Northern Rivers Flood Recovery
Healthcare Project
A multidisciplinary healthcare initiative supporting flood-affected families in the Northern Rivers. ERMI testing was used to screen and quantify mould exposure in water-damaged homes, informing integrated medical, psychological, and environmental care.
Delivered by
Highest ERMI Score
33.2
Broadwater — Q4 High Relative
Highest HERTSMI-2
30
Broadwater — Level 3 Dangerous
Properties Tested
6
Northern Rivers NSW
Dominant Species
A. penicillioides
Elevated in all 6 properties
Properties by ERMI Score
Broadwater
33.2
Ocean Shores
26.8
Burringbar
21.1
Bexhill
13.2
Pimlico
12.3
Mullumbimby
7.6
Key Findings
Universal driver: Aspergillus penicillioides is the dominant water-damage mould across all six sites — consistent with the humid Northern Rivers coastal climate.
ERMI vs HERTSMI-2 disconnect: Bexhill, Pimlico and Mullumbimby have relatively low ERMI scores but disproportionately high HERTSMI-2 weighting, indicating elevated risk for CIRS sufferers despite moderate overall moldiness.
Broadwater most severe: A. penicillioides at 54,346 SE/mg — 6× higher than the next worst property. HERTSMI-2 score of 30, highest in this dataset.
Mullumbimby — Level 2 Borderline: The only property at HERTSMI-2 Level 2 (score 14). Xerophile-led signature (A. penicillioides, A. restrictus) indicating sustained elevated humidity rather than catastrophic water damage.
Black mould minimal: Stachybotrys chartarum is at or below detection threshold in 5 of 6 properties — the hazard here is Aspergillus and Penicillium species, not black mould.
Species Present Across Properties — Key Organisms
Property Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of all properties by ERMI score, HERTSMI-2 score, and Group 1 mould burden.
ERMI Score by Property
ERMI Quartiles (Moldiness Index)
Q4 (>5) High Relative · all 6 properties
Q3 (0–5) Medium-High · Q2 (-4–0) Low-Medium · Q1 (<-4) Low
HERTSMI-2 Score by Property
HERTSMI-2 Levels (CIRS Risk)
Level 3 (>15) Dangerous · 5 of 6 properties
Level 2 (11–15) Borderline · 1 of 6 properties
Level 1 (<11) Statistically safe for re-entry
HERTSMI-2 Component Breakdown by Species
| Property | Collected | ERMI Score | HERTSMI-2 | Level | Sum Log G1 | Sum Log G2 |
|---|
Species Drilldown
Select any mould species to compare concentrations across all properties. The dashed line marks the HUD/EPA 2007 national survey baseline — bars above the line are elevated relative to the national average.