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Asbestos Advanced Kit

When the answer has to hold up, and light microscopy won't settle it. Transmission electron microscopy under a New York State ELAP method.

$249/ kit
What it tests for
  • Asbestos identification by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
  • Fibre characterisation, including crystal-structure and elemental information
  • Quantification under the applicable New York State ELAP method
Why test

Some results are genuinely equivocal — material near the 1% regulatory threshold, unusual matrices, degraded samples and composites can all produce a polarized-light result a reasonable analyst wouldn't want to stake a decision on.

And some results are going to be contested regardless of how clear they are: a property sale, an insurance claim, a contractor dispute, a tenant complaint. In each of those the other side has a reason to question the finding, and the strength of the method becomes part of the answer. This kit is for both situations — when the material is difficult, and when the stakes are.

How to collect your sample

Physically the same collection as the Standard kit — the difference is entirely in what the laboratory does with the sample. Put on gloves and the N95 respirator, use an already-loose piece where possible, and if you must cut, score with a hand blade — no power tools. Electron microscopy needs less material than light microscopy, not more, so sample size is rarely the constraint; representativeness still is.

Take the sample through the full thickness, record every distinct layer, and note on the form if this is confirming an earlier result (include the previous Sample ID if you have it). Seal, double-bag, and return in the prepaid mailer.

How the lab analyzes it

Transmission electron microscopy fires a beam of electrons through an extremely thin prepared section of the sample rather than shining light at it. Because electrons have a far shorter wavelength than visible light, the instrument resolves structures light microscopy physically cannot see.

Three things come out of that: high-resolution imaging of individual fibres, including fibres too thin for any light microscope; crystal-structure information from electron diffraction, which confirms the mineral rather than inferring it; and elemental composition, which confirms it a second way. A TEM result is not an opinion about optical behaviour — it's an identification supported by two independent physical measurements. That's why it's the method that ends arguments.

What this test does not tell you
  • A result applies only to the specific material submitted. TEM is a more definitive method, not a different question — it tells you what is in the material submitted, to a higher standard of confidence.
  • Item 198.4 is written for non-friable organically bound bulk materials and confirmatory work. For ordinary friable materials, PLM under Item 198.1 is the appropriate and far cheaper method — see the Core kit.
  • This is a laboratory analysis of the sample submitted. It is not an asbestos survey or building inspection and does not satisfy any regulatory pre-renovation survey requirement.
The Sacred Sampling standard

Laboratory data — not estimates.

Independently operated, with no ties to filter, cleanup or remediation companies. Every sample is analyzed by an accredited partner laboratory under a named, published method, with a documented chain of custody — and your data is yours.

Accredited-lab analysisNamed, published methods on real instruments.
Chain-of-custody on every kitTraceability from the moment you seal the sample.
A measurement, not a verdictWe report what the lab measured — the decision is yours.
Ready when you are

Best for: borderline PLM results, results near the 1% threshold, low-level or complex matrices, and any finding likely to be challenged.

Order today, collect the sample at home, and mail it back in the prepaid mailer.

For informational & screening purposes. This is a laboratory analysis of the sample submitted — not a medical diagnosis, building survey, or legal determination.