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SIGMA LAB TESTING

ASBESTOS ANALYSIS

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Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil. Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos has been used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. Asbestos has also been used in a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings.

SIGMA LAB Asbestos Testing follows strict laws and rules set by Federal, State, and Local administrations, and also applies all guidelines, and regulations for the analysis of bulk and air samples for asbestos by Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM), Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Vermiculite analysis.

How to Self-sample Asbestos?

When you sample a material in your house, please take precautions, you need to consider it as an ACM (asbestos-containing material) until we analyze it.  We always recommend hiring a professional inspector to take the samples, but you can do it by following these steps:

• Shut down any heating or cooling systems to minimize the spread of any released fibers.

• Lightly spray the area to be sampled with water to minimize the chance of releasing fibers in the air.

• Carefully cut a piece of the material collecting all layers, if it's friable a 2 to 4-tea spoon is sufficient, and if its a NOB'S 1-inch by 1-inch square piece.

• Put the sample in the zipper bag and tightly seal it to avoid any contamination.

• Use a damp paper towel to clean up around the area sampled.

• Label the bags, fill out the chain of custody (email is important), and if you have extra samples put each sample in a separate bag and label it.

      Cover or patch the area sampled to prevent any fiber release.

• We analyze asbestos samples with a PLM microscope using the EPA 600/R-93/116 method.

• The lab is not liable for the collection of samples. We provide resources and information from public agencies such as EPA and OSHA only.

About Layers:

Distinct layers of materials are considered separate samples. Most common are flooring samples, such as floor tiles and their adhesives, multiple layers of floor tiles and linoleums, or multiple layers of roofing.

Indicate the number of layers on the COC. If you include a layered sample and only want one analyzed, indicate which layer. For example, if you send a floor tile with adhesive and only want the adhesive tested, write adhesive in the sample description.

The results: 

• When the samples arrive at the Laboratory, we verify that the payment is included or has been submitted online and begin the testing process. A personal check does not delay the testing.

• You should receive the results by email within 24 hours, most likely the same day. The email will be from sigmalabtesting@gmail.com with the subject line "Asbestos test report".

• If the payment has not been received when we get the samples, we put the samples on hold and contact you by email for payment.