Air quality testing is a test of monitoring the air quality of a specific environment. The main goal of this test is to detect and eliminate airborne contaminants. Air quality testing is done by certified environmentalist companies. It is important to ensure the air that you, your family, and your employees are breathing is completely free of asbestos and other contaminants.
What is Asbestos
Asbestos, also known as “magic mineral” because of its beneficial applications in the construction and clothing industry. Besides benefits, asbestos is among the major and lethal airborne contaminants. When remaining untouched it is harmless, but when it is disturbed it can break or crumble easily, small fibers in it can be released in the air to corrupt it. These fibers can build up in your body over a long period and you may not find it until its too late. Therefore, even a small quantity of asbestos can cause harmful effects.
Exposure to asbestos can be very toxic and long-term exposure can lead to severe health problems especially respiratory disorders and can even cause death. These microscopic fibers cannot be seen from the naked eye and anybody can inhale or ingest them without realizing it. Asbestos can act as a silent killer that’s why one must take substantial measures to eliminate it from the air. That’s why it is advisable to contact a professional to detect the presence of asbestos before building or renovating your house.
Air Quality Testing For Asbestos Detection
While performing an air quality test, a minimum of two samples must be taken. One sample is collected from the area of concern and the second sample is collected from outside or in the “controlled environment”. Once samples are collected they are shipped to a laboratory for testing. After testing is completed, a report is bestowed which inform about the degree of asbestos in the air as:
- Normal
- Moderate
- Elevated
Can HEPA Air Filters Remove Asbestos from the Air?
High-efficiency particulate air filters are specialized mechanical filters designed to sterilize indoor air by eliminating the airborne contaminants. A sheet of fiber is installed in it which is capable of capturing little contaminants.
Asbestos fibers are solid particles that vary in size between 0.7 and 90 microns, while HEPA air filters can filter particles above and below 0.3 microns. HEPA air purifier and HEPA vacuum cleaners are used by professional companies for the removal of hazardous asbestos, molds, etc to provide their costumers with pure air to breathe in.
The efficiency of the HEPA filter against asbestos:
It is possible that asbestos is coming from an open-source such as a deteriorating wall or piping insulation, cracked ceiling, drywall joint compound, or some other source. Because HEPA air filters are designed to be absolutely effective only in the absence of any open sources of particle generation, it is impossible to completely cleanse the air before the contaminated area has been detected and handled masterly by trained and experienced asbestos professionals.
Until the asbestos has been remediated, the best you can hope for with a HEPA air filter is a minor reduction in the net density of fibers in the air by achieving equilibrium between particle production and eradication.