Ames Environmental: Learning Center - Asbestos General Info.

What is Asbestos?

Any building material that contains greater than 1% of asbestos must be treated as asbestos containing material. (This is determined with an asbestos building inspection or through our asbestos testing only solution.)
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and is distinguished from other minerals by the fact that its crystals form into long, thin fibers. Asbestos fibers are long, narrow and bind easily with materials used in construction. Asbestos is also used in fire proofing because of its excellent heat resistance.

Why is Asbestos Harmful to your health?

Asbestos has been found to cause permanent health issues with the most potentially hazardous route of exposure being inhalation. The three main diseases that result from asbestos are asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.

Definitions of Terms:

Friable - Anything that you can condense to powder with hand pressure. (examples: acoustic plaster, fireproofing, pipe insulation, ceiling tile)
Non-friable - The asbestos fibers are typically released when the materials become damaged or disturbed. (floor tile, transite panels)

How Do I Know If I Have Asbestos?

Asbestos can be anywhere and in any type of building. You will not be able to tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is labeled. You can simply treat the material as if it contains asbestos or we can provide you with:
- Asbestos Building Inspection
- Asbestos testing Only

General Information:

Asbestos is still being mined and asbestos containing products are still being manufactured. The countries of Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Canada, Brazil, and Zimbabwe accounted for 95% of the world’s production.
Asbestos is an excellent thermal insulator, a good noise insulator, and is resistant to the effects of friction and most chemicals. The qualities that make asbestos an excellent building material also make it the environmental problem that it is today. In fact you can still buy asbestos products at your local hardware store. Therefore, your house might have asbestos, no matter its age.
Your Ames Environmental, Inc. lab report will list the material and the presence or absence of asbestos. If present, the amount of asbestos will be shown as a percent. If the sample contains greater than one percent asbestos, it is an asbestos containing material or “ACM”. Lab results are listed by the mineral name. There are six types of asbestos: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, actinolite, tremolite and anthophyllite.

Please Note:

The EPA does not recognize a safe level of asbestos exposure.

Types of Testing:

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
- Considered to be the best method for asbestos detection.
- The EPA suggests that this is the best method, but they don't require it. TEM has more sensitivity then PCM.
- Currently considered the best analytical method for identifying asbestos fibers in the air.
- Provides a definitive identification of asbestos for the small fibers found on air filters.
- Can detect much smaller fibers than PCM.
- Particularly important for clearance air samples.
- Suggested by the EPA for floor tile analysis.
Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM)
- Most commonly used form of air sample analysis.
- Does not distinguish asbestos fibers from other fibers, therefore it counts all fibers meeting the NISOH 7400 rules found on the air sample filter. It is important to remember that PCM cannot detect the smallest of asbestos fibers present in air sample filters.
Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)
- Very accurate pre-test.