Full Service Lab

Here at Hazmat One, we have a full service asbestos lab with the following test result timelines:

• Rush - 4 or 6 hour results
• 1 Day Results
• 2 Day Results

For Mold and Lead testing we provide these time lines:

• Mold - As Soon As 2 Business Days
• Lead - As Soon As 5 Business Days

How does the process work?

While we commonly receive our samples from contractors, we do accept samples from homeowners also. If you would like one of our AHERA certified Asbestos Inspectors to come take the samples for you, we also offer that service. You can read more about it on our Asbestos Survey service information page. Many of our customers - have questions regarding Asbestos overall, so we have created an Asbestos FAQ.

Getting an Asbestos Sample

Samples are taken from the inspection area (this could be a home, office, industrial building, RV, etc...). We are looking for areas that might have Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM).
Examples of common testing areas would be:

• Walls
• Cielings
• Floors
• Roof Shingles
• The size of the sample is generally the size of a $.50 coin (which is roughly 2"x2") in order to provide enough material for our lab to test.

Who can take a sample? Well, there is a regulation called the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) that the federal government enacted in 1986. Per this set of regulations, if a person who is not AHERA certified takes their own samples, this causes a new set of issues. A home owner can technically take their own samples, if they plan on renovating their house themselves, in a DIY fashion. Other than that, a homeowner or business owner, cannot take their own samples. The results report that we generate for those samples would not be valid for anything other than information. A contractor engaged in a demolition or renovation cannot use an asbestos results report where the samples were not taken by an AHREA certified building inspector. This means that no work could happn on the home or business until new samples were taken (by an inspector who is AHERA certified) and tested by a lab.

Our Lab Testing

Our in house lab uses Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) for our asbestos testing. This requires the use of 2 different kinds of scopes.

• Stereo Scope (1st Picture) - this is used to locate bundles of fibers in the original sample. If there are no fibers seen within the Stereo Scope, then the sample does not have ACM.
• PLM Scope (2nd Picture) - this is used when the sample shows possible ACM. The PLM scope has a much higher magnification ability than the Stereo Scope. Once the sample piece is combined with the dispersion oil, it allows the lab techinician to view and separate fibers.
  The PLM Scope uses polarized light to show the fibers in different color schemes. Each asbestos fiber type has a unique color pattern to help identify it.

Results Report - Survey or Sample Testing

Depending on whether or not Hazmat One did your survey, or you brought samples to us, depends on what type of report you receive.

• Survey Results Report - this will contain detailed information regarding the home/office/building/RV that our inspector sampled from. This report will include information regarding the sample location including pictures of the exterior/interior. Inside the report, you will find the Asbestos testing detail report. This will provide the percentage of ACM found (if any), as well as the details the areas tested. For example, if we tested the popcorn ceiling in your living room, the report will detail - Popcorn Ceiling, 300 Sq. Ft., West Wall, ACM %. This report can then be used for your insurance, contractor, and any waste/refuse that is created from the work being done.
• Test Results Report - this is a smaller report, since we did not complete a survey. This report contains all the information outlined above for the Asbestos testing. This report can also be used for insurance, a contractor, and any waste/refuse generation.