Airtrap XL instructions

Both routes rest on the same physics: air is drawn through a slit at 15 l/min, particles stick to a coated slide, and the spores on that slide are counted and identified under the microscope – the principle described in DIN ISO 16000-20. The difference is everything around the slide: who supplies what, who analyses it, how long it takes and what it adds up to over the years. This page puts the two side by side and lets you run the numbers for your own sampling volume.

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The process, step by step

Step Traditional sampling + microscopy AirTrap XL
Equipment 15 l/min pump, spore-trap cassettes and a calibration device bought separately; a lab contract for the analysis. One complete set: pump, cassettes and the prepaid return; the analysis is in the price. Calibration kit optional.
On site 5 minutes at 15 l/min per sample, one outdoor reference per property. Identical – same volume, same protocol.
Sending Pack the samples yourself, address and pay the shipment to your lab, fill in the lab's chain-of-custody form. Register the samples online, put the cassettes in the prepaid, pre-addressed envelope.
Analysis Manual microscopy by your lab; method, counting rules and report format vary from lab to lab. Slide scanned at Apacor (ISO 13485:2016), analysed in Sporecyte's ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab – AI identification, every result checked by a specialist.
Report The lab's own format; you convert counts into spores/m³ and write the comparison up yourself. Spores/m³ per genus against the outdoor reference, sampling parameters and slide images – the same layout every time, ready to attach.
Turnaround Typically several working days, depending on the lab's workload. Within 48 hours of the samples reaching the lab, plus transit.
Cost basis Pump once; cassette, lab fee and shipping per sample. Complete set once; refill packs with analysis and return envelope per 24 samples.

What it costs over 1, 2 and 5 years

Set your annual sample volume. The traditional figures are typical German list prices for a 15 l/min pump, spore-trap cassettes and external microscopy (labs quote roughly €50–90 per slide) – open the assumptions and replace them with your own quotes. Not included on either side: your time on site, travel and report writing.

100
Assumptions (editable)
Traditional sampling + microscopy
AirTrap XL (analysis included)
Period Traditional sampling + microscopy AirTrap XL (analysis included) Saving with AirTrap XL

Cumulative totals. Cassettes carry over, so AirTrap counts whole packs (1 complete set + refill packs of 24). AirTrap prices are our shop prices incl. VAT; enter the traditional figures the same way (gross or net) so the comparison holds.

Where the difference shows

  • Clearance measurements after remediation: the same volume, the same lab and the same report format on every job – results that can be compared across sites and dates. How it works.
  • Portfolio checks: one process for the whole stock, a predictable cost per sample and no lab invoices to reconcile – refill packs keep the cost per sample flat.
  • Evidence in disputes: a dated, documented sample with an accredited analysis behind it – the documented chain from cassette to report.

Independent data

In 2024 an independent laboratory ran the AirTrap XL in parallel with a widely used spore-trap cassette and the AirTrap Mini – ten comparisons on two dates, 5 minutes at 15 l/min each. On that limited data set the report calls the devices statistically equivalent, with AirTrap XL showing a narrower, more uniform deposit trace. The authors mark the data as preliminary – read the study (PDF, EN/DE). Verified collection-efficiency and d50 figures follow once the data sheets are checked.

Questions

  • Does AirTrap XL fit my pump? Any 15 l/min air sampling pump. The Sporecyte pump adds the 5-minute timer, so every sample is the same 75 litres – pumps & accessories.
  • Can my own lab read the slide? Yes – AirTrap XL is a standard slit-impaction spore trap; any lab that counts total spores can evaluate it. The packs sold here include the Sporecyte analysis; for cassettes without analysis, contact us.
  • Is the analysis really included? Yes – every pack contains one Sporecyte report per cassette and the prepaid return envelope. Sending your samples back.
  • Volume pricing? On request via the contact form.