Many buildings across North America are contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos was material of choice from the 1930s to 1970s and finally was taken off the market in 1981. It was not prohibited but rather “restricted” for use. However, some companies unknowingly kept an old stock of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) in their warehouses and used them until the supply was exhausted by the mid-80s. From time to time, our laboratory sees asbestos in buildings built as late as 1985. In the 1990s asbestos disappeared from construction products and was replaced with safer alternatives.
The purpose of Asbestos testing is to identify construction materials contaminated with asbestos (ACM) and remove them before the renovation starts. The legal limit for asbestos is different in every country, state, and province. For example, in many US states, the asbestos limit is set at 1%, while in Japan, it is 0.1%. In Ontario, the ACM is defined in Ontario Asbestos Regulation 278/5 as a material with asbestos content of 0.5% or more. The regulation is applicable to all businesses regardless of their size: from a homeowner who is hiring a contractor to do a renovation, to an engineer who is planning a major demolition project. If your business is not in Ontario, please check your state or provincial regulation to make sure that you are in compliance with local law.
These few simple steps will help you to succeed in asbestos testing:
- Plan your sampling day
- Collect samples for asbestos testing
- Submit your samples to our laboratory for analysis
- Receive your laboratory report
Planning. Make sure that you know all details of the future construction project. Talk to a construction crew to find out what materials they want to be tested. You will need to take a sample of every material that will be disturbed during the construction project. Have a floor plan of the building. Download our request for analysis form, you will need it to organize the list of samples that you send for testing. Have tool kit ready: P100 respirator, goggles, safety boots, knife, chisel, hummer, drywall saw, side cutters, ziplock bags, pen, notebook, and a permanent marker. Check your local asbestos regulation to see if it has special requirements, for example in Ontario you need to take from 3 to 5 subsamples of the same material to prove that it is asbestos-free.
Collecting the samples. Put your safety gear on. Start sampling by cutting a small piece (1/2 sq. in., or a tea-spoon size) of material of concern. Place each sample into a separate Ziploc bag and label the bags with the permanent marker like “Office Ceiling A”, “Office Ceiling B”, “Office Ceiling C”. Wright down in your notebook or put on the floor plan, locations where the samples were taken from. Continue with the next sample. If you need to take a vermiculite sample, please collect a cup of insulation as we need a larger sample for analysis.
When the samples are collected, complete the request form by adding your contact information, your project ID, select the turnaround time and list all the samples you collected on the request form. Make a copy of the request form and keep it for your records. Send the samples with the request form to our laboratory:
LCS Laboratory Inc.
700 Collip Circle, Unit 218,
London ON, N6G 4X8
(519) 777 5332
info@lcslaboratory.com
Our US and international clients, please check our recommendations for “trouble-free” international shipping here.
For in-person delivery, please check this link.
Laboratory Testing. We analyze the samples using Polarizing Light Microscopy enhanced with Dispersion Staining technique and 400-point count as described in the method EPA 600/R-93/116. Some contractors and governmental agencies may have different preferences on how the test should be done. We recommend discussing the example of our report with your contractor beforehand, to make sure that they will be satisfied with our service.
Once we complete the test, we will send you a formal report by email.
Understand your Laboratory Report. Your report consists of the letterhead and laboratory results. Check the column which is called “Asbestos Content %” and read asbestos concentration found in a sample. Compare results with the local asbestos law. Let’s discuss possible findings from the point of view of Ontario businesses, where the legal limit of asbestos is 0.5%.
- Asbestos concentration in a sample shows “<RL” (reads “Less than the Reporting Limit”). This is a legal form of saying that the lab didn’t find asbestos in the sample.
- Asbestos concentration in a sample is below the regulated limit. For example, your report shows the concentration of asbestos in Vermiculite at 0.3% Tremolite, while the regulated limit is 0.5%. This sample contains a low concentration of asbestos called “Tremolite”, but the sample IS NOT ACM.
- Asbestos concentration in a sample is higher than a regulated limit. For example, your report shows 32% of Chrysotile. This sample is definitely the ACM (Asbestos Containing Material).
About our Laboratory. All tests are performed by our accredited lab in London, ON, Canada. We are the most reputable testing laboratory in Canada with a perfect 5-Star rating on Google.
If you want to learn more about asbestos law, materials that often contain asbestos, our rush service, shipping recommendations, or prices, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any questions, please call (519) 777-5232 or email us at your convenience
