Asbestos comprises of six naturally occurring minerals, which are soft, flexible fibers that are heat resistant. I if you happen to live in an older house, and you might be planning for renovations, it is always wiser to consider the presence of asbestos. Asbestos is considered potentially dangerous to the extent of causing cancer. It is very crucial to conduct a test to be sure if there is a presence of asbestos by contacting professionals who will give you accurate results.
Testing asbestos
There are ways in which asbestos in your home can be tested, and it is always advised that you should not conduct the test on yourself because improper collection may worsen the level of asbestos in your home. The first step should be to contact the professional to extract the samples.
Air samples
When testing the air samples, Phase Contract Microscopy (PCM) is used to determine the level of fiber concentration, which will indicate the level of asbestos in the air. The method is cost-effective and takes less time. In case the fibers are very tiny, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a very sophisticated method of determining the fiber in small air particles.
Building Material Samples
When testing the building materials, different methods are used Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) being the most used method. The technique uses unique properties of polarized light to determine the properties of the specific mineral in fibers, which makes the researcher identify the presence of asbestos.
Soil and Water Testing
This method is mostly used for investigating the environment concerning illegal dumping of waste materials, which are asbestos ridden. The soil is analyzed using PLM or TEM. The method guides in identifying the presence of asbestos in the soil and water in an area.
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