Asbestos Testing

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Cinnaminson, New Jersey, November 3, 2023

In August, the City of Champaign announced that two fire companies and apparatus assigned to a fire station were temporarily relocated to two other fire stations while air quality testing was conducted. Earlier in the month, a contractor servicing the water heater at the fire station noticed exposed insulation with visible dust particles on the surface. Unsure of the makeup of the particles, a sample was collected and tested, and found to contain asbestos.

City officials then took immediate steps to secure the affected area and brought in an environmental contractor to provide guidance on remediating the material. As part of that effort, the environmental contractor advised that the HVAC system at the fire station be shut down until air quality testing inside the station’s living quarters was completed.

As this case illustrates, asbestos is still regularly found in buildings that were constructed or renovated up until the 1970s. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that due to its fiber strength and heat resistance, the use of the mineral fiber was common in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. Asbestos was also used in a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products and asbestos cement products), friction products, heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets and coatings.

“Asbestos-containing materials can become friable over time and create exposure risks when these materials are disturbed,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “At EMSL, we have laboratories across North America that offer material and indoor environmental quality testing for asbestos and other regulated substances. We also offer sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits, building inspection tools, air monitoring instruments and a wide range of personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate exposure risks.”

To learn more about asbestos or other material and indoor environmental quality testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. To access asbestos and other IEQ test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com. 


About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP <797>, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOCs, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.