What we test
Every test has a clinical reason to exist, an accredited lab behind it, and an external action level we compare against. If any of those three boxes is empty, we don't offer the test. Read the methodology →
Indoor Air Quality & Mold
From $275 · 2-3 hour visit · 5-7 day lab turnaround
What we sample: air samples (spore trap) in affected rooms + outdoor baseline; surface tape-lift samples on any visible suspect growth; relative humidity readings; HVAC return inspection.
Action levels: indoor:outdoor spore ratio > 1; specific genera elevation; visual + microscopic identification of Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Penicillium.
Lab: AIHA-LAP accredited environmental microbiology lab. Our partners →
When to book: persistent indoor-only allergy or asthma symptoms, water history, visible growth, musty smell, worsening symptoms in basement or specific rooms. Mold science deep dive →
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Lead Paint & Lead Dust
From $200 · 2-4 hour visit · 5-7 day lab turnaround
What we sample: XRF readings of painted surfaces (window sills, door jambs, baseboards) plus dust wipe samples per EPA TSCA §403 protocol.
Action levels: 40 µg/ft² floor / 100 µg/ft² sill / 400 µg/ft² window trough; lead paint > 1.0 mg/cm² XRF or > 0.5% by weight (EPA TSCA §401).
Lab: NLLAP-recognized lab. Inspector holds EPA Lead Renovator + Risk Assessor.
When to book: pre-1978 home with children under 6 or pregnant occupants, before any renovation, after a sibling's elevated lead level. Lead science deep dive →
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Water Quality (Standard)
From $150 · 30-45 minute visit · 5-7 day lab turnaround
What we sample: first-draw + flushed cold water from the kitchen tap; private-well water gets a separate protocol.
Tests included: lead, copper, iron, hardness, nitrate / nitrite, pH, total coliform, E. coli.
Action levels: lead > 10 µg/L (EPA Lead and Copper Rule revisions); E. coli detected in 100 mL = unsafe.
Lab: EPA-certified or ELAP-equivalent drinking water lab.
When to book: pre-1986 service line, well water, unexplained GI symptoms in the household, before pregnancy. Water quality deep dive →
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Water Quality (PFAS)
From $350 · same visit as standard water · 7-10 day lab turnaround
What we sample: first-draw cold tap, PFAS-free sample container per EPA Method 537.1 / 533.
Tests included: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, HFPO-DA (GenX), plus EPA's full PFAS NPDWR list (29 analytes).
Action levels: EPA Final NPDWR (2024): PFOA + PFOS at 4 ng/L each; combined Hazard Index for the others.
Lab: ELAP-accredited PFAS-capable lab.
When to book: live near a known PFAS source (industrial site, military base, fire-training site), unexplained liver / thyroid / immune markers, planning pregnancy.
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Allergen Mapping
From $300 · 2-3 hour visit · 7-10 day lab turnaround
What we sample: dust samples from bedroom carpet, couch, bedding, HVAC return; visual inspection for pest evidence; humidity readings.
Tests: cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1), dust mite (Der p 1, Der f 1), cockroach (Bla g 2), mouse (Mus m 1), rat (Rat n 1), plus pollen panel by season.
Action levels: 2 µg/g sensitization threshold; 8 µg/g symptomatic. Per NIH Inner-City Asthma Study and AAAAI practice parameters.
Lab: AIHA-LAP-accredited allergen lab.
When to book: diagnosed allergy or asthma with unclear trigger; new pet in the household; chronic eczema flares without dietary correlation.
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
From $295 · 1-hour active sample · 5-7 day lab turnaround
What we sample: air sample via active pump onto sorbent tube; analyzed by GC-MS for the TO-15 standard compound list (62 VOCs).
Action levels: NIOSH RELs (short-term), ATSDR MRLs (chronic). Formaldehyde specifically: 16 ppb 8-hr (NIOSH), 8 ppb chronic (ATSDR).
Lab: AIHA-LAP-accredited.
When to book: recent renovation, new furniture/cabinets, attached garage with combustion equipment, unexplained headaches or eye/throat irritation indoors.
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Particulate Matter (PM2.5 + PM10)
From $185 · 1-hour visit · same-day reading + 5-day report
What we measure: 1-hour averaged PM2.5 and PM10 at the indoor and outdoor baseline.
Action levels: EPA NAAQS (2024): 9 µg/m³ annual / 35 µg/m³ 24-hr for PM2.5.
When to book: wildfire-prone region; gas stove with no range hood; symptoms during cooking; cardiovascular or respiratory diagnosis with a doctor's request for indoor baseline.
HSA/FSA eligible: yes, with signed LMN.
Combination panels (most-booked)
Most patients with respiratory or allergic symptoms book a combination panel. The most-booked combos:
- IAQ + Allergen (from $450) — covers most persistent asthma / allergy presentations with one visit.
- IAQ + Water (from $400) — for households with both respiratory and GI complaints.
- Pre-purchase (from $500) — IAQ + Lead + Water, with 7-day turnaround guarantee.
How action levels are kept current
The action-level table on this page is reviewed every January by Canary's clinical advisory board against the latest published guidance from EPA, OSHA, AIHA, NIH, ATSDR, and the relevant clinical specialty societies. The version of the action level that applied at the time of your report is preserved on the report itself. You can always tell which threshold we used.
What we don't test
We've intentionally not added: electromagnetic field (EMF) testing, geopathic stress, "biotoxin" panels not grounded in accredited lab methods, and energy-balance audits unrelated to air quality. Each of these fails at least one of the three bars in our methodology: accredited lab, external action level, sufficient clinical literature.
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