Analysis of asbestos in bulk materials

Do you suspect the presence of asbestos in building materials in your home ? Call Lab’eau-air-sol today ! A qualified technician will visit you as soon as possible to carry out a quick and accurate screening.

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

In what situations can Lab’EauAirSol help you with asbestos analysis in your home?

• You would like to have an estimate and know the price of an asbestos analysis.
• You suspect the presence of asbestos in the building materials of your home
• You’re planning to carry out work that could release asbestos fibres, and you’d like to have an airborne asbestos analysis carried out.
• You want to buy a house and need a report to confirm the absence or presence of asbestos
• You need a laboratory in Quebec to carry out an asbestos analysis in your home quickly and accurately, all performed 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 the occupants of a house, unless the air in the attic infiltrates 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