Whether you own a house or a commercial building, you may need to perform asbestos testing. If so, you need to know what testing methods are available and how to perform them safely. Below are several tips to help you perform Asbestos Testing Colorado Springs.
Several do-it-yourself asbestos testing kits are available to help homeowners determine whether asbestos is present in their homes. Although these kits are relatively inexpensive, there are a few drawbacks to this type of testing.
A few kits include advanced equipment. However, these aren’t necessarily the best options for testing for asbestos. Depending on the kit, they could expose you to hazardous asbestos fibers.
Asbestos is a flammable material that can be dangerous for both you and those around you. It’s best to have a qualified professional test your home for asbestos. Not only will they give you peace of mind, but they’ll also help make your home safer.
Performing your own testing can be hazardous. In fact, a few home kits have been found to have some major downsides. They can expose you to asbestos and don’t offer the best protection against airborne fibers.
One of the major drawbacks of do-it-yourself testing kits is the cost. Depending on the type of kit you use, you’ll pay from $10 to $35 to send a sample to a lab. While this may seem like a bargain, the cost can increase substantially once you start collecting dust samples.
Another drawback to do-it-yourself testing is the accuracy of the tests. The most cost-effective kit will only take a small sample of the suspected material. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that the samples will be representative.
It’s also not uncommon for DIY kits to not use the best equipment. For example, some kits don’t include a respirator with HEPA filters. Similarly, some kits may not include polarized light microscopy. This is one of the most common types of tests.
While there’s no question that a do-it-yourself kit is better than no test at all, it can be dangerous to try and perform one yourself. It’s also a good idea to seek the help of a professional for asbestos abatement. Asbestos removal professionals are more experienced and knowledgeable about asbestos testing and removal.
Do-it-yourself asbestos testing kits are a good way to see if asbestos is present in your home, but they may not be the best option for you.
TEM asbestos air sampling refers to laboratory analysis methods that use an electron microscope to detect and measure asbestos fibers. It is also a good tool for monitoring the air quality of an area where asbestos has been damaged or infested.
TEM has the ability to see fibers that are as small as 0.01 microns. However, it isn’t as good at detecting asbestos fibers as PCM.
PCM is the most common type of asbestos testing method. This is because it is less expensive and requires less time to analyze a sample. It can also be read instantly after a technician takes a sample.
In addition, the PCM method is a lot faster than the TEM method. OSHA believes that the PCM method is the best index of exposure because it counts all fibers with an aspect ratio of 3:1 or greater. It also counts all fibers that are larger than five microns in length. However, it is also not as accurate as TEM. It can also be skewed by non-asbestos fibers.
PCM is also less expensive than TEM. In addition, it is less likely to have a false-positive result. Also, it has a lower chance of mistaking an asbestos fiber for a non-asbestos one.
The PCM method is also the standard used by the EPA. It is the only method that the EPA and the Department of Health have approved to measure the number of asbestos fibers in the air.
The transmission electron microscopy method is the second most common asbestos testing method. It is the newest of the two and can be used in both residential and commercial properties. The air cassette is composed of cellulose ester, and multiple grids are placed along the filters. The pore size of the cassette is 0.45 um. The average clearance level for transmission electron microscopy is 70 structures per square millimeter.