned within 24 to 72 hours of receipt.
- 08
Written report
Plain-English report with photos, lab data, moisture readings, observations, and clear next steps. Built to hold up with insurers, lenders, healthcare providers, and counsel.
- 09
Remediation protocol when warranted
If the report identifies remediation-grade mold, Daniel writes the IICRC S520-aligned remediation protocol, scope, containment, methods, and clearance criteria, that the remediation contractor works to. Florida law prohibits the same firm from inspecting and remediating, so the protocol stays independent of the work crew.
Service areas
Serving Orlando and all 67 Florida counties.
Based in Winter Garden in the Orlando metro, PureSpec covers all of Central Florida at standard rates and the rest of the state by custom quote. See the full service area.