Building tests for fiberglass contamination:

Tthis document provides suggestions for easy, low-cost methods to screen a building for fiberglass hazards and fiberglass insulation contamination in residential or commercial buildings.

Here we provide some suggestions regarding screening for fiberglass dust exposure in buildings in order to detect unusual or high levels of fiberglass insulation or other fiberglass fragments indoors in air or dust. We discuss both large and ultra-fine fiberglass particles and fragments and how to screen and test for fiberglass indoors.

FAQs on Screening buildings for Fiberglass Dust, Particle, or Fragment Contamination

These questions and answers about tests for fiberglass dust, fiber, or particle contamination in indoor air or dust were posted originally at FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST - be sure to see the guidance given there.

On 2018-08-31 by (mod) - handling insulation that is very contaminated with mold

Adrienne I don't know enough about your building - location, site, climate, construction, history of insect damage, to have an informed view.

Generally I would not treat for insects unless there is an insect problem.

If you know that there has been termite activity or suspect it, the best approach is to bring in a licensed pest control company to inspect the building, report on where they find damage, whether or not there is activity, whether or not there is evidence of prior treatment, and thus whether or not further treatment is warranted.

Termites do not generally invade foam insulation products but may build mud tubes along it or through its openings to reach wood material.

Using borax or borates alone to treat a termite infestation or to prevent termite attack is not likely to be sufficient and thus not effective.

If there is a termite risk, in addition to possible treatment the best approach is to start by identifying the likely causes of or sites for insect attack - such as wood close to ground and wood that gets wet - and to address those.

Search InspectApedia.com for TERMITE DAMAGE INSPECTION https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Termite_Inspection.php
and also see other key termite control or damage prevention articles found at the end of that page.

On 2018-08-31 by Adrienne - ok I understand about the moldy insulation, what about insect treatment?

howdy,
thanks for your reply. Got ya on the insulation/mold situation.
But regarding Borate treatment...had a question.

1.What should be my approach with possible Termite prevention?

I am highly sensitive to toxic herbicides/pesticides and the like. And so, i had learned that borate treatment is a non-toxic manner of prevention for termites (an mold prevention).

This recently purchased house has not been lived in for over 3 years, and I am unaware as to how disciplined they prior neglectful owners were at having termite inspections. I just figured that since the wall cavities would be open at this time, it would not hurt to use some borate/borax.

2. So, what should be my approach to termite prevention void of toxic chemicals?

3. Do termites eat or damage XPS (currently in a workshop), or closed cell foam?
Thx much

On 2018-08-30 by (mod) - get rid of moldy materials

Adrienne

The basic procedures to follow are

- remove moldy materials that can't be cleaned (insulation, drywall)

- clean the exposed cavities

- find and fix the leaks that caused the mold

- re-insulate

There is no justification for borate treatment

Fiberglass is a perfectly-good insulating material provided you have fixed the leaks.

Foam makes a tighter, more-energy-efficient structure. I like both open or closed cell foams in different circumstances. But no professional foamer wants to come to a tiny repair job - it's a money loser for them. And a DIY project is likely to be inappropriately-costly and messy too.

On 2018-08-30 by Adrienne

Hey there,
I have had wall cavity and ceiling fiberglass insulation sampled according to your exact directions, and as I suspected, the values came back as VERY high in Asp/Pen.

Of course, will be having that removed, but once I have the situation/ mold removed, what kind of levels should I expect from " clean" or "new" insulation that may contain dust from the factory, or what not?

Also, I haven't yet decided exactly what kind of insulation to replace it with, but I am leaning towards a type that is less likely to collect a lot of dust/mold or moisture easily, and one that a termite wind easily destroy.

(Ie. Either closed cell spray foam, plastic encapsulated Fiberglass baths, XPS rigid foam boards.

Can termites easily damage one or any of these types of insulation? I am trying to not do highly toxic Termite treatment, so I am considering a Borate treatment on lower lumber.

Do I need to consider any Borate treatment for any insulation that may be at lower portion of insulation I choose? Basically, let me know your take/best plan of action regarding options I listed above. Thanks for any guidance!

On 2018-05-15 by (mod) -

Any skin irritant might have a role in a hives outbreak, but so can foods, and in particular, so can stress. Before testing dust where you work, I would take the question first to your doctor.

On 2018-05-15 3 by Bonnie

Every time I go to work I get hives and on the weekends I don’t have them. I know there’s open insulation above the drop ceiling. And it’s very old could that be the reason why I get hives

On 2018-01-22 by (mod) -

Fiberglass liners in air handlers are often used, usually with a coating or foil surface to avoid releasing fibers - until some over-aggressive mechanical cleaning device is used. If the surface or covering of the insulation is damaged I'd consider that worthy of a repair.

On 2018-01-21 by Anonymous

Thank you Dan. Sounds like there are bigger things to worry about. lol I am curious though, I see that my heat exchanger in my new furnace seems to be lined with fiberglass, or at least the part sticking out from the seams is yellow fiberglass. It is likely backed with foil with the foil on the inside of the exchanger from what I have read.

But it is hard to tell. Is that normal? It seems like it would be prone to blowing fibers through one's heating system as the liner breaks down or tears over time.

On 2018-01-19 by (mod) - very small fiberglass particle hazards

8 fragments of fiberglass in an indoor dust sample would normally be completely insignificant. I find some fiberglass fragments in dust samples collected nearly all buildings.

If fiberglass is a dominant particle in a dust sample that would be significant, and if the fiberglass fragments are very small in size that too would be an important observation, possibly hinting at a health hazard and hinting that fiberglass somewhere, perhaps in an air duct, has been mechanically damaged.

For eight fibers in a dust sample I would be looking elsewhere for indoor air quality problems.

On 2018-01-18 by Patty Smith

Hi - I did a tape test for fiberglass in my home because my eyes were a little irritated and it seemed like there was fiberglass sparkles in the dust when I shone a light on my hand after running it along the floor.

I recently put in a new heating and duct system in my home. I noticed the irritation after that. My test showed 8 total count of fiberglass fibers, or a "moderate" level as they defined it. Not sure what my next step should be. Should I have someone check my furnace and ductwork? thank you for any information you can provide.

On 2016-05-30 by (mod) -

Amanda,
one can't assess the level of airborne particle exposure from just your e-text, nor whether or not there is a high level of ultra-small fiberglass particles that might be a concern.

But rather than spending on costly testing that, if not done properly, is not diagnostic nor prescriptive, why not just take some extra cleaning steps: HEPA vacuuming surfaces and washing clothing? Ask your roommate to change clothes and put the dirty ones into the washer promptly on returning home so as not to spread his dust.

On 2016-05-25 by Amanda

Roommate is doing a fiberglass removal job for some company. He's coming home in work clothes and I've started noticing shiny fibers all over the house. They've literally got to be airborne because it's getting into some pretty weird places. Is this safe? Is it serious? Or should I just ignore it? He seems to think that it's not a big deal but I don't really want it all over my stuff. I'm even finding it in my room now

On 2016-03-21 by (mod) -

Kim:

With the relama that I cannot be confident of the safety of your home by a mere e-text, yes, it would make no sense to try to remove 100% of fiberglass fragments from a home.

If a settled dust sample collected a week after your cleanup is complete does not show high levels of fiberglass in the house dust your work is done.

On 2016-03-20 by Kim

Obviously whatever I was reading then wasn't well written or perhaps they were referring to something else.

Thank you for clearing that up, I feel better knowing that I don't need to clean it to the point every particle is gone, and that it is common for buildings to have some in the dust.

I guess I'll try to be more realistic and just clean everything the best I can within reason and live with whatever is missed
Thanks for your clarification!

On 2016-03-19 by (mod) -

Kim

I'd much appreciate seeing a citation for authoritative research studying blindness caused by fiberglass exposure.

ALL buildings will have some fiberglass particles and fragments in any professionally collected dust samples. A target of zero of any particle is not reasonable.

On 2016-03-19 by Kim

Is it a big deal if we don't get all of it? I've read articles that talk about how it can cause blindness if it gets in the eyes etc

. It has me worried and aside from throwing things out, I don't see how I can be sure to get all of it. There just seems to be so many hidden places in my stuff that it can hide, and it's nearly impossible to see without using a light

On 2016-03-18 by (mod) -

Kim

In my opinion very small fiberglass particles may be hazardous, though it's the exposure level and duration that define the risk - which no one can assess by e-text. Normally laundering or drycleaning or professional laundering and dusty-area HEPA vacuuming will be adequate.

On 2016-03-18 by Kim - white fiberglass contamination

I was living with some people who were working in a saw mill and doing insulation removal from some of the equipment, tanks of some sort I think.

I moved out a few weeks after they started but in the time I was there, now everything of mine has these shiny fibers on them.

I know it was white Fiberglass, not asbestos, because they had it tested and the place was built in the late 70s.

Some of the fibers are a few cm long, others are so small that I can hardly see them using a light, say ~1 or 2 mm long.

I've been trying to clean the stuff out by doing laundry and using a vacuum with hepa filtration but it's slow and honestly I'm sure I'm missing lots.

Is this something I should really be concerned about or should I just move on and ignore it?

Thanks, look forward to hearing back. My boyfriend and I are both pretty paranoid about it

Question: testing for fiberglass contamination or hanta virus contamionation after attic insulation cleanup?

I had fiberglass bat insulation removed from attic because of rodent droppings and urine. It was wetted with bleach and water, placed in plastic bags and put through attic vent to outside. This avoided bringing bags into living area. My concerns:

1. Do I need to test air quality for fiberglass or asbestos?

2. Did some fiberglass insulation have asbestos in the 70’s and 80’s?

3. Can air conditioning distribute from attic any fibers?

4. Should there be concern from possible aerosolized mouse droppings re hanta virus?

The only furniture in house is a bed. House had been vacant since tenant moved 2 years ago. It was built in 1979 and I have owned it since 1985. - H.X. 8/5/2013

Reply

With the caveat that no one can give a reliable environmental risk assessment from an enail query and often an onsite expert will find a concern that an ower or occupant hasn't noticed,

1. air testing alone would be unreliable -

there is high minute to minute variation in airborne particle levels; and many forensic labs may fail to look for very small airborne fiberglass fragments.

I would prefer, if deciding to test, to collect one or more representative settled dust samples to screen for high levels of fiberglass . But before testing at all I'd want to have a reason.

2. Fiberglass is and was a product separate and distinct from asbestos.

Asbestos in general was not used for residential building insulation; some more solid asbestos board products were used in buildings for fireproofing.

3. Air conditioning or heating systems can move any sort of particle among building areas;

the risk is of course greater if there are leaks into the return air ducts from a suspect area.

If one thinks an HVAC system has been contaminated (say by operation when it should have been left shut down during buliding cleanup operations) one would visually inspect accessible air handler and duct interiors and check a dust or aggressive in-duct air sample.

See DUST, HVAC CONTAMINATION STUDY.

4. My inexpert OPINION and also direct experience is that even in an area that is presently dry, if it was mouse infested, there can be airborne bacterial hazards as bacteria -contaminated dust can become airborne.

The specific risk for hanta virus is harder to assess; while some sources argue that hanta virus is not uniformly distributed across North America (and I agree this seems the case), isolated cases can appear in non-Hanta-Virus-designated areas (according to a physician with whom I discussed this question a few years ago).

Before launching any costly indoor environemtal assessment you might best be served by a local expert consult to assess the risks involved.

For example, if you thought that there was dust and debris movement into the living space during the attic cleanup the risk would be greater; if there were occupant IAQ or health complaints that seem to track the attic cleanup that would also be basis for an argument to investigate further.

Finally, before spending on costly testing, given that the house is virtualy empty, it seems to me an ideal time for a thorough indoor cleaning and if appropriate, disinfection using damp mopping, wiping, HEPA vacuuming, and a check/cleaning of the HVAC system.

Watch out:  Don't let this worry about fiberglass dust or mouse borne diseases distract you from greater and more immediatel hazards such as unsafe stairs or hand railings, lack of smoke alarms, contaminated wellwater, unsafe heating or chimney equipment.

Question: surface sampling for dust contaminants is a powerful tool

(Aug 31, 2014) Bernard Fontaine, Jr., CIH, CSP said:

Surface sampling is a powerful tool if it is done right. Methodologies have been validated to evaluate the amount of particulate in a specific area of the property. These values are compared against standards and guidelines.

Surface sampling is only one evaluation tool to determine the cleanliness of an office space or other non-industrial area of the building. Individuals who are Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs)by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) are most qualified to evaluate a working environment.

Reply:

Thanks for the comments Bernard, we agree.

Surface sampling of course only addresses particles unless special methods are used to collect chemical or bacterial contaminants thereon.

My affection for surface tests of settled dust comes in part from seeing the mis-application of "air testing" in buildings - that can be rather unreliable and that can show orders of magnitude variation in detected particles under nearly identical conditions with only tiny changes in methodology.

I also agree that a CIH is the most qualified person for investigation of most industrial or work environments.

What less technically-trained but more broadly-trained building professionals such as home inspectors (real ones, not pro-forma ones) have to offer is familiarity with building science, where leaks occur, water and air movement, building materials and methods that tend to cause contaminant problems or IAQ problems, and the operation of mechanical systems.

It's also worth noting that IH standards have been written mostly for the work environment not for homes and other residences.

The procedures used by these professionals can be immensely helpful in bringing dispassionate science to all building investigations, but an understanding of basic building science, building construction, materials, and forensic investigation are also essential in these non-workplace environments.

...

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