Either residential or business, a fire is the most destructive force that can affect someone’s life. Usually the destruction is so obvious that no further testing is necessary. But what if the fire was contained, and damage is minimal? This is when an insurance company or tenants may need laboratory expertise to evaluate the fire damage and the level of smoke contamination.
LCS Laboratory Inc., offers hundreds of tests that allow for the evaluation air quality and to measure level of contamination caused by smoke. Smoke is a very complex mixture of chemicals, some of which, can be collected and measured. Smoke residue concentration that is detected in a house after a fire, can be used in after-fire analysis and damage estimation.
Some common questions we help to resolve are:
- Is the property still contaminated with soot?
- Is there any tar residue that can cause cancer?
- Is there a smoke odor or not?
- Is the level of organic vapors (that cause the smell) within an acceptable range?
- Was any smoke residue left behind after cleaning performed by a professional cleaning company?
- What is the level of phenols (chemicals responsible for smoke-like odor) in the air?
- What is the level of formaldehyde and acrolein (carcinogenic chemicals also known to be eye irritants) in the air of the contaminated building?
- Is the dust deposit due to fire contamination or is it a natural house or environmental dust?
These and other questions can be answered via laboratory testing. To order your test or request a quote, please email us.
