Phone No.
(780) 450-3957
PBR Laboratories supports air microbiology testing projects across Canada, with a focus on Alberta and Western Canada, from its Edmonton laboratory.
Available services include bacterial enumeration, mould testing, yeast-and-mould enumeration, and selected E. coli and coliform tests. Start with the question your investigation needs to answer so the sampling method and laboratory analysis work together.
Air testing is not one universal test. A bacterial count, a mould analysis and an organism-specific presence/absence test answer different questions. Contact PBR before collecting samples to confirm the accepted sampling method, analysis and reporting format.
Includes bacterial enumeration, E. coli (Air), E. coli presence/absence, total coliform presence/absence, and fecal coliform presence/absence.
Includes mould testing and combined yeast-and-mould enumeration to evaluate fungal parameters under defined collection conditions.
Discuss equipment availability, rental terms, and compatibility with your requested laboratory analysis before booking.
Testing may support a defined microbial monitoring or investigation objective. The analytical question should come first: are you monitoring counts over time, investigating an unexpected result, or checking for a selected organism? Sampling locations, collection conditions and comparison samples should follow from that objective.
Food-production teams can discuss air testing within a broader environmental-monitoring program. Environmental consultants and facility professionals can discuss analysis for a defined air-sampling investigation. These are applications of the same laboratory services; they do not require separate versions of each test.
Enumeration measures the microbial population recovered under the selected method. Presence/absence reports whether the target was detected under the test conditions. The report must be read alongside sample identity, collection method, air volume where relevant and the investigation objective. A result applies to the submitted sample; it does not automatically describe an entire facility.
To understand reporting units, qualifiers, and method limits, read our guide on How to Understand Air Microbiology Test Results.
Microbial air results do not automatically identify the source, establish exposure risk, certify a building as safe or prove that food is safe.
Health Canada Guidance: Health Canada does not recommend routine residential mould air testing and has not established a health-based indoor mould exposure limit. For a building mould concern, visual inspection and moisture investigation remain essential; laboratory testing should answer a defined question rather than replace them.
Contact PBR to confirm the accepted collection equipment or medium, sample handling, submission requirements and expected turnaround. Sampler rental is a separate service from laboratory analysis. Confirm the rental contents, collection responsibilities and applicable charges before booking.
For step-by-step submission checklists, see Planning Air Microbiology Sample Collection and Submission.
Do not assume every air test measures every air-quality concern. Do not compare different sampling methods as if they were interchangeable or interpret a single result as a facility-wide verdict. Counts and presence/absence results should not be combined into a single pass/fail statement without a valid project-specific basis.
For a detailed comparison between count-based and detection-based testing, read Air Enumeration versus Presence/Absence Testing. If deciding between surface and air sampling, review Air Microbiology Testing versus Surface Swab Testing.
Tell PBR what you are investigating and what decision the results need to support. We can confirm the available analysis, sampler rental options and laboratory sample requirements before you proceed. If you have received an unusual report, consult our guidance on What to Do After an Unexpected Air Microbiology Result.
Yes. The current service list includes bacterial enumeration, mould testing, combined yeast-and-mould enumeration, and selected E. coli and coliform tests. Contact PBR to confirm the analysis suitable for your collection method.
Air sampler rental is listed as a current PBR service. Ask about availability, collection-method compatibility, included items and rental terms before booking.
Enumeration answers a quantity question under the selected method. Presence/absence answers a detection question for a selected target. The investigation objective determines which is appropriate.
These pages describe microbial testing. They do not establish capability for gases, VOCs, particles, asbestos, radon or stack emissions.
No. A mould air result alone cannot establish overall building safety or predict health effects. The broader investigation and sampling conditions must be considered.
PBR Laboratories provides bacterial enumeration, mould testing, yeast-and-mould enumeration, and air sampler rentals for projects throughout Alberta, Western Canada, and Canada.