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Floor tile inspection for asbestos (C) Daniel FriedmanAsbestos Testing Labs & Asbestos Sample Collection Guide
Asbestos testing services

Asbestos test lab lists: this article directs you to lists of certified asbestos testing laboratories.

Watch out: Testing for asbestos can be difficult, particularly in some materials such as flooring. Be sure to use only a certified asbestos test laboratory if you need to identify asbestos-containing materials (or probable-asbestos) in flooring and floor tiles, insulation, roofing, paints, mastics, or other asbestos-suspect products.

This article series offers help with asbestos testing, asbestos removal, and the identification and handling of asbestos insulation.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Asbestos Test Lab Lists Show Where to find an Certified Asbestos Testing Laboratory: NIST, NVLAP, & State Agencies

Below you will find a list of sources for certified asbestos testing laboratories. Why don't we just list individual asbestos lab contact information? Because labs may come and go, or gain or lose or change certifications. The asbestos test lab list sources we give in this reference are maintained by agencies charged with keeping the list and test lab certifications current.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We do not sell products nor services.

Question: where do I send a sample of my popcorn-painted ceiling to be tested for asbestos? J.P. New York City

Reply: use a certified asbestos testing laboratory listed by your home state

Most state and provincial governments regulate and certify asbestos testing laboratories, and we recommend that where there are health, legal, or cost concerns, you should only use a certified and competent asbestos testing laboratory to examine material samples for asbestos content.

Article Contents

Where to Find a Certified or Accredited Asbestos Testing Laboratory in Any U.S. State

Example of asbestos test labs listed at NIST at InspectApedia.comThe National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) maintains a listing of accredited asbestos laboratories under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).

The NIST web page given just below permits you to find accredited asbestos testing laboratories in your U.S. tate as well as listing asbestos test labs labs in other countries. Asbestos testing labs and certifications for other countries are also given further below in this article.

An NVLAP directory of accredited asbestos test labs using the PLM (Polarized Light Microscopy) test method for asbestos fiber analysis is found at

NIST ASBESTOS TEST LABS- PLM / TEM https://www-s.nist.gov/niws/index.cfm?event=directory.search#no-back

How to use this link

  1. Under "Program" select "Asbestos Fiber Analysis" then under "Country" select your country of choice, for example "United States"
  2. Press the Search button. This will show you a long list of accredited laboratories in the country you selected.
  3. Order the list by clicking City or State
  4. Get the Lab Contact Information by clicking on the Lab Code number in the left column of the liste

    Optionally, if you know the name or NVLAP code of a specific laboratory you can enter that to review its NIST NVLAP certification

Asbestos Testing Lab Accrediting Agencies

American Asbestos test lab listings in individual U.S. states

  1. "Asbestos Fact Sheet: An Information Sheet for Parties Dealing with Asbestos." Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 7 November 2007 .
  2. "Asbestos Regulation Frequently Asked Questions." Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 7 November 2007 .
  3. CA Labs, LLC, 12232 Industriplex, Suite 32, Baton Rouge LA 70809, Tel: 225-751-5632, NVLAP #200772-0, and other certifications.
  4. "Candidate Information Booklet for the Asbestos Consultant and Asbestos Contractor Licensure Examination." Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Bureau of Education and Testing. 7 November 2007 .
  5. New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, "ELAP Labs Certified for Asbestos", web search 04/16/2011, original source: http://www.wadsworth.org/labcert/elap/asbestos.html. Additional contact information for the Wadsworth Center: David Axelrod Institute Wadsworth Center NYS Department of Health P.O. Box 22002 Albany, New York 12201-2002
  6. Or contact the New York State Department of Health Corning Tower Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237 - Public Health Duty Officer Helpline 1-866-881-2809.
  7. "Asbestos Regulation Frequently Asked Questions." Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 7 November 2007 .
  8. "Candidate Information Booklet for the Asbestos Consultant and Asbestos Contractor Licensure Examination." Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Bureau of Education and Testing. 7 November 2007
  9. Western Analytical Lab, NVLAP accredited # 20037,Western Analytical Laboratory, Inc. 12734 Branford Street, #19 Arleta, CA 91331 Phone: (818) 899-0949 Fax: (818) 899-0399 Email: info@asbestostesting.com offering worldwide services [sic] Website: http://www.asbestostesting.com/
    If you live outside of the United States and would like to have samples tested for asbestos, please follow our Step-by-Step Guide [Excerpted below] for sample collection and submittal.

Example of U.S. Asbestos Test Lab Analysis & Reports

TEM photograph of 20% Chrysotile asbestos in a rectangular chip resilient flooring sample from a 1960s northern Minnesota home (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com w/ EMS LabIn 2019 we sent fourteen test samples of various materials to EMSL, a large testing laboratory with offices in multiple U.S. cities. Here are some example results.

Below is a low magnification stereoscopic microscope PLM photograph of this flooring sample, our sample ID No. 5, showing asbestos structures or "fragments" - photo by special request, prepared by EMS-Lab.

Special thanks to lab management and tecnicians at EMS Lab, a national U.S. testing laboratory who, among other services, provides asbestos testing for both environmental professionals and for the general public.

Below is the complete set of asbestos test lab results for all of our fourteen samples submitted in December 2019 and completed by 23 January 2020.

ELAP: Individual State Voluntary Lab Testing Programs for Asbestos Test Lab Certification

Example Asbestos Sample Collection Procedure

Note: depending on where you live and the specific situation, licensing may not be required to obtain an environmental sample for asbestos or other materials.

The following is excerpted from asbestos sampling procedures recommended by the U.S. EPA and published by various asbestos test laboratories including Western Analytical, a U.S. asbestos testing laboratory in California and serving international clients.

Asbestos Sample Collection

(Source: US Environmental Protection Agency)

Note: You cannot be sure that a material contains asbestos by just looking at it with a naked eye. Therefore, treat all suspect material as if they contain asbestos.

Special Notes on Asbestos Test Sample Collection for other Types of Materials

Certified Asbestos Testing Laboratories in Various Countries

List of Accredited Asbestos Test Laboratories in Australia

In Australia the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia, maintains lists of accredited service providers. Search the NATA website given below for "Asbestos Testing"

Asbestos Test Laboratories in Canada

[Citations needed] Pending a centralized Canadian list of licensed asbestos testing laboratories we list some individual Canadian asbestos test labs here. The [bracketed numbers are accreditation nunmbers under AHERA, the U.S. Public Law 99-519, Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act [1986]. Other accreditations may apply in Canada.

Asbestos Test Laboratories in India

Asbestos Test Laboratories in Korea

New Zealand Asbestos Test Laboratories

List of Accredited Asbestos Test Labs in the U.K. & Advice on Surveying & Testing for Asbestos in the UK

In the United Kingdom the U.K. Accreditation Service (UKAS) maintains a list of nearly 500 accredited asbestos testing laboratories.

Examples of Certified Asbestos Test Labs in the UK & providers of DIY Asbestos Test Kits in the UK

Asbestos Sample Collection in the UK: the Basics

Sampling for asbestos does not require a license in the UK. Here is some basic asbestos sampling advice adapted (very slight edits) from the UK Health and Safety Executive HSK:

Scandanavian Test Labs for Asbestos

Scandanavian certified asbestos testing labs are listed here.

Finland Test Labs for Asbestos

Sweden Test Labs for Asbestos

Singapore Asbestos Testing Labs

 

Example of a Certified Asbestos Material Testing Laboratory Report

As the New York State Department of Health has pointed out about ELAP Labs Certified for Asbestos:

A laboratory performing analysis for Asbestos and Fibers by optical microscopy identifies bulk asbestos using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and fibers in air using phase contrast microscopy (PCM). [1]

And even though McCrone Research and other expert sources provide reliable procedures for reliable identification of asbestos in floor tiles by polarized-light microscopy, according to that same New York agency:

Asbestos in air and asbestos in floor tiles can only be definitively identified by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses.) [1]

A possible explanation for that contradiction is that in addition to asbestos fibers there may be ultrafine non-fibrous asbestos filler material in various products that are more difficult to identify by PLM.

An example of a simple asbestos test report from a certified asbestos testing lab is shown in this

ASBESTOS TEST LAB REPORT.

However as we point out

at ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS it is often quite easy to recognize asbestos-containing materials in buildings by visual inspection. There are some "asbestos lookalike" materials that could cause confusion, and there are some materials such as floor tiles whose asbestos content cannot be identified by eye.

But other materials such as certain heating pipe insulation, asbestos millboard, certain asbestos fabricsand others, can readily be identified by eye, and other materials can be identified as likely to contain asbestos based on the product and its age or date of manufacture.

See ASBESTOS TEXTILES

Details about proper and safe removal of asbestos materials are found

at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete

and ASBESTOS REMOVAL CERTIFICATIONS.

Reader Question: where can I send a sample of the floor tile I removed without protection?

Hi where can i send a sample of the tile i removed without protection i didnt not know about asbestos was until i was watching a tv show n know it to late all the tile is up n in a bunch of pieces an triping out cus i had my little girl aroud when i was doing this i need help to determine if this tile contain asbestos there r 9x9 n r brown with black adhesive the house was built in 1962. - C.R. 3/13/2013

Reply: Where to Find a Certified or Accredited Asbestos Testing Laboratory for flooring samples: 7 Suggestions

C.R., you can use any test laboratory certified for asbestos testing. Check out the asbestos lab contact information lists we give in the article above.

Both the US EPA and many U.S. states or Canadian provinces maintain lists of currently-approved asbestos testing labs.

Most state and provincial governments regulate and certify asbestos testing laboratories, and we recommend that where there are health, legal, or cost concerns, you should only use a certified and competent asbestos testing laboratory to examine material samples for asbestos content.

If you nevertheless choose to take the samples yourself, take care not to release asbestos fibers into the air or onto yourself. Material that is in good condition and will not be disturbed (by remodeling, for example) should be left alone. Only material that is damaged or will be disturbed should be sampled.

Anyone who samples asbestos-containing materials should have as much information as possible on the handling of asbestos before sampling, and at a minimum, should observe the procedures

at ASBESTOS TESTING SAMPLE COLLECTION or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2020-09-24 - by (mod) -

1950s asbestos floor tile in Oregon (C) InspectApedia.com TiffanyQuite possibly that's an asbestos-containing floor tile; treat it as such, and if it's intact, just cover it over as you described.

On 2020-09-24 by Tiffany V.

This is in the flooring throughout our 1958 Oregon home. We plan to just lay new floor over the top. However, a previous owner laid Bamboo planks over one portion. Our hope is they did not glue it down. As if they did we would have to pull off the glued boards. Question #1 Based in age we think this could be asbestos flooring. Thoughts? Questions #2 are there health risks pulling up glued boards?

Thanks,

Tiffany

On 2020-09-16 by Adam B

So far all test are negative .

I have 8% vermiculite popcorn ceiling . I have had PLM and TEM with Grav reduction . Is there another test I should consider doing to see if the vermiculite is contaminated?

On 2020-09-12 by (mod) - lab report on asbestos-free ceiling tiles

Thanks HS

I have included your CEILING TILE ASBESTOS TEST REPORT [PDF] https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Ceiling-tile-Asbestos-Test-383-Howie.pdf

in our article

ASBESTOS-FREE CEILING TILES

On 2020-09-10 by Hs


Hi I emailed you a copy. You can discuss here, that’ll be fine. Maybe it’ll help out another homeowner.

On 2020-09-08 - by (mod) -

Use the page top or bottom contact link to send us a copy of your report by email and of course we'll be glad to post and discuss that here if that's welcome as well.

On 2020-09-08 by HS

I had a lab analysis completed on a ceiling tile and I believe it says the results are negative. If I post their results can you help me understand what I’m reading?

On 2020-08-28 by margie

Kitchen floor need to be removed due to water leak. Kentile vinyl tiles Terresque, 9 by 9, Tan TE-63. Installed 1984. Any way to know if they contain asbestos?

On 2020-08-06 - by (mod) -

Not without more information

On 2020-08-06 by Donna G T

can you tell by the image of the tile if they are asbestos?

On 2020-06-11 by coco

The building I worked in at a public school was remodeled several years ago. Some tiles were removed in the attic where the HVAC is housed. I am not sure the tiles were removed properly. They tiles were 9x9 but I know that does not necessarily mean asbestos. BUT there was a warning dangerous sign posted in the room. The floor is still black (maybe mastic). Wondering if the wood particles from the floor where the mastic remains can be tested for asbestos? I have had some respiratory problems.

Wire lath plaster system (C) InspectApedia.com Coco

On 2019-10-09 by Call

Ran across job that has 500 mcm copper core, lead sheathing around it then cloth sheathing is that common cable with asbestos in it.

On 2019-10-01 - by (mod) -

Fran

Apologies but I don't see the question.

On 2019-10-01 by Fran

thank you for the WEALTH of info on VAT, etc but of course I still have the above question .


...

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ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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