Laboratory identification of asbestos in building materials, soil and dust, and airborne fibre monitoring, so owners, builders and removalists know what they are dealing with before work begins and when it is safe to return.
Asbestos analysis identifies whether a building material, soil or dust sample contains asbestos and which type it is. Small bulk samples are analysed in a laboratory, where fibres are identified by their optical properties. Air monitoring uses filters to count airborne fibres during and after asbestos removal, to confirm that an area is safe to reoccupy.
Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. Its fibres are strong, flexible and resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, which made it one of the most widely used building materials of the twentieth century. Australia was one of the highest users of asbestos per person in the world.
Asbestos was used in fibre cement sheeting for walls, eaves, ceilings and fences, in roofing, vinyl floor tiles and the backing of sheet vinyl, in textured ceiling coatings, insulation, pipe lagging, electrical switchboards, gaskets and many other products. It was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003, but homes and buildings constructed before 1990 are likely to contain it somewhere.
Three types of asbestos were used commercially in Australia. Chrysotile, or white asbestos, was the most common. Amosite, or brown asbestos, and crocidolite, or blue asbestos, were also used, particularly in older products and insulation.
Asbestos materials are described as non-friable, or bonded, when the fibres are locked in a material such as cement sheeting, and friable when the material can be crumbled by hand and fibres released easily. Friable asbestos poses a much higher risk.
The asbestos minerals fall into two groups. Chrysotile is a serpentine mineral, a magnesium silicate with the formula Mg3Si2O5(OH)4, whose fibres are curly and flexible. Amosite and crocidolite are amphiboles, iron rich silicates whose fibres are straight, stiff and needle-like.
What makes asbestos dangerous is the size and shape of its fibres. When asbestos materials are broken, cut, drilled, sanded or weathered, they release fibres far too small to see. Those fibres can be breathed deep into the lungs, where the body struggles to remove them. Amphibole fibres in particular persist in lung tissue for decades.
In the laboratory, bulk samples are examined under the microscope. Asbestos fibres are identified by characteristics such as their shape, colour and optical behaviour under polarised light, which differ between asbestos types and from non-asbestos fibres such as glass or cellulose. In Australia, bulk identification is carried out in line with AS 4964, the Standard method for the qualitative identification of asbestos in bulk samples.
Air monitoring works differently. A pump draws air through a membrane filter, and fibres collected on the filter are counted to give a result in fibres per millilitre of air. This is used to check exposure during removal and to confirm an area is safe afterwards.
Although asbestos has been banned for more than two decades, it remains in a very large number of Australian homes, schools, workplaces and public buildings. Most of it is bonded fibre cement that poses little risk while it is in good condition and left undisturbed.
The risk rises sharply during renovation, demolition, storm damage and fire, and in older buildings where materials have weathered. DIY renovators, tradespeople and people living in homes being worked on are the groups most likely to be exposed.
Asbestos work in Australia is regulated. Safe Work Australia's model codes of practice cover how asbestos is managed and removed, removal above set thresholds requires a licensed removalist, and friable asbestos removal requires a Class A licence. After friable removal, clearance air monitoring must show airborne fibres below 0.01 fibres per millilitre before an area is cleared for reoccupation.
Asbestos related diseases usually appear many years, often decades, after exposure. By the time symptoms appear, it is too late to prevent them.
An aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen that is strongly linked to asbestos exposure. Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world.
Asbestosis is scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaled fibres. Asbestos exposure also increases the risk of lung cancer, particularly in people who smoke.
Cutting, drilling, sanding or breaking asbestos materials releases fibres. Many people are exposed during home renovations without knowing asbestos was present.
Disturbing asbestos without identifying it can breach work health and safety obligations, contaminate a property and lead to costly clean-up.
You cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it. Laboratory identification before work begins is the only way to know.
We analyse bulk materials, dust and soil for asbestos and support air monitoring programs, with every sample tracked through our Digital Chain of Custody.
We help identify which materials to sample before renovation, demolition or purchase.
Samples are collected by trained assessors using wetting, containment and PPE to prevent fibre release.
Every sample is registered in our Digital Chain of Custody from collection through to reporting.
Each sample is reported as asbestos detected or not detected, with the type of asbestos identified.
Results identify the sample location and material, whether asbestos was detected and which type, giving owners and contractors what they need to plan work and meet their obligations.
Asbestos results are the starting point for an asbestos register, a management plan or a removal job.
| Location | Result | After removal |
|---|---|---|
| Eaves sheeting | Chrysotile detected | Removed |
| Vinyl floor tiles | Chrysotile detected | Removed |
| Pipe lagging | Amosite detected | Removed |
| Bathroom wall sheet | Not detected | Retained |
| Air, work area | During removal | <0.01 f/mL |
Illustrative results only. ND means not detected at the laboratory reporting limit.
Together with the removalist's documentation and clearance certificate, laboratory results form a complete record that the asbestos was identified and dealt with safely.
Good results start with good sampling, and with asbestos, safe sampling. We recommend that sampling is carried out by a NATA accredited company or licensed assessor, because disturbing a material to sample it can release fibres if it is not done correctly.
Friable or damaged asbestos should only be sampled by a licensed assessor or accredited professional.
We recommend asbestos sampling is carried out by a NATA accredited company, which uses the right controls and methods.
Wetting the sample area reduces the release of fibres during collection.
Only a small sample is needed. Seal the sampled area afterwards.
Seal each sample in its own bag, then a second bag, and label it with the location and material.
Record every sample in the Digital Chain of Custody and send it to the laboratory.
Straight answers to the questions we are asked most about asbestos analysis and identification. Can't find yours? Call the laboratory on 1300 522 115.
Houses built before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos in some materials. Laboratory analysis of samples is the only way to know which materials contain it.
No. Many asbestos and non-asbestos materials look identical. Samples must be identified in a laboratory.
Bonded asbestos in good condition generally poses little risk while it is undisturbed. The risk increases when it is damaged, weathered or disturbed by work.
We recommend sampling is done by a NATA accredited company or licensed assessor, and friable asbestos should never be sampled by an untrained person. Collecting a sample can itself release fibres if it is not done correctly.
The three types used commercially in Australia were chrysotile, or white asbestos, amosite, or brown asbestos, and crocidolite, or blue asbestos.
After friable asbestos removal, air is sampled and fibres counted. The area can be cleared when airborne fibres are below 0.01 fibres per millilitre and the visual inspection is satisfactory.
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