- Environmental Scientists & Geologists
Credentialed. Independent. Inspection & Testing Only.
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enviroscientist1@gmail.com
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(509) 202-6919
enviroscientist1@gmail.com
(509) 202-6919
Asbestos testing is the laboratory analysis side of asbestos work. You cannot tell by looking whether a material contains asbestos; only lab analysis confirms or rules out asbestos-containing material. Enviro Consulting Services provides asbestos testing in Spokane, WA with sample collection by an EPA AHERA Certified inspector, chain of custody documented, and analysis performed by accredited laboratories using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) or, when required, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).Testing only. We do not perform asbestos removal, abatement, or disposal.
Keeping testing independent from abatement is what makes the lab results credible for regulators, lenders, insurers, and attorneys.
Inspectors collecting all samples.
NVLAP and AIHA-accredited laboratory partnerships.
Full range of analytical methods.
Documented on every sample.
From abatement contractors. No conflict of interest.
Formatted for regulators, lenders, insurers, attorneys.
Different scenarios call for different analytical methods. The right method depends on the material, the regulatory framework, and the decision the result will drive.
The standard method for analyzing bulk samples of suspect asbestos-containing materials. PLM identifies asbestos type (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, etc.) and estimates concentration as a percentage range. EPA method for most bulk material scenarios.
A more sensitive PLM variant used when initial results are near the regulatory threshold (below 1 percent). Point counting produces a more precise percentage estimate in the critical range.
The standard method for analyzing bulk samples of suspect asbestos-containing materials. PLM identifies asbestos type (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, etc.) and estimates concentration as a percentage range. EPA method for most bulk material scenarios.
A more sensitive PLM variant used when initial results are near the regulatory threshold (below 1 percent). Point counting produces a more precise percentage estimate in the critical range.
Before cutting, sanding, or demolishing any material in a pre-1980 building, representative samples of suspect materials should be tested. A negative result means the material can be disturbed without asbestos-specific steps; a positive result means a licensed abatement contractor is needed for the asbestos-containing materials in the work area.c
Washington State regulations require a pre-demolition asbestos survey that includes sampling and analysis of suspect materials. The lab results support the demolition notification filed with the WA Department of Labor and Industries.
A broken floor tile, a damaged pipe wrap, a renovation started without inspection: testing confirms what the disturbed material contains and informs the cleanup and documentation steps that follow.
Buyers of pre-1980 properties often scope targeted testing of specific suspect materials during the inspection contingency. A positive result for material in the work area of a planned renovation is a material consideration; a negative result is documentation that protects the buyer.
After a licensed abatement contractor completes asbestos abatement, third-party air sampling verifies that airborne fiber levels meet clearance criteria. Clearance testing should be performed by a party not holding the abatement contract.
A homeowner who has lived in a pre-1980 house for years and wants documented knowledge about a specific material (a popcorn ceiling, a 9x9 tile floor, pipe wrap in the basement): testing produces the answer without requiring a larger inspection scope.
Asbestos inspection is the visual survey of suspect asbestos-containing materials throughout a building. Asbestos testing is the laboratory analysis of samples collected during or after that inspection.
Most pre-renovation and pre-demolition scenarios require both: the inspection to identify suspect materials and determine sampling scope, and the testing to confirm whether those materials contain asbestos and at what concentration. Testing without an inspection is possible when the material and location are already identified (a specific suspect tile, a known pipe wrap) and the question is narrow.
See our Asbestos Inspection service page for scope and regulatory context.
Lab results are only as defensible as the samples they come from. Both of our inspectors hold EPA AHERA Certified Asbestos Building Inspector credentials. Samples collected by credentialed personnel following accepted protocols and documented chain of custody produce results that hold up in front of a regulator, a lender, an insurer, or opposing counsel.
Samples go to laboratories accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) for bulk asbestos analysis and by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) for air sample analysis. Accreditation is the difference between a credible lab result and a lab result a regulator can dismiss.
We perform inspection and testing only. We do not hold abatement contracts. That separation is what makes our testing data defensible in regulated scenarios; a firm that also bids on abatement has an incentive to produce findings that support the follow-on work.
The written report includes sample location, chain of custody, laboratory results, regulatory context (NESHAP and WA L&I thresholds), and a plain-language interpretation of what the data mean. Formatted to be shared directly with the WA Department of Labor and Industries, a lender, an insurer, an attorney, or a licensed abatement contractor.
Predictable. Transparent. Designed for people making decisions with real money on the line.
Samples are shipped to an accredited laboratory. Standard PLM turnaround is 3-5 business days; point counting and TEM analysis run longer. Rush turnaround is available for transaction-sensitive scopes.
We deliver a written report documenting sample locations, chain of custody, laboratory results (asbestos type and concentration), regulatory context, and a plain-language interpretation. The report is formatted to be shared directly with the audience that needs it.
Asbestos testing produces the definitive answer that visual inspection cannot: what is in the material, and at what concentration. For regulated scenarios (pre-demolition, pre-renovation, AHERA compliance), the lab result is what the regulatory framework actually requires.
A lab result is only as good as the sample it came from. A sample collected without chain of custody, without accepted protocols, or by someone without the credentials is a lab result a regulator can dismiss or opposing counsel can challenge. EPA AHERA Certified inspectors collect samples for a reason: the credential exists because the discipline matters.
Asbestos analysis is performed by labs accredited by NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) for bulk samples and by AIHA (American Industrial Hygiene Association) for air samples. Using an accredited lab is not a formality; it is the mechanism by which the analytical results are defensible under federal and state regulatory frameworks.
The firm that holds the abatement contract has an incentive to produce findings that support that contract. That is not necessarily fraudulent, but it is a conflict of interest that regulators and opposing counsel are aware of. A testing firm that does not also perform abatement has no such conflict. That is why we structure the firm the way we do.
Common triggers include a commercial property transaction that requires CERCLA All Appropriate Inquiry due diligence, a renovation or demolition project at a pre-1980 structure that requires an asbestos survey under Washington State Department of Labor and Industries rules, a development site that requires soil and groundwater characterization before permits will issue, a residential transaction where the buyer wants independent second-opinion inspection on an older home, and a concern at a property (musty odor, visible suspect material, water quality complaint) that warrants targeted testing.
Scope is built from the trigger, not from a menu. We start with a conversation about what the property is, what you are trying to do with it, and what other parties (lenders, regulators, buyers, contractors) are going to read the report. From there, we build a scope that addresses the actual question without padding it with unnecessary work.
Reports are written documents, not slide decks. For a Phase One ESA, the report follows ASTM E1527-21 format. For an asbestos inspection, the report identifies suspect materials, sample locations, lab results, and management recommendations. For a mold inspection, the report documents moisture readings, suspect areas, and recommended next steps including whether additional lab testing is appropriate. Every report is designed to be handed to a contractor, a lender, or a regulator without translation.
"You cannot tell by looking whether a material contains asbestos. Only lab analysis confirms or rules it out."
Plain-language answers to what property owners, buyers, and stakeholders ask most often before scheduling a asbestos testing.
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