Asbestos in air

Generally speaking, the analysis of asbestos in the air must be performed during asbestos removal, or in certain specific cases, in occupied buildings.

In Switzerland, the search for asbestos in the air must be performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For this, a sample must be taken according to standard VDI 3492, then the filter is treated and observed using SEM. The asbestos fibres are counted and characterised using X-ray dispersion spectrometry. The concentration is then statistically calculated according to the information provided on the sample.