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The Best Method to Test for Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral known for its heat resistance and insulation qualities, but also for its toxic nature. Asbestos has been linked to lung disease including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Older houses and buildings tend to have materials built with asbestos and need to be tested for this hazardous mineral before renovation or demolition.

  1. Lab Testing

    • Building materials believed to contain asbestos must be tested either in a lab setting or with a home testing kit. One method of testing for asbestos is to take a sample of the building material believed to contain asbestos to a lab that can run polarized light microscopy (PLM) tests. This is form of light microscopy that analyzes the building materials brought in for traces of the asbestos fibers. This form of testing is effective because polarized light is specific to fiber isolation, is quick and takes little preparation. A disadvantage of this method is that some amount of fibers might not be seen. This is an issue if there are only trace amounts of asbestos in the material. Also, because only a small amount of material can be used, the results may be high or low because of sampling bias.

    Do it Yourself Testing

    • If you wish to test your building for asbestos with a home testing kit you can buy one from a local hardware store. Pro-Lab makes an asbestos home testing kit whereby you collect a sample of your building materials, put it in a bag and post it to Pro-Lab where they do a PLM test. Results are back within two weeks. This is a cheap and effective method to test your home.

    Contact the EPA

    • Contacting the Environmental Protection Agency is the best method to get your home or office tested for asbestos. The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards is a division of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. The Office of Air Quality Planning is responsible for improving air standards in the U.S. If you believe your home or office may contain asbestos-filled building materials you can contact this office to get a risk assessment and a thorough test of the asbestos in the building materials.

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