Analysis of asbestos in bulk materials

Do you suspect the presence of asbestos in the construction materials of your building ? Call Lab’EauAirSol today. A qualified technician will visit you as soon as possible, to carry out a rapid and accurate screening.

Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was used in the construction and renovation industry between 1930 and 1990 for its durability and thermal resistance. Asbestos is found in a host of materials, including vermiculite, insulation boards, flock and plaster. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause a variety of health problems, including lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.

When can Lab’EauAirSol help you analyze asbestos in your building or factory?

• You would like to have an estimate and know the price of an asbestos analysis in your company
• You suspect the presence of asbestos in your building’s construction materials
• You are planning to carry out work in your building that could release asbestos fibres, and you would like to have an airborne asbestos analysis carried out.
• You want to buy a commercial or industrial building and need a report to confirm the absence or presence of asbestos
• You need a laboratory in Quebec to perform an asbestos analysis in your company quickly and accurately, all carried out by qualified experts in accordance with applicable standards.

Characterization of asbestos in bulk materials

In Quebec, certain provisions of the RROHS (Article 62 and Section IX.I) and the Safety Code for the Construction Industry (CSTC, Section 3.23) apply. apply when the concentration of asbestos in materials or products is at least 0.1%.^{1 To} be valid in Québec, materials must be analyzed by a laboratory recognized by the Centre d’expertise en analyses environnementales du Québec (CEAEQ), using IRSST method 244 or ^equivalent2.

Vermiculite

Some vermiculite insulation sold from the 1920s to the mid-1980s contained amphibole asbestos fibers in sufficient quantities to be considered as containing asbestos by the RROHS. Unlike most asbestos-containing products marketed in the past, the asbestos in vermiculite has not been added for its insulating properties, but is present as a contaminant. In fact, mica (vermiculite) and certain amphiboles are sometimes found in the same geological layers and are therefore recovered at the same time.

The presence of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in an attic does not, a priori, represent a health risk for occupants of a commercial or industrial building, unless the air in the attic seeps into occupied areas of the building. The same applies to walls and floors insulated with vermiculite, as long as it remains well sealed in the ^cavities3.

If vermiculite is present in the attic, avoid entering the attic without adequate respiratory protection, avoid storing objects in the attic, and avoid moving the ^vermiculite4. If contaminated vermiculite needs to be removed, it is highly recommended to call in an expert.

With LAB’EAU-AIR-SOL, your samples are analyzed in Quebec, in our laboratories, without intermediaries. This ensures that your report complies with current standards.

1. Programme CQ vrac, Institut Robert-Sauvé de Santé Sécurité au travail,http://www.irsst.qc.ca/laboratoires/programmes-reconnaissance/cq-vracconsultéonline November 22, 2016
2. Programme CQ vrac, Institut Robert-Sauvé de Santé Sécurité au travail,http://www.irsst.qc.ca/services-de-laboratoire/programmes-de-reconnaissance/cq-vrac/laboratoires-reconnusconsultéonline November 22, 2016
3. VERMICULAR INSULATION MAY CONTAIN AMPHIBOLIC ASBESTOS, Health Canada,http://moninspection.ca/pdf/VERMICULITE_SANTE_CANADA_2009.pdf, Accessed online November 22, 2016
4. Répertoire toxicologique : Vermiculite, Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail,http://www.csst.qc.ca/prevention/reptox/pages/fiche-complete.aspx?no_produit=178806, Consulted online November 22, 2016