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Homeowner Services
EMSL has been providing Laboratory Testing Services For HomeOwners, Property Managers, Tennants & Realtors since 1981. You may submit samples in a sealed Zip Lock plastic bag for testing. Print and fill sample submissions forms and mail with samples.
Questions? Email us at INFO@EMSL.com or Call 1-800-220-3675
US Customers - Send your samples along with payment to:
EMSL Analytical, Inc. - 200 Route 130 North, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077,
You may also drive or mail or send them to the one of the 50 EMSL Lab Locations
US Labs Sample Submission Form
Canada Customers - Send your samples along with payment to EMSL Canada, Inc., 2756 Slough Street, Mississauga, ON, L4T 1G3 L5N 3L8. You may also drive or mail or send them to the one of the 50 EMSL Lab Locations
Canada Sample Submission Form and French Canada Sample Submission Form
Asbestos Testing
Asbestos Test Kit (Test for asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings, Floor Tiles, Roofing, Insulation & Building Materials)
Asbestos Dust Test Kit (Test for Asbestos in Dust, Construction Dust, Remodeling Dust, House Dust)
Vermiculite Test Kit (Test for Asbestos in Vermiculite Attic Insulation)
Submit samples today without test kits! Place one square inch of material in a sealed zip lock bag, print submission form below and send to lab for testing. Avoid creating and breating dust.
Submission Form
Submission Form or French Submission Form
Q&A for Homeowners Asbestos Testing PDF
Mold Testing
Mold Test Kit (Tape Lift and Swab Test Kits)
ERMI Mold Test Kit (Vacuum Dust Test Kit)
Submission Form
Submission Form or French Submission Form
Radon Testing
Radon Test Kit
Lead Testing (Test Paint Chips, Wipes, Air, Soil, Dust, Water for Lead)
Lead Test Kit
Submission Form
Submission Form or French Submission Form
Indoor Allergens Testing (Test for Dog, Cat, Cockroach, Rat, Mouse Allergens)
Allergen Test Kit
Submission Form
Submission FormTest for Dog, Cat, Cockroach, Rat, Mouse Allergens
Formaldehyde in Air Testing
Submission Form
Submission Form or French Submission Form
Nicotine Smoke Contamination Testing
(Cigarette, Cigar, Vape, Tobacco Smoke)
Nicotine Smoke Test Kit
Marijuana Smoke Contamination Testing
Marijuana Smoke Test Kit
Fire & Smoke Damage Testing
Fire Smoke Test Kit
METH/ClandestineTesting
Meth Test Kit
Bed Bug Testing
Bed Bug Test Kit
Chinese Drywall Testing
Chinese Drywall Test Kit
Questions? Email us at INFO@EMSL.com or Call 1-800-220-3675
ASBESTOS RESOURCES
Visit our dedicated website to Asbestos Testing
Vermiculite
Asbestos contamination in vermiculite and vermiculite products has become a national concern to many private citizens throughout the country. A tremendous amount of information has been made available to the public via print, television/radio and the Internet. EPA's vermiculite pages provides users with basic information about Vermiculite and its uses, factsheets, Question and Answer documents, reports and links to EPA Regional vermiculite pages.
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.
How Can Asbestos Affect My Health?
From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:
Lung Cancer
Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity.
A asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.
The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard.
How To Identify Materials That Contain Asbestos
You can't tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is labeled. If in doubt, treat the material as if it contains asbestos or have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. A professional should take samples for analysis, since a professional knows what to look for, and because there may be an increased health risk if fibers are released. In fact, if done incorrectly, sampling can be more hazardous than leaving the material alone.
Where Can I Find Asbestos And When Can It Be A Problem?
Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:
1. STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.
2. RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.
3. CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD, and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation.
4. DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.
5. SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling, or scraping the material.
6. PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
7. ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGLES, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled, or cut. ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS, and certain HAIRDRYERS.
8. AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS. Where Asbestos Hazards May Be Found In The Home Some roofing and siding shingles are made of asbestos cement. Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation.
Asbestos may be present in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling joints. Their use was banned in 1977. Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos. Older products such as stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds. Walls and floors around woodburning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets. Asbestos is found in some vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives. Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape. Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.