LCS Laboratory offers laboratory testing of smoke pitch deposited on surfaces as a result of a house fire.
The dark oily condensate on cold surfaces is chemically similar to coal tar pitch, and may contain Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) These chemicals are known to be carcinogenic.
Surface sampling for PAH’s is often used to to demonstrate the presence or absence of chemical residue left after a fire. We recommend using alcohol pads to collect PAH samples from non-porous surfaces such as glass, stainless steel or ceramics. Typically samples are normalized to 100 cm². The sampling procedure is similar to NIOSH 9000 with the exception, that samples are analyzed for 16 PAH’s. Please do not take samples from plastics, waxed or varnished furniture, floors, or other materials that may give a false positive result. Use a glass container for shipping, and protect your samples from direct light. Our laboratory requires a blank sample with every batch submitted for analysis.
The test can also be recommended for post-remediation assessment, and gives a good indication on the efficiency of the remediation procedure.
To discuss the project or to order a test, please email us.
