Q&A about building dust test procedure or other building dust sampling for fiberglass.

This indoor air quality testing article series describes the process for laboratory identification of particles found in indoor air or settled dust collected in residential and light-commercial buildings.

Our page top photo shows a vacuum sample of fiberglass building insulation. The bonding resin is plainly visible in our lab photo - often the color of the binding resin in fiberglass insulation helps trace insulation dust in a building back to its source. Not all fiberglass insulation includes resin binders however.

Tests of Dust to Screen for Fiberglass or Other Contaminants

These questions and answers about lab analysis of dust samples to detect unusual levels of fiberglass (insulation) fragments indoors were posted originally

at DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS - please be sure to review the advice given there.

On 2019-01-25 by (mod) - don't mistake other particles or skin cells for fiberglass contamionation

Carol

Your photo, shown here, does not show recognizable fiberglass particles, though I see an unsual level of what looks like sand or fine granular debris. A closer microscopic examination might further identify that material, but it's not fiberglass.

The background smeary material is most-likely skin cells but also could be further identified at higher magnification.

You can use the add image button to post one image per comment - they will wait in abeyance for approval by the moderator, a step needed to protect our readers and site from viruses.

I am doubtful that an air conditioner installer is the best person to diagnose your illness or to assert that you are "allergic to fiberglass".

I agree that small fiberglass particles are a possible health concern and that fiberglass as well as much other dust can be a respiratory irritant.

But you need to find a doctor you trust and listen to her. See your personal physician for a referral.

You can also consult our EXPERTS DIRECTORY

where you will find associations listing doctors who specialize in environmental medicine

at MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

When you are told that a specialist "does not treat fiberglass allergies" I ***suspect*** (since I cannot possibly know) that the physician's office or staff hear someone who may be suffering

from MORGELLONS SYNDROME - which is more psychological and stress-related than related to actual particles in the environment.

On 2019-01-23 by carol.glassman@icloud.com by Carol Glassman - fiberglass dust allergy

I wanted to send another image showing my skin breakage and hoping you can see the tiny particles of Fiberglass and I tried to magnify as much as possible. Not sure where my first image of dust found on my furniture and went or my comment.

I have been diagnosed with a fiberglass dust allergy in two hospital Emergency rooms...2 different doctors.

However, I have been unable to find a specialist to help treat the problem which is extremely painful and itchy and has caused a MRSAinfection 3 times. I live in NJ and never had a problem until storm Sandy hit the Jersey shore in 2012 and devastated my parents home in Lavalette.

I lived in North Jersey and sold my home to take care of my dad after my mom died at the end of 2014. After a week or two, my skin started to break out and itchy rashes. I was constantly diagnosed as having dermatitis which could be anything, but it wasn’t until I had a new air-conditioning system put in that I found out the truth from the worker in that company.

He told me I was allergicTo fiberglass. I had no knowledge of this at the time so I went to an emergency room and waited to see what the doctor would say. He looked at me and told me I would be in a lot of pain for a few months and when I asked him why he told me I had an allergy to fiberglass. He gave me an antibiotic, prednisone, and a cream for the itching And jotted down
The name of the specialist to see.

I called for an appointment and I was told that the specialist did not treat fiberglass allergies. I ended up Going to at least 25 or 30 more specialists of all types to no avail. I googled and read hours upon hours worth of articles on the Internet and finally realize that the emergency room doctor was correct, however, I couldn’t find anyone to treat me. Approximately three years later, I went to a different emergency room and was diagnosed with the same condition… Fiberglass allergy.

Again I was told to see a dermatologist but they didn’t treat this condition either. I have been suffering with this for over four years now and even after moving out of my parents house, I can’t find any relief or anyone who is willing or able to help me.

My family has been convinced that I am delusional and I was put into A psychiatric facility for nine days, leaving my 90-year-old blind dad alone to care for himself.

There’s a lot more to the story but the bottom line is that I still am suffering presently in a hotel keeping myself covered as much as possible to avoid getting worse but it continues to break out more with each day.

At night I can see The same heavy dust all over the room, exactly like the dust in my parents house. Because of my past experiences, I am afraid to go to another emergency room or trust another doctor. I will try to add a few photographs and pray that you can help me in someway.

Thank you for helping me and anyone else with this problem because I can tell you, as a registered nurse, there are many more people out there like me who don’t know what to do. I found 17 of them on Facebook, even from other countries.
I will wait to hear from you.

On 2018-12-12 by (mod) -

I can find some fiberglass and dust and just about every building. You might want to collect a settled dust sample using clear adhesive tape and send it to a forensic lab to ask them what are the dominant particles and whether there is any unusual level of fiberglass or anything else in the dust. But don't expect a zero fiberglass in your building

On 2018-12-11 by Susan Reed

Need to know if we have fiberglass coming into our house?

On 2018-08-09 by Ruby

Thanks again for your guidance
I spoke to EMSL again today. They confirmed I need a professional to take pump sample.

I have not found an industrial hygienist knowledgeable in indoor fiberglass particles.

The dust that bothers me comes from wall gap or duct. One honest company told me they can't help me. Too much to test. The other company just want to test mold. Water company told me they can't help me to identify what causes me sick in water. Fiberglass is my best guess.

On 2018-08-08 by (mod) -

Ruby

By emphasizing "we work with professionals" a company is also telling you (in my opinion) that the company views those professionals as their actual and true customers. In that case the company worries that if they deal with you directly, they will anger their main customers and lose business.

But yes if you speak with the homeowner "department" you might get a different response.

You do need an on-site expert for many building and environmental diagnostic problems since a homeowner will not have the breadth of experience, training, and diagnostic eye as will a professional.

But you do not need to pay an expert hundreds or thousands of dollars simply to collect a representative sample of settled indoor dust to have that sample screened for high or unusual levels of fiberglass or some other particle.

In the Continue Reading section just above see the live link titled:

Or see TEST KITS for DUST, MOLD, PARTICLE TESTS

On 2018-08-08 by Ruby

Thanks again for your guidance. Very helpful
Yes, Emsl told me they work with professionals. They may have a Dept that deals with home owners. I will speak to them again tomorrow.
Good night!

On 2018-08-08 by (mod) -

I doubt there's an economic return in trying to ID smaller particles - if there are few 1u particles, given how small particles are created from fiberglass (by damaging it) it's not likely that there are sub-micron particles - that is you wouldn't find 1/2u particles but no 1u particles.

Collecting dust should be trivial - typically using clear adhesive tape or else simply sweeping the dust into a sterile plastic container. Discuss with your lab what they will accept.

I'm disappointed in EMSL and can't explain the answer you got, but, then, perhaps they learned more about your situation than we know here.

On 2018-08-08 by Ruby

The cost of the kit includes lab work. All I need to do is to learn how to collect samples.
Is it enough to identify up to 1u or I need a lab that can identify smaller than 1u particles?

I spoke to EMSL today. They told me I need to hire a professional. EMSL is a larger Co. Thank you for taking time to help others.

On 2018-08-07 by (mod) -

Ruby the cost of a typical "fiberglass test kit" is for the lab work - the cost of the kit materials should be trivial.

If the lab is identifying particles down to 1 micron (1u) that's about as good as one can obtain with light microscopy.

On 2018-08-07 by (mod) -

Ruby said:

Hi, I posted this message but it was deleted?
I just want to know if I can buy this kit to do testing. I spoke to lab. They can test up to 1 micromillimeter. Thx

On 2018-08-07 by (mod) -

In the experts directory that you will find at the top of any of these website Pages you can find a listing for asbestos test Labs, most of whom can also test other indoor particle samples

On 2018-08-07 by Ruby

Thank you for your reply. It made me very sick. I felt nauseated at a lot. I understand you are not associated with any service provider. But do you know anyone who is experienced in this kind of issue? I found a company online but they only serve commercial customerd

On 2018-08-06 by (mod) -

Any forensic lab can, if the lab agrees to do so, use procedures to find small fiberglass particles.

Discuss how you might use clear adhesive tape to prepare a representative dust sample for your lab.

For just that task you should not need to hire a professional.

However for more thorough building inspection and possibly testing for air quality hazards you may indeed need to use an experienced professional, that can include a hygienst provided the person has specific experience and expertise with the sort of building (residentijal) and issue you are concerned about.

On 2018-08-06 by Ruby

Hello, my building recently opened the air supply duct which has caused me tremendous hardship because I believe the air that contains fiberglass fragments is blowing into my apt and choking my lungs.

They also got into water every time I turned on faucet. Attached is the pic of rooftop supply duct that is wrapped in fiberglass.
Which lab has the capacity to analyze small particle fiberglass? I live in NJ close to NY.

Do I need an environmental hygienist or the samples can be collected by myself?

If it is proved that fiberglass is in the air，what would be the best way to force condo and Mgmt company to shut down the supply duct which was not used for many years?

I am dealing with nasty property manager and do not want to be bothered board president.

On 2016-08-27 by (mod) -

Robbie:

Start with a consult with your doctor who may refer to an appropriate specialist.

If your doc agrees that it'd be helpful, you can use a tape sample to collect representative dust to send to a qualified forensic lab (please do NOT send samples to us) for analysis.

OFten that analysis can identify the dominant particles in the dust and thus suggest their probable source.

Fiberglass, if that's confirmed to be a problem in your indoor air might come from damaged fiberglass -lined HVAC ducts or from a return air air conditioning or heating air duct system that's picking up debris near a return air inlet.

On 2016-08-25 by robbie

Please could you help me I have fibre glass dust coming in from the loft and vents outside my Windows that are situated in the overhang roof .I'm itching all over and prickling the normal symptoms for exposure to this stuff but no one will believe me as they can't see it ...

I'm having to keep all Windows shut which us unbearable ..I'm at my wits end. It's got everywhere and I had to throw out all my bed linen towels and lot of my clothes ..

can't cope like this I'm having to have a fan in all say an night but no ventilation as there are open vent type slats all round the roof which overhang above all my Windows and the wind draws the air and dust in through these and inside flat an all over surfaces and fabric etc .

...

Continue reading at DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Fiberglass Hazard Articles

• DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS
• DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE
• DUST SAMPLE TYPES
• FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS
• FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - home
  • AIR FILTERS, FIBERGLASS PARTICLES
  • DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS
  • FIBERGLASS DETECTION in BUILDING AIR & DUST
  • FIBERGLASS ENVIRO-SCARE
  • FIBERGLASS FRAGMENT HAZARDS in AIR or DUST
  • FIBERGLASS INSULATION EXPOSURE LIMITS
  • FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST
  • FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTICS
  • REFERENCES, FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION EXPOSURE LIMITS
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD
• FIBERGLASS SHEDDING from MATTRESSES
• HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS
• LAB IDENTIFICATION OF FIBERGLASS
• MORGELLONS SYNDROME
• AIRBORNE PARTICLE SIZE DEFINITIONS & TYPES
• AIRBORNE PARTICLE SIZE TABLE
• PARTICULATES & INDOOR ALLERGENS [PDF]
• TEST KIT for DUST, MOLD, PARTICLES: INSTRUCTIONS

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