Asbestos air clearance sampling after an abatement
Rod Eustaquio · President, IRIS Environmental Laboratories · 11:20
Setting up pumps for final clearance, calculating volume from flow rate and run time, and what AHERA requires before you can release the space.
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After an abatement, clearance air sampling shows the space is safe to reoccupy. AHERA mandates TEM clearance after abatement in schools, before anyone moves back in, and the same TEM test is used for commercial and residential clearance.
The method and the limit
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Method | TEM, AHERA (40 CFR 763, Subpart E, App. A) |
| Clearance criterion | 70 s/mm² |
| Standard turnaround | 48 hours |
| Report | s/mm² result with clearance pass or fail |
IRIS runs AHERA TEM under NJ NELAP #20045 and NY ELAP #12738.
On site
- Use TEM cassettes for AHERA clearance. PCM by NIOSH 7400 is the method for worker exposure monitoring.
- AHERA clearance calls for aggressive sampling, using a leaf blower and fan protocol.
- For every cassette, record the location, the start and end times, and the pump flow rate. The online air COC works out total minutes and total volume in litres for you.
- On the COC, tick TEM AHERA. The same form also lists PCM (NIOSH 7400), TEM NIOSH 7402 and PCM AHERA, so check you have ticked the right one.
Shipping
Air cassettes travel at ambient temperature, with no refrigeration. Put the completed COC inside the package and ship overnight, or drop off at 2333 US-22 West, Union, NJ, Monday to Friday before 4 PM ET.
The report
You get the TEM result in s/mm², with a clearance pass or fail against the 70 s/mm² criterion.
Start the asbestos air COC, or download the air COC (PDF).
Asbestos air
PCM and TEM cassettes. Start and end time on each line, the volume is worked out for you.
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