#asbestos sampling

[consultex-environmental]

Ensuring Safety with Professional Asbestos Testing Services

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral once valued for its durability and fire resistance, is now recognized for its serious health risks. Exposure to asbestos fibers can lead to severe respiratory diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. As such, asbestos testing services are crucial for identifying and managing asbestos in residential, commercial, and industrial environments. This blog explores the importance of asbestos testing, the various methods employed, and highlights the comprehensive services offered by Consultex Environmental in Auckland.

The Importance of Asbestos Testing

Asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) were widely used in construction throughout the 20th century. Many older buildings still harbor these hazardous materials. Identifying and managing asbestos is essential to ensure the safety of occupants and workers. Asbestos testing provides several key benefits:

Health Protection: Detecting and properly managing asbestos helps prevent exposure to dangerous fibers, protecting people from potential health issues.

Regulatory Compliance: Professional asbestos testing ensures compliance with local and national regulations, avoiding legal and financial penalties.

Informed Decision-Making: Accurate asbestos testing results guide property owners and managers in making informed decisions about remediation and safety measures.

Methods of Asbestos Testing

Bulk Sample Analysis

Bulk asbestos sampling involves collecting samples of materials suspected to contain asbestos. These materials might include insulation, tiles, roofing, and more. The samples are analyzed using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), which identifies asbestos fibers based on their unique optical properties. For more precise analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) can be used to provide detailed fiber identification.

Air Monitoring

Air monitoring measures the concentration of airborne asbestos fibers, particularly during and after asbestos removal projects. This method ensures that the air quality remains within safe limits. Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) is commonly used to count fibers on a filter, while TEM provides more detailed analysis, distinguishing asbestos fibers from other airborne particles.

Dust and Soil Testing

Dust testing involves collecting dust samples from surfaces to detect asbestos contamination. This method is essential for identifying settled asbestos fibers that might not be apparent through bulk sample analysis alone. Soil testing is also crucial, particularly in areas with a history of industrial activity or improper disposal of ACMs. Soil samples are analyzed using PLM or TEM to ensure accurate detection and assessment of asbestos contamination.

Consultex Environmental: Leaders in Asbestos Testing Services

Consultex Environmental stands out as a leader in asbestos testing and hazardous material management in New Zealand. With branches in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Nelson, and Dunedin, along with the capacity to service any part of New Zealand and Australasia, Consultex Environmental offers unparalleled expertise and resources.

Comprehensive Services Offered by Consultex Environmental

Independent Testing and Assessment: Consultex Environmental provides independent testing and assessment services for asbestos and other hazardous materials in residential, commercial, and industrial sites.

Bulk Sample Analysis: Using PLM and TEM, Consultex Environmental accurately identifies asbestos in various materials, providing detailed reports essential for safe management.

Air Quality Monitoring: The company offers air monitoring services to measure airborne asbestos fibers during and after abatement projects, ensuring safe air quality levels.

Dust and Soil Testing: Consultex Environmental performs dust and soil testing to detect asbestos contamination, offering thorough environmental assessments and remediation guidance.

Commitment to Quality and Safety

As the largest privately owned company in the sector, Consultex Environmental prides itself on its resources, capacity, and ingenuity. The company's highly experienced staff deliver the best practical and solution-based services in New Zealand. Understanding the critical importance of turnaround time and accuracy in the built environment, Consultex Environmental ensures that clients receive reliable and prompt results, no matter their requirements.

Conclusion

Professional asbestos testing services are essential for managing the risks associated with asbestos exposure. By employing advanced techniques and leveraging extensive expertise, companies like Consultex Environmental provide accurate and reliable asbestos testing, ensuring health protection, regulatory compliance, and informed decision-making. In Auckland and beyond, Consultex Environmental stands out for its comprehensive and independent testing services, making it a trusted partner in safeguarding environments from the dangers of asbestos.

[askenvironmental]

Specialized Services for Asbestos Hazard Reduction

Our asbestos removal service offers tailored solutions for residential and commercial properties, addressing all forms of asbestos with precision and care. Contact us now - 888.613.3025.

[lozierenvironmentalconsulting]

Air Quality Testing and Monitoring Rochester NY

Breathe easy! Our Air Monitoring Services keep your air quality top-notch. We provide clear, easy-to-understand reports for your peace of mind. Contact us for a breath of fresh air today!

Visit: https://www.lozierenv.com/services/asbestos-abatement-air-monitoring

[shiraaddison]

Asbestos Sample Testing

Blue A LTD offers asbestos test services. Their trained and certified professionals provide samples to laboratories for analysis. They make sure to document every step of the process so you know what your testing results mean. For more information visit:  https://www.bluea.co.uk/asbestos-testing/

[overlyactivepingpongball]

spent almost $600 on rocks fossils and crystal samples at a geological exposition in the city, built an ikea display cabinet and spent two hours sorting them and displaying them

anyone that has rock collections on display, got two things i need help with

what do you use to prop up your smaller samples? i’ve got a couple plastic display stands for the flat pieces but the tiny little things like my bismuth crystal and obsidian arrowhead can’t fit so just sorta sit on the glass right now

and what do you use for dangerous samples like asbestos or pieces that have lots of toxic dust? i’ve got a lil band of asbestos that i keep in a sandwich bag but i’d like something a bit more significant that i can also prop it up and angle it with, with a better seal lmao

[dreamerlucifer]

PLZ REBLOG!! HOMELESS AND NEED HELP !!!

****UPDATE*****

Homelessness is no longer a problem, however having an asbestos problem with the basement walls and plumbing nightmares, so, that being said--

I'll also take Sketch commissions for 50.00 or more donated, just send me an ask here with proof of your donation and what you'd like me to Sketch. I specialize in animals and creature design, but my people are and anthros are pretty great too ♡♡♡

SAMPLES OF HOW THE SKETCHES LOOK:

Sample of some creatures and anthros ive drawn:

[askenvironmental]

Certified Technicians for Contaminated Site Restoration

Our biohazard clean up service offers high-quality decontamination for spaces exposed to biological hazards, from medical facilities to crime scenes. Contact us now!

[techmomma]

Various things I have learned while working at this mitigation company:

different insurance providers are more or less willing to cover more things. some companies are real lenient and will give you a lot of leeway. some will absolutely not and will find every means possible to not pay. we tend to keep an unofficial list (at least among employees) of which ones we love to work with (aka which ones will approve and pay for the most and be easiest to deal with) and which ones we hate working with (they will usually reject the claim meaning NO mitigation work is done at all because you think most regular people can afford $20K mitigation out of pocket?). you can ask us which ones we like working with.

if the overhead sprinkler system is activated, then even if nothing burned, you will still need so much mitigation. modern sprinkler systems aren't just full of water, they have various fire-fighting chemicals in them that should not come into contact with people for extended periods. and definitely not food.

not every business is willing to pay for fire sprinkler mitigation. sometimes they just decide to paint over it! one of the local grocery stores decided to do that! remember what I said about exposing those chemicals to food?

mold can start growing from a water leak within like 48 hours. faster if it's a sewage leak. if you had a leak and you waited a week to call anyone, you need a mold inspection too.

we get screwed over by churches so, so much.

all houses must be tested for asbestos before any mitigation can begin. it used to be that we only really needed to test on houses built before about 1990, but as asbestos was used in building materials LONG after that, they've finally cracked down and now all houses needed to be tested. my coworkers aren't as happy about this as I am.

if the building was built before 1978 though then we have to test for asbestos AND lead! I think we should test them all for lead frankly but the law says 1978.

asbestos and lead usually have to be removed by special companies. we use subcontractors for that since we don't have the equipment ourselves.

subcontractors! your mitigation company usually can't do everything themselves, so they'll enlist the aid of another company. so for example, when we have to test for asbestos and lead, we use a subcontractor who has the equipment to analyze samples.

generally, if you can see damage, whatever is inside the wall is so, so much worse.

there is so so much mold in like every building

even with industrial cleaners and professional equipment, mold is so hard to actually get rid of permanently. if it's gotten into an organic material like wood or cloth, you can count that as pretty much permanently affected. they will almost always be unsalvageable.

this counts for say, the wood beams of your house. we can clean them down and spray mold killer and seal them, but it'll ever be a 100% guarantee, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN A WETTER CLIMATE. LIKE, IDK, WASHINGTON.

houses on the water are so full of mold

if you have a sudden Emergency, please make sure you decide if you're going to use a mitigation before you actually call us. especially for emergencies where there's water like actively flooding your house. please, for the love of god, don't call us and say "we have an emergency and need help cleaning this up" and then call a short while later saying "well, actually, can we be put on hold, we're not sure if we'll go with mitigation yet...". our technicians are almost always working on a job, we don't have anyone just sitting around the office we can send at any time. and sometimes those jobs can be like an hour away from our office

that means the tech has to pack up their equipment on the site (meaning making sure the site is secured especially if it's going to rain), get back to the office (remember the hour drive from before), get the right equipment for your emergency, and head out there. if they've been pulled from their previous job site they had to drive an hour for, we're not going to fucking send them back.

meaning if you cancel, that's like half of our day wasted and now that other job is going to be behind, too, because they're minus an extra five hours that could have been spent doing the work for that job

please. please don't do your own mitigation work. oh my god.at the very least because sometimes insurance companies get super super picky about that and might reject your claim for it.

if you can see water damage on the other side of a wall, it means the water has gone through the drywall. the longer it's wet and uncared for--I'm talking like, 2 days or more--the more likely things will need to be removed and/or demolished. certainly after 2 days the insulation will almost certainly need to be removed and new insulation installed. this will cost money.

the older the building, the more likely anything in that building will fail at any given time. sure maybe the piping lasted 100 years but that's because it took 100 years to eat away the piping until it finally gave out on the 101st year

meaning the older the building, the more likely it becomes that you'll experience pipe bursts, leaks, electrical mishaps, sewage leaks, etc. etc.

when it comes to water mitigation, there's two kinds: cleanwater and blackwater. cleanwater is what comes out of your tap. blackwater is poopy sewage. blackwater is, without fail, a gazillion times more expensive because it will, as a requirement, involve some form of demolition. it should. that's a health hazard man. you don't know what (else) is in poopy sewage water.

if you can't have the water turned off to do any mitigation, then you HAVE to get a specialist before we can do any restoration. if the pipe is still leaking, then mitigation work will kind of be for nothing.

if you're planning on filing any claims, do that FIRST before you call anybody. the insurance company will have a list of people to call and will tell you how to go about things so that your claim is solid. filing online is fine but it's usually a good idea to have an actual name and contact information for an adjuster (the person who'll be looking at the damage and seeing what needs to be done)

don't fret. sometimes even things I thought would be totally unsalvageable were salvageable! they have lots of tips and tricks, and the technicians and their managers are usually happy to talk about their trade with you

a lot of these technicians really do care, even if they're mostly in it for the work. so many of these guys would do this because this kind of work is pure enrichment for them, but they got families to take care of. it gets genuinely frustrating sometimes to know what work needs to be done and wanting to do so, but the insurance company won't pay out, so nothing can be done.

if your insurance company is giving you the reach-around and you think they're fucking you over, there's something called the insurance commissioner. they're who you can report insurance company fuckery to and the commissioner is usually pretty on top of it. I've seen customers be fucked over for months by their insurance company call the commissioner, and within a few hours the insurance company ~*~magically~*~ has a fire lit under their ass and just so so happy to help you out.

you get what you pay for. whether construction, mitigation, whatever. you pay for cheap mitigation work, you will get cheap results.

something you really don't want cheap results for: mitigation work

things landlords are absolutely fucking notorious for: wanting cheap mitigation work. don't listen to any stupid schpiel they give you about caring or whatever work they said they put in. sure they did pay $10k for restoration work--because it was a job worth about $20k, and they went with the rock-bottom contractor who put a half-assed half day's work in that will fall apart in a few years

fuck landlords and property managers. but you already knew that if you follow me.

Lastly, if you have time to spare and want to make a technician's day, ask them what their worst or most fun job was. they are so happy to tell you.

they have so. many. stories.

[lozierenvironmentalconsulting]

Expert Asbestos Inspection & Mold Removal Services in Rochester, NY | Lozier Environmental Consulting

Lozier Environmental Consulting provides top-notch asbestos inspection, mold removal services, mold sampling, and consulting services in Rochester, NY. Our professionals are here to serve your every asbestos-related need. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!

[breadpandabread]

Today I want to vent about lab safety.

I've been working in labs for 8 years so far, from sample reception to asbestos testing and eventually manager roles and I thought I'd list a few of the most notable health and safety incidents that have occurred both while I've been working and told to me by other people I've worked with.

Crocs are not appropriate for use in a laboratory setting, especially in areas that use aqua regia.

You should not take your shoes off in the lab to rest your feet on the workbench next to the GCMS.

Don't dry your socks in the bacterial incubator.

Please do not climb a pile of stacked cool boxes because you saw a rat.

H2SO4 (Sulfuric acid) should be handled with care, do not wipe your face with your gloves on after handling.

Please do not mix H2SO4 with water, cap the quickly heating mixture, then shake it next to your face.

Don't mix a cyanide compound with acid, it forms hydrogen cyanide which is volatile.

Do not attempt to pretend to cut yourself with a knife, you will cut yourself with a knife.

Don't put your pinkie finger in the cap crimper, it will crimp your finger.

Do not remove a piece of concrete from a fume cabinet to smash it on the floor with a hammer if that concrete is in the lab for asbestos testing.

No matter how cool your secret santa present is, don't fire a crossbow in the lab.

Make sure that TOC crucibles (at 550c) are held in the pincers firmly, or they will set fire to your lab coat when they bounce into your pocket.

Don't order pet cockroaches to the lab or sample reception will freak out.

Do not sit on the delivery trollies and race around the lab on them.

When servicing a fume cupboard, don't remove your safety glasses to get a better look when there are winchesters of acid kept inside.

Do not wear your lab coat in the canteen especially when you work with raw sewage.

I'm sure I'll think of more later, but this is a few of them.

[radwolf76]

Guess what kids? It's time for yet another entry in the hyper specific poll bandwagon!

If more than one applies to you pick the most recent and put the rest in the tags.

[yahgrondu]

the guy i've been emailing with about my kitchen renovation came by with the most suspicious looking suitcase ever. he wanted to take a sample to check for asbestos but it felt like he was gonna pull out a torture device or smth 😭

[cleansingreflections]

a friend of mine just brought this to my attention so i might as well make a post about it: you might've seen videos on tiktok of someone using crushed up minerals and rocks to do their make up, and some of them use muscovite (white mica) powder as "natural" glitter

oh my god do not fucking do that ever

muscovite is a phyllosilicate, phyllosilicates are a pretty varied group, but the most common type of asbestos is chrysotile, which is also a type of phyllosilicate.

rule number one of mineralogy is that if two minerals are both common and similar to each other, you will absolutely find them next to each other, which means that mica samples might very easily have asbestos in them if you're not incredibly careful.

and while touching mica isnt inherently dangerous as you can just wash your hands afterwards, ingesting or inhaling some, which is very easy to do since it's powder that you are applying on your fucking face raw and unprocessed, might turn out even cancerous for you. please be careful

[glitchlight]

Sampling asbestos

[askenvironmental]

Quality Restoration Services for Fungal Contamination

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[landverbunny]

Did I ever mention that I like Linoleum?

Well, not sure if "like" it the correct term, but it's the stuff I grew up seeing in every grandparent's home, even the home i grew up, which was a new build, had asbestos tile (eek, I know, but it was kept in tip top condition at least). Thing is, I have far more affection for this than the vinyl flooring of the 80's, maybe because it didn't scratch up and look old in a few short years, or maybe because I longed for something that wasn't white or beige, or brown or matched with those blue-ribboned country geese. To me, this stuff was hard wearing, looked new as long as you took care of it, and it was fun! That, and it made me think of my grandmothers cookies.

The stuff above is a mix of either tiles cut to form patterns, or simply just the appearance of it (being printed). At first, I was just going to make up a red/white based flooring pack, but loved the design of the first one so much, decided to make tiling patterns for the four colour samples that I had and just include the other red/white tile flooring as a bonus.

These would pretty much look great in any high traffic area, which what they were designed for, such as: entryways, hallways, kitchens, laundry rooms, kids rooms, family rooms etc.

This can be found, and downloaded here