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Asbestos and mold materials analysis Montreal
Asbestos and mold are two fierce enemies of the building. One would be tempted to believe that with the rapid evolution of technologies, men would have found a way to eradicate these two threats from everyday life. But it is not uncommon today to find traces of mold in the walls or people infected by inhaling ambient asbestos. Nevertheless, there are ways to control the presence of these pests in our environment.
What do you need to know beforehand?
It is a process to determine the amount of asbestos as well as mold present in a house or any other space frequented by men. To understand the merits of this measure, it is important to know what asbestos and mold are.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a fibrous silicate that is widely used because of its many properties that range from fire resistance and chemical aggression to its low costs. There are different varieties of asbestos that are used for many maneuvers such as thermal insulation, the manufacture of electrical wiring, pipes, car brake pads,joints or false ceilings. Asbestos fibres are also incorporated into bitumen,mixed with resins and cements.
What is mold?
Molds are microscopic fungi that grow in forms of multicellular or single-celled filaments. They develop under the influence of airhumidity, a certain temperature and low light, on dead plants and on materials that alter such as shower and sink joints.
How do I do this analysis?
Performing an asbestos and mold analysis is a fairly simple process, but at the same time very sharp and is therefore not within everyone’s reach. To achieve this, a sample must first be taken using an adequately calibrated air pump. A known volume of air is drawn through a mixed cellulose ester (ECM) filter to collect the fibers. The filters are clarified and maintained in a refraction index medium smaller or equal to 1.46 favoring fiber observation. The goal is to have a large enough sample in order to be able to count the fibers. Fiber counting is carried out using an optical microscope with capacitor for phase contrast, at a magnification of about 400X. At the end of this process, only fibers longer than 5 m will be taken into account for measurement purposes.
Why choose to do these tests?
Many people are unaware of the real impact that mould and asbestos can have on their health. As a result, they also do not perceive the imperative to conduct analyses. For the most skeptical, here is an ephemeral list of constituents in which you are likely to find asbestos.
Asbestos and mould are a real health hazard
- The dangers associated with mould are real. Many people suffer from it regularly without knowing that their ailments are due to mold. Symptoms range from influenza to respiratory diseases to lung infections,respiratory and skin allergies, coughs, etc. Etc. The most exposed are children and the elderly, as they have fragile organisms and can therefore be very susceptible to mold. Indeed, although not everyone reacts in the same way to the presence of moulds in the body,inhale Mold spores (which are invisible to the naked eye) can trigger reactions from your body like hay fever, or when your lungs are irritated, coughing. The failure to treat these symptoms and prolonged exposure to mould can therefore lead to irreversible or even fatal consequences It is therefore essential to deal with mould problems regularly.
- The dangers associated with asbestos Health effects vary depending on the size of asbestos fibres. The smaller a particle, the deeper it penetrates the respiratory system. The longer and thinner the fibers, the harder it is for the body to remove them and the more dangerous they are. The fibers retained in the lungs cause inflammation of the lung and the pleura, the envelope that surrounds the lung. The lesions will appear insidious and very progressive. This can include pulmonary fibrosis (asbestose), bronchopulmonary cancer, cancer of the pleura or localized lip disease. It appears that 10 of the bronchopulmonary cancers are related to asbestos, but it is very difficult to distinguish its influence from that of tobacco in the smoker. Asbestos is responsible for lung diseases such as asbestosis, fibrosis or sclerosis of lung tissue. It can stabilize or, on the contrary, progress and lead to respiratory failure.
As you can see, it is of paramount importance to carry out regular analyses to check for asbestos and mould in your living environment.
