Asbestos air sampling is a type of service provided by RAMID. A large number of our customers are concerned that their ships may contain asbestos fibers or dust containing asbestos. This dust can be caused by damaged asbestos-containing materials, residues from an abatement project, or from remodeling or demolition work. When these concerns arise, we are often asked to perform asbestos air sampling or asbestos monitoring on board a ship. Below you will find general information on how these services can be performed on ships.
TEST TYPES OF AIR ASBESTOS FIBERS
Asbestos fibers in air are usually tested by one of two methods: PCM (Phase Contrast Microscopy) or TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy). The two methods are drastically different and should be understood before testing.
Phase contrast microscopy (PCM) is a method that measures only the total number of fibers in the air and does not distinguish between asbestos and other types of fibers. In addition, PCM tests do not measure the smallest fibers and can bypass significant asbestos hazards. We only conduct this test when we know there is an asbestos hazard and want to roughly estimate its content.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a method that captures even very fine fibers and reports only those that are asbestos fibers. This method allows us to really assess the hazards that may be present due to asbestos fibers in the air.
Asbestos air sampling
Asbestos air sampling
HOW ARE ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLES COLLECTED ON BOARDS?
Asbestos fibers can become airborne, settle in dust, or be transferred through the HVAC system. For this reason, it is important to understand what we are doing and choose our sampling strategy accordingly. Overall, our customers are calling for asbestos air sampling due to known or potential fiber releases in their home, office or facility. To properly assess this matter, we use a version of the AHERA purity test methodology. We intentionally aerosolize the dust in the building, keep it running throughout the testing period, and collect air samples for 8 hours. These samples are analyzed by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and the levels are assessed based on the AHERA purification guidelines.
COST OF ASBESTOS TESTING ON A SHIP
The cost of our basic air purification tests in Poland, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Lithuania.