Phenol
The most common components of wood smoke are Phenol, Cresol, Guaiacol, and other homologs of phenol. While Phenol is an individual chemical compound, the word “Phenols” is commonly used as group name for all aromatic alcohols commonly found in wood creosote (smoke). Phenols are formed at moderate temperatures above 300°C. LCS Laboratory Inc., can assist you in the detection of individual phenols or total phenols in the air of fire damaged buildings. The test will be performed in our laboratory by the OSHA method 32 with modification. The laboratory results should be compared with existing air quality standards. Please note, that different countries, states and provinces have different safety criteria. Some industries have their own air quality guidelines. The information below is provided for reference only, and must be verified for accuracy and applicability. If you know of any different standards, please let us know and we will share them with our readers.
Cresol
Industrial exposure limit for phenol vapor in air is 5 ppm or 19 mg/m³ (Ontario 2013) and for Cresol is 20 mg/m³, which also corresponds to about 5 ppm (Ontario 2013).
Residential exposure limits for various phenols are not available. EPA USA offer a RfC value for phenol at the level of 0.006 mg/m³ . RfC is defined as “inhalation reference concentration: An estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of a continuous inhalation exposure of a chemical to the human population through inhalation (including sensitive sub-populations), that is likely to be without risk of deleterious non-cancer effects during a lifetime”.
Odor Threshold of wood creosote is unknown. Guaiacol has the strongest odor and can be smelled at concentration as low as 0.015 mg/m³ (0.003ppm).
Guaiacol
Interpretation of laboratory results:
If the results exceed the Industrial Exposure Limit, the building must be decontaminated by a professional crew. Personal Protection Equipment must be used.
If the reading is between 10% and 50% of the Industrial Exposure Limit, smoke damage abatement is required.
If the reading exceeds the Odor Threshold, the concentration of smoke is above the comfort level (tenants may complain about odor).
If the reading is below the Odor Threshold, it is expected that the smoke is non detectable at this concentration.
If the reading is at or below the RfC value, the concentration of phenols is at a safe level and will lower with time.
air sampling pumps
Your sampling kit will include: 2 calibrated air sampling pumps, 2 air sampling tubes, 1 QC tube (travel blank), forms and manuals. The sampling takes 24 hours to achieve maximum sensitivity. The rate starts from $450 per kit, and includes equipment rental, laboratory analysis, laboratory report, and shipping to your office.
To request a formal quote, please email us the following information:
- Your First and Last Name
- Shipping Address
- Contact Phone
- Number of samples you want to collect. The number of samples is typically equal to number of rooms you want to test (you use one sampler per room, so if you want to test a basement, kitchen, and garage, you need to order 3 separate sampling kits).
- What is the date of the sampling? We will deliver equipment beforehand
- How fast do you need the results back (same day, 1-day, 2-days….). The standard turnaround time is 7 business days. If you want results faster, we can accommodate your request but you should expect a rush service surcharge
Thank you for your interest and stay safe.
