Certified Allergen Air Testing in Potomac, MD

Standard residential allergen testing using settled dust samples and ELISA analysis can detect and quantify house dust mite allergens (Der p 1 and Der f 1), cat allergen (Fel d 1), dog allergen (Can f 1), cockroach allergen (Bla g 1 and Bla g 2), and rodent allergen proteins. Mold allergens are best characterized through mold spore air sampling and species identification rather than allergen-specific testing. The specific panel is selected based on your home’s characteristics and the allergens most likely to be relevant.

Allergen testing is most useful for identifying which allergens are elevated in your environment—not for diagnosing your allergies, which an allergist does through clinical testing. If you are moving into a home that previously had cats, allergen testing can quantify how much residual cat allergen remains in settled dust and whether the levels are clinically significant. This helps determine whether professional cleaning, encapsulation, or replacement of allergen-laden materials is needed before safe occupancy for a highly sensitive individual.

Research-based guidance suggests that dust mite allergen concentrations above 2 micrograms of major allergen per gram of dust are associated with allergen sensitization risk, and concentrations above 10 micrograms per gram are associated with acute asthma exacerbation risk. These thresholds are used as clinical reference values in interpreting settled dust allergen test results. Our reports provide measured concentrations alongside these reference values so you understand the clinical significance of your results.

Yes. Identifying which specific allergens are elevated in your child’s bedroom and main living areas—particularly at concentrations above established asthma-sensitization thresholds—provides actionable environmental information that complements your child’s allergist’s clinical assessment. Many allergists specifically recommend home allergen assessment for children with persistent or poorly-controlled asthma to identify the environmental drivers of symptoms and guide targeted control measures.

The most evidence-based allergen reduction strategies target the specific allergens present. For dust mites: allergen-impermeable mattress and pillow encasements, maintaining bedroom humidity below 50%, weekly laundering of bedding in hot water, and replacing carpet with hard flooring in bedrooms. For pet allergens: HEPA air purification, restricting pets from sleeping areas, regular bathing of pets, and frequent washing of soft furnishings. For cockroach allergen: integrated pest management, sealed food storage, and thorough cleaning of accumulated dust. Allergen testing guides which of these investments to prioritize.