Asbestos testing

Asbestos is a group of fibrous, naturally occurring, minerals. Asbestos has been mined and used for many purposes due to some valuable characteristics:

• high tensile strength
• very good thermal and electrical insulation properties
• resistance to chemicals
• long fibers - can be woven into fabric or mats
• large specific surface giving high absorptive capacity

Asbestos in homes generally occurs as the result of damaged, degraded or disturbed bulk building materials such as floor or ceiling tiles, insulation, caulking, drywall skim coats, etc. If these materials contain asbestos fibers, they may be released into the atmosphere posing a potential inhalation risk to those inside. Asbestos fibers are microscopic; too small to be seen by the naked eye. Therefore, the only way to determine if there are possible asbestos containing materials (PACM) in your home is to sample any suspected material and have it analyzed by a laboratory certified in asbestos analysis of bulk building materials.

The following procedure is recommended for sampling PACM for asbestos: 

1. Wear a single use mask approved by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and disposable gloves and protective clothing.
2. Turn off ventilation systems in the room and seal off the area to minimize the spread of any released fibres. Place a plastic sheet on the floor below the area where the sample is to be taken.
3. Spray the material to be sampled with a fine mist of water to prevent any loose fibers from becoming airborne.
4. A 3X3inch piece of material or 1 Tbsp of loose material is sufficient for analysis.
5. Be sure to penetrate any paint or protective coatings and sample all layers of the material. 
6. Place each individual sample in its own “zip-lock” type sealable plastic bag to contain the sample and mark it with a unique sample identifier or description (e.g. “bathroom tile”).
7. After sampling, cover the exposed region with adhesive aluminium foil tape.
8. Clean the sampling area using a damp cloth, not a vacuum cleaner, and seal the asbestos waste, gloves, mask and cloth in a plastic bag for disposal. Check with your local municipality on how to dispose of possible asbestos-containing waste. Wash clothing separately and shower after completing the work.
9. Chains of custody are available on the ALS website.
10. Ship or deliver the samples and chain of custody to your nearest ALS laboratory for analysis.

Tiny, thin asbestos fibers may be inhaled and can become stuck in the lung tissue. The fibers do not dissolve, but keep irritating and over time altering the tissue. Depending on how severe these alterations become, various diseases can develop, e.g.:

• pleural plaques (scarring of the membranes lining the lung and chest)
• asbestosis (the amount of connective tissue in the lungs increase, causing breathing abnormalities)
• mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer in the membranes lining the chest and the abdominal cavity)

Please contact ALS on telephone 513-733-5336 or use our contact form here. More information about ALS can be found on www.alsglobal.com

There is currently no ban on the use of asbestos in products in the US. However, it is agreed that asbestos presents a threat to human health when inhaled. Therefore, asbestos is a regulated air pollutant and many applications have been banned by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

No, there is no holding time for asbestos samples.

The report from the laboratory for PACM provides a general physical description of the bulk building material submitted for analysis with regard to homogeneity, color, texture, etc.  ALS reports asbestos as a percentage by type and total asbestos present.

Possible outcomes for the analysis of PACM for asbestos include results as ND (None Detected), Trace (<1%), and >1% (estimated in percentage ranges). A sample reported as ND is considered non-asbestos and no action is required. A sample reported as Trace indicates that asbestos was detected, but some amount less than 1% of the total composition of the material submitted. Samples reported as containing asbestos at some level >1% are considered asbestos containing materials (ACM).  Since asbestos is only considered hazardous when inhaled, as long as the ACM is undamaged and undisturbed, and there is no danger of fibers becoming airborne, then no immediate action is necessary. However, if the ACM is damaged or disturbed and there is potential for fiber release into the air, then a professional asbestos removal company should be contacted immediately. Further testing of the material, the air, and/or settled dust may be necessary.

Asbestos analysis of bulk building materials cost is dependent on the sample type since the procedures necessary to prepare the sample for analysis differ from sample to sample. Some compact materials can be ground by mortar and pestle prior to analysis, other flexible or resinous materials must be ashed in a muffle furnace to remove organic binders, some cementitious materials may require acid digestion to remove mineral carbonates, and still others may require both ashing and acid digestion before they can be analyzed. A single PACM sample typically costs less than $ 30 to test for asbestos. However, more advanced preparation and analytical methods will incur higher costs.  Analysis of indoor air samples, settled dust samples, vermiculite insulation samples, soil samples and water samples for asbestos require preparation and analysis according to the methods developed for those individual sample types and can cost anywhere from $100-$200 per sample.

Standard reporting time for asbestos in PACM samples is 5 working days. More complex asbestos testing may require up to 10 working days to complete. Rush requests can be accommodated for a 100% surcharge and analysis are completed ASAP.

Yes, the ALS is accredited for asbestos analysis by several accrediting bodies for a variety of asbestos analyses. Please contact the ALS QA/QC Manager for a complete list of all our certifications.