Quite often, insurance companies need to address complaints about the lingering smell of smoke. LCS laboratory offers several air quality tests that target different components of smoke:
- Vapors of formaldehyde and acrolein are eye irritants and carcinogenic compounds. They are emitted by fire damaged wood, paint, varnish and glue
- Soot particles are extremely light and can stay suspended in the air for days. Soot is produced during the active phase of a house fire
- Phenol, Guaiacol and other phenols are responsible for the characteristic smell of wood smoke
- PAH‘s are key ingredients of fire tar (pitch) and are carcinogenic when inhaled or through skin contact
- Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC as a group) is a non specific indicator of the smell. The higher concentration of TVOC in air, the stronger is the smell.
If any of those tests can be useful in your investigation, please email us to discuss your project.
