The Benefits of SEM EDS in Asbestos Detection

Because asbestos has the ability to resist heat and corrosion, it has historically been used in a variety of products — everything from roofing, insulation, and paint to fabrics and automobile parts. Today, however, asbestos is widely recognized as a health hazard that, when inhaled in the form of tiny particles, can cause mesotheliomas, cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary, and a lung condition known as asbestosis. Because of these risks, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency highly regulate asbestos use and asbestos detection in the United States.

But exposure to asbestos fibers is still possible in a variety of scenarios, such as remodeling a home or building. Any time a material that contains asbestos is disturbed or damaged, it can release particles into the air that can then be inhaled. Therefore, asbestos detection is crucial to ensuring people’s safety, particularly before working with materials that potentially contain asbestos.

Asbestos detection

The team at BIOLAB Umweltanalysen GmbH, an environmental analysis lab in Germany specializes in asbestos detection, Because the asbestos fibers are too small to see with the naked eye, BIOLAB uses a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the material, dust, and air samples they receive. The team uses a Thermo Scientific Axia ChemiSEM Scanning Electron Microscope to capture high-resolution SEM images of the fibers in question and then perform EDS to analyze their chemical composition. When combined, this information allows them to determine if the sample contains an asbestos mineral.

Simultaneous SEM and EDS analysis

Unlike traditional SEMs, the Axia ChemiSEM System constantly collects EDS data and uses unique algorithms to process the SEM and EDS signals simultaneously, giving the BIOLAB team real-time insights into the morphology and elemental make up of their samples during the asbestos detection process.

“Preventing people from diseases which are caused by asbestos is a very, very large motivation for me and for our team,” said Joachim Koppen, a graduate geologist at BIOLAB. “If I tell them that their materials don’t contain asbestos, it’s a very good moment.”

Watch our interview with Joachim to hear why he believes the combination of SEM and EDS in asbestos detection is the best method for analyzing samples.

Learn more about the Axia ChemiSEM >>