Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Test in Peoria, IL

A Particle ID test is a non-biased, lab-analyzed snapshot of exactly what is floating in the air you breathe at home. Unlike consumer air-quality monitors that only count particles by size, our test sends a physical air sample to an accredited lab where a mycologist identifies each particulate under a microscope and tells you what it is — pollen, soot, fiberglass, skin cells, insect fragments, charred wood, and dozens more. If something in your home is irritating your eyes, lungs, or skin, this is the test that names it. Heart of Illinois Property Services performs the sampling on-site; PriorityLab performs the analysis.

A standard mold test only looks for fungal spores. A Particle ID test looks at everything else — every non-mold particulate captured on the same type of cassette. That matters because most indoor-air complaints (chronic congestion, headaches, asthma flare-ups, "this house smells weird") aren't mold. They're a mix of combustion byproducts, building materials, fibers, skin and hair, pollen, and pest debris. Particle ID is the test that finds those root causes when a mold test comes back clean and you still feel bad.

We use a Breeze ET Lite environmental pump paired with Breeze ST sampling cassettes — the same professional sampling system we use for mold work. Each cassette pulls a 150-liter air sample at a calibrated flow rate, capturing airborne particulates on a sticky slide that is sealed and shipped to PriorityLab. Sampling is quick, quiet, and non-invasive — typical homes are completed in under an hour with no disruption to the household.

At minimum, every Particle ID inspection includes one outdoor baseline sample plus at least two indoor samples. Beyond that, we follow the lab’s recommended density of one indoor sample per 1,000 square feet of living space, with at least one sample per level on multi-story homes regardless of square footage.

All samples are analyzed by PriorityLab, a leading indoor-environmental laboratory directed by Dr. John Shane, PhD — a mycologist regarded as one of the country’s leading indoor air quality experts. Every Particle ID slide is examined under a microscope by trained analysts who count and identify each particulate type, document size and concentration, and write a Comments section that flags root-cause patterns (combustion sources, filtration failures, infiltration, occupant activity, etc.).

You receive a multi-page PDF that lists each particulate identified at every sampling location, the relative concentration, and the particle size range — smaller particles penetrate deeper into the lungs, so size matters. The Comments section translates the raw data into plain-English findings and likely sources. Outdoor and indoor samples sit side-by-side so you can immediately see which particulates are elevated indoors versus what’s just blowing around outside. See a real example: Sample Particle ID Report PDF.

PriorityLab’s analysts can identify more than 40 different airborne particulates from a single Particle ID sample, including: amorphous organic debris, dust mites, fiberglass, cellulose fibers, cotton fibers, synthetic fibers, animal hair, human hair, minerals, plant fragments, skin cells, starch grains, feather barbules, insect fragments, low-contrast amorphous, newspaper ink, salt crystals, soot, tire rubber, hardwood fragments, softwood fragments, charred plant debris, diatoms, gypsum board debris, inkjet droplets, oil droplets, silica, efflorescence, fire-related soot, glass, aluminum, iron, angular pigments, paint pigments, birch pigments, grass pigments, hickory pollen, oak pollen, pine pollen, sunflower pollen, undifferentiated pollen, walnut pollen, and witch hazel pollen.

People who order a Particle ID test usually fall into one of three groups: occupants with chronic respiratory symptoms (allergies, asthma, sinus issues, unexplained coughing), people whose doctor or allergist has asked them to identify environmental triggers, and homeowners after a wildfire-smoke event or post-renovation when something just feels off. The report can be shared directly with an allergist or pulmonologist — and is sometimes used to diagnose Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP), a serious immune response to inhaled particulates that an allergy panel alone won’t catch.

Elevated indoor particle counts almost always mean your filtration is not operating the way it should. The most common fixes are simple and inexpensive: upgrade to a MERV 10+ furnace filter, change filters more often than the manufacturer’s "up to 90 days" recommendation, and consider adding a HEPA portable unit in the room where occupants spend the most time. Combustion findings (soot, charred plant debris) point to fireplaces, candles, or nearby wildfire smoke infiltration. Construction findings (fiberglass, gypsum debris, silica) point to a recent project or unsealed building cavity. Your report’s Comments section calls these patterns out so you know where to start.

In our 8-county service area we most often see elevated levels of: pollen (especially oak, grass, and undifferentiated tree pollen during spring), fiberglass and cellulose fibers from attic and HVAC infiltration, skin cells and synthetic fibers from textile shedding, soot and charred plant debris from fireplaces and outdoor burning, and dust-mite fragments in carpeted bedrooms. Outdoor baselines pick up agricultural particulates that are normal for the region — what matters is whether they’re concentrated indoors above the outside reading.

Particle ID testing isn’t only for homes. Schools, daycares, offices, medical buildings, and any commercial space where occupants report symptoms can be tested using the same protocol — outdoor baseline, multi-point indoor sampling at one cassette per 1,000 SF, and lab analysis. We work with property managers and facility teams across Central and Northern Illinois who need documented air-quality data, not a guess.

Heart of Illinois Property Services is owned and operated by Chase Owen, who brings 12 years of real estate experience and IAC2 certification (Indoor Air Consultants) to every Particle ID inspection. Sampling is performed in person, never sub-contracted. Lab analysis is performed by Dr. John Shane, PhD — PriorityLab director and one of the country’s leading indoor air quality experts.

We perform Particle ID sampling across an 8-county footprint: Peoria, Tazewell, Fulton, and Woodford in Central Illinois, plus Ogle, La Salle, Lee, and DeKalb in Northern Illinois. That covers a roughly 2-hour radius from Peoria, including Bloomington, Pekin, Morton, East Peoria, Washington, Canton, Eureka, Metamora, Ottawa, Streator, Dixon, Rochelle, and DeKalb.

Particle ID testing is $400 standalone or $300 as an add-on to a home inspection. PriorityLab turnaround is 24 hours from sample receipt — Friday samples typically return Monday. Common questions: Do I really need a Particle ID test? If anyone in the home has unexplained respiratory symptoms, recently moved into the property, or just survived a wildfire-smoke or renovation event, yes — it’s the test that names what’s actually in your air. How often should I test? PriorityLab recommends a minimum of once per year for households with sensitive occupants, and any time conditions change (new pet, renovation, nearby wildfire, new HVAC). Should I test during a real estate transaction? Absolutely — especially if the seller is a smoker, the home has had a fire, or there’s visible evidence of moisture, pets, or pests. Does the time of year matter? For the indoor result, no — your filtration runs year-round. The outdoor baseline will reflect the season (more pollen in spring, more snow-suppressed dust in winter), and the lab compares the two regardless. How is this different from a mold test? A mold test only counts fungal spores. A Particle ID test identifies 40+ non-mold particulates that a mold test ignores. I just submitted mold samples — can I add Particle ID? Yes. PriorityLab retains samples for two weeks. If your mold report comes back clean but symptoms persist, we can request a Particle ID analysis on the same cassettes within that window. What does a sample report look like? See the full Sample Particle ID Report PDF. Can I add this to a home inspection? Yes — when bundled with a Heart of Illinois home inspection, Particle ID drops to $300.