It's impossible to know for certain. Only a third party mold assessor can determine if there is mold in the air or on a material. This mold assessor uses air quality testing to determine if there is any airborne mold. They can also test surfaces for mold spores using slide, tape, and swab testing.
These signs can be used to determine if a mold examiner should be called in to do a formal testing.
mold inspection & testingMildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit. Molds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments, called hyphae.
If you go the DIY route while testing for black mold, you will need to purchase a mold testing kit from a hardware or home repair store, take samples of the air and affected areas yourself, and then send these in to a testing facility, which will report back as to which type of mold is present.
When testing the air for mold, the best option is typically an air pump that collects samples for evaluation in a laboratory. However, some mold test kits use collection film or petri dishes exposed to the air as a means of testing for mold.