A little bit about Terra Scientific...

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Asbestos Analysis

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Soil

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Fibre Counting

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Sediment Control

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Total Suspended Solids

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Bench Testing

Pick up service
For all of our tests, we are happy to either collect samples for analysis from your office or provide postage bags for our nationwide clients - to make things easier for you!

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals belonging to the serpentine and amphibole mineral groups which have crystallized in the asbestiform habit, causing them to be easily separated into long, thin, flexible, strong fibres when crushed or processed. ‘Asbestos containing materials’ is the term used to describe a material which contains any of the six regulated asbestos fibrous minerals. Despite being a carcinogen, Asbestos has many useful properties including its high heat resistance, chemical resistance and tensile strength, which is why it has been heavily used in building materials prior to 2000, especially between 1960 – 1985,

If an ACM is in good condition, sealed and unlikely to be disturbed, then it presents a low health risk. However, if the ACM is in poor condition, unsealed and likely to be disturbed then this poses a high health risk due to the possibility of asbestos fibres becoming air borne. When asbestos is breathed in our lungs can’t expel those fibres and they get lodged into our lung walls which can then cause lung diseases such as Mesothelioma.
Though importing raw asbestos was banned in 1999, asbestos in ACMs was not banned until 2016 (excluding those that have an authorised import permit). Therefore, buildings built prior to 2000 should be assessed for ACMs prior to any refurbishment or demolition work and analysed by an accredited, or WorkSafe approved, laboratory.