Asbestos testing Adelaide: Asbestos Air Testing
Damaged asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) can release minute fibres into the air that, if inhaled, can lead to serious health concerns.
Background monitoring is performed before beginning work on ACMs to establish ambient levels against which leaks may be identified. TEM and PCM testing are the two primary techniques for counting asbestos fibres.
Sampling
Asbestos air testing Adelaide can be used to monitor asbestos-containing materials during abatement, ensure enclosures or barriers remain undamaged after removal (post-abatement monitoring), or verify whether cleanup was successful. Furthermore, air samples can also be conducted before or after renovation work to detect whether any fibres were released into the atmosphere.
Air samples are collected through a pump which collects airborne microfibrils on an air sampling filter and delivered to a laboratory for analysis, using either phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) or transmission electron microscope (TEM). PCM is widely utilised due to its affordable costs, wide availability, rapid results and easy sample preparation process; however it does not count all present fibres as accurately. TEM offers more precise counting capabilities by counting every smallest fibre present whereas PCM does not.
TEM is the preferred analytical method for schools subject to AHERA regulations and large commercial sites, as it can identify specific types of asbestos in samples while simultaneously differentiating between various fibres so an analyst can discern whether they come from human or animal lungs.
To ensure accurate results, it is vital to carefully prepare a sample. For instance, to protect against contamination from other areas and keep fibre counts as low as possible while counting any non-asbestos particles accurately, seal off the area using plastic sheeting before beginning testing procedures. Also make sure not to disturb samples during this step in order to preserve accurate counts of fibres and particles that might otherwise escape detection.
Analysis
Asbestos background air testing is typically carried out during tasks with the potential to disturb asbestos-containing material and used to monitor its presence in the environment. Asbestos air testing Adelaide can also be conducted prior to commencing asbestos removal or remediation work and quickly provide details of any concentrations of asbestos found at sampling time.
Analysis results can be used to ascertain if airborne asbestos concentrations in a sampled area exceed or fall below the control limit, which is set at 0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre of air sampled; when achieved, this level indicates that any task or disturbance undertaken or disturbance experienced have not caused levels of asbestos inhalation that exceed those that pose potential health risks to those involved in undertaking them.
Phase contrast microscopy is an inexpensive and straightforward method for measuring asbestos concentration in the air, although it does not provide definitive identification of type. Differential counting can help differentiate between asbestos fibres and non-asbestos fibres; however this requires specialist training and equipment, making its use unrecommended except where required by regulation or when high levels of confidence are needed.
ALS offers an asbestos test kit with laboratory analysis of air samples using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This testing procedure is commonly employed by asbestos professionals and can serve as a clearance test to indicate when a building or room has been cleared of asbestos for regular reoccupation.
Reporting
Asbestos fibres can be inhaled by people inhaled them and cause severe health issues. Most commonly found in older buildings, asbestos may also be released into the atmosphere through demolition or natural decay processes.
Personal Asbestos air testing Adelaide is designed to assess levels of airborne asbestos fibres that could pose potential risks when performing tasks that disturb it. The test measures what the person wearing the equipment breathes in; any detection of elevated asbestos fibre levels could serve as an early indicator of potential health issues.
Monitoring asbestos fibre levels during asbestos removal or repair projects can provide quick confirmation that control measures are in place and provide additional reassurance during works – for instance proving that airborne levels don’t exceed acceptable limits. This type of monitoring test provides rapid confirmation that controls are in place while also acting as reassurance during any work that might generate asbestos fibres in the air.