Research Update 2

In Research Update 1, I told you about the preliminary findings for the Phase 2 study on different types of mattress barrier cloths. This update is about the Phase 1 mattress cleaning study.

Some of the results from the Phase 1 study (replication of a Taiwanese study using mold specific DNA) have been returned from the laboratory and have already raised an additional important question. It appears that daily HEPA vacuuming is able to significantly reduce the amount of mold specific DNA that is able to be removed from the mattress. Here's the question: Are there significant quantities of mold specific DNA that have bound with the mattress materials so that the vacuum dust results don't identify the presence of the remaining contamination?  In order to help visualize what is happening with mold contamination in the mattress I have begun another phase of preliminary research I will call Phase 1a. On May 25, 2017 a small amount of GloGerm™ powder was added to a section of foam rubber inside the mattress.

GloGerm™ is a florescent powder that glows when it is exposed to black light. The particle size for the GloGerm™ is approximately 5.0 microns, which is about the the same size as many smaller molds spores. 

This image shows the GloGerm™ fluorescing when exposed to UV light after it was spread in the layer between the mattress foam and top cover.

After several weeks of daily vacuuming the GloGerm™ powder is starting to show up on the surface of the mattress. This shows that mold size particles are able to migrate from the foam rubber through the mattress to the surface.

I will be checking the mattress again next week to recheck the mattress with the UV light.

Thank you for your help funding this research!

John C. Banta