Asbestos air samples for demolition

One very important characteristic of asbestos material is that asbestos fibers can be so small that they cannot be seen without a microscope. For this reason, small asbestos fibers can remain in the air for days before settling. If asbestos fibers become airborne, they can be inhaled and lead to such serious respiratory illnesses as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. For this reason, it is important to ensure that you, your family, and/or the occupants of your building are not being dangerously exposed to asbestos fibers. The best way to do this is to have any asbestos materials that are damaged or deteriorated removed or abated. However, it is important that all removal and abatement be carried out safely. A large part of a safe removal or abatement project is proper air clearance sampling.

Air clearance sampling is conducted at the conclusion of an abatement project in order to ensure that the area is safe for re-occupation. When an abatement project is completed, the area should first be wet cleaned no fewer than three times and inspected visually to make sure that no visible asbestos dust or debris remains. After these tasks are completed, air clearance sampling should be conducted. In schools (K through 12th grade), all air clearance sampling must be performed using an aggressive technique. This means that the air inside the contained work area is agitated. This is usually done with a leaf blower. The blower is used to stir up any asbestos fibers that may have settled on horizontal surfaces. For these schools, twelve samples must be taken in total: five from different locations inside the work area, five from different locations outside of the work area, and two blank samples. Work area isolation and containment structures must not be removed until after air clearance sampling is completed. The analytical method for samples taken at schools must be performed using a method referred to as TEM. TEM stands for transmission electron microscopy. For most non-school projects, as few as three samples may be taken using non-aggressive techniques using an analytical method called PCM or Phase contrast microscopy. TEM is more costly then PCM and uses a more sophisticated high powered method of magnification.

The safety regulations for asbestos abatement and removal projects are much less stringent in buildings that have been slated for demolition. Because such buildings will not be re-occupied, they do not need to be made safe for human occupation. For this reason, there are no federal regulations which require that air clearance sampling be conducted for abatement projects in buildings which will be demolished. However, many state and local regulations may require air clearance sampling in buildings slated for demolition, so it is important to make sure that you are familiar with all state and local applicable regulations before beginning any abatement project.