★ Four Corners Regional IAQ Study — 2025–2026
What's Really
in the Air You
Breathe at Home?
in the Air You
Breathe at Home?
DEKON sampled 12 properties across Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec & Fruitland — from residential homes to a hospital emergency room — using AI-powered Sporecyte laboratory analysis. Here's what we found.
★
Sporecyte / Techcyte Lab Network · CIH-Reviewed Spore Analysis
12
Properties Sampled
29+
Sample Locations
5
Properties w/ Elevated Mold
9.2×
Peak Carbon Dust vs. Outdoor
DEKON Environmental Services LLC has been conducting indoor air quality assessments throughout the Four Corners region using Sporecyte's AI-assisted spore trap methodology — the same technology used by Certified Industrial Hygienists. Every home, office, and facility tells a different story. Some are clean. Others are not. You can't see what you're breathing — but we can measure it.
Properties in This Study
Summary Results by Location
Property
Rooms
Date
Result
Residence A
Fruitland, NM
Fruitland, NM
Living Rm
Hallway
Hallway
Dec 2025
⚠ Major
Residence B
Fruitland, NM
Fruitland, NM
Kitchen
Living Rm
Living Rm
Dec 2025
✔ Clear
Residence C
Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM
Living Rm
Basement
Basement
Jan 2026
⚠ Major
Commercial Facility
Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM
5 Zones
+ 3 surfaces
+ 3 surfaces
Feb 2026
✔ Clear
Residence D
Aztec, NM
Aztec, NM
Upstairs
Downstairs
Downstairs
Feb 2025
~ Slight
Residence E
Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM
Living Rm
Laundry
Laundry
Aug 2025
✔ Clear
Residence F
Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM
Hallway
Dining / LR
Dining / LR
Oct 2025
✔ Clear
Commercial / Office
Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM
Shop
Hallway
Hallway
Nov 2025
✔ Clear
Residence G
Bloomfield, NM
Bloomfield, NM
Hallway
Living Rm
Living Rm
Mar 2026
! Particulate
+ 3 additional properties sampled. All results anonymized. Full reports available to property owners upon request.
What Every Air Sample Measures
Water-Damage MoldsStachybotrys, Chaetomium, Ulocladium — moisture indicators
Aspergillus / PenicilliumCommon indoor/outdoor species — elevated levels are actionable
CladosporiumMost common spore type — context-dependent at elevated counts
Carbon Dust & PM2.5Respirable particulate from combustion, HVAC, and soil
Hypha & Skin FragmentsFungal growth markers and allergen indicators
Outdoor ControlEvery sample compared to simultaneous outdoor baseline
Spotlight: The Carbon Dust Problem
Indoor vs. Outdoor Carbon Dust — Selected Properties
Carbon dust in the PM2.5–PM10 range penetrates deep lung tissue. HVAC duct cleaning, MERV-13+ filtration, and combustion source identification are the primary interventions.
Notable Findings from the Study
Stachybotrys detected at Residence A (Fruitland). The hallway sample returned 13 spores/m³ of Stachybotrys — "black mold" — against zero outdoor background. The living room showed 400 spores/m³ Cladosporium (vs. 27 outdoor), triggering a MAJOR elevation result. A professional mold assessment was strongly recommended.
Residence C basement (Farmington) registered 880 total spores/m³ — 32× the outdoor control of 27 — including 173 spores/m³ Chaetomium (a water-damage indicator not found outdoors) and 360 spores/m³ Basidiospore. MAJOR result, remediation warranted.
Large commercial facility (Farmington) — All Clear. Five interior zones sampled including workstations and corridors. Every location returned NONE-level mold elevation. Three surface tape samples confirmed no active fungal growth. The facility air environment met acceptable IAQ standards at time of sampling.
Residence D (Aztec) — Slight elevation upstairs only. Asp/Pen String (67/m³) and Aspergillus/Penicillium (493/m³) detected in upstairs sample only — downstairs was clear. Indicates a localized moisture or ventilation issue confined to the upper level.
Why Indoor Air Quality Testing Matters
-
1Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. Indoor air can be 2–5× more polluted than outdoor air, according to the EPA — and most occupants have no idea.
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2Mold is invisible until it isn't. By the time you see discoloration, spore counts may already be thousands per cubic meter. Testing catches problems before they become remediation projects.
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3Carbon dust and fine particulate are under-recognized risks. Our study found multiple properties with 4–9× outdoor carbon dust levels — a direct health risk for children, elderly, and anyone with respiratory conditions.
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4A clean result is valuable too. Documentation of a healthy IAQ baseline protects property owners, supports insurance claims, and provides tenant assurance.
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5DEKON provides laboratory-certified results — not a home test kit. Every report is approved by a CIH-credentialed spore analyst and includes microscopy images.
Get Your Property Tested.
DEKON Environmental Services provides professional IAQ sampling, lab-certified Sporecyte analysis, and written findings reports for residential, commercial, and institutional properties across the Four Corners region. HAZWOPER-certified field personnel. Results typically within 3–5 business days.
40-HR HAZWOPER Certified
AHERA Building Inspector & Supervisor
OSHA Lead Supervisor Qualified
NM Contractor #417265
EPA ID NMR00032243
DOT #4411852
Lab: Sporecyte / Techcyte, Inc.