Respirable Dust Testing measures the number of contaminants flowing through your air duct vents—using specialized equipment, we take reading from your system and send them to a lab to determine the air quality level your air duct vents are providing your office.
Air quality can be a severe issue in a commercial setting. Dust can affect sinuses, lungs, and the entire respiratory system. Understanding the differences in filter types, dust particles and the dust measurement and dust sampling method can help maintain a safe and healthy work environment.
There are three categories of dust: thoracic, respirable and inhalable (inspirable) dust. The air we breathe contains each type of dust. The difference between the dust types is the dust particle diameter. Thoracic duct particles are under 25 microns. Respirable particles are under 10 microns in diameter. Inhalable dust particles are under 100 microns. Dust sampling methods vary, depending upon the type of dust evaluated.
There are two types of filters used in particulate monitoring (dust sampling), pre-weighted and matched weight. They make these filters from either PVC or mixed cellulose ester (MCE). PVC filters customarily see a use for gravimetric analyses due to their durability. MCE filters see use when testing for metals.
Pre-weighed filter analysis begins when the filters are equilibrated with a consistent temperature and humidity and then weighed. The filters are placed in cassettes, sealed with color-coded bands based on NADCA criteria, and labeled with an identification number.
The filters are then taken to a lab to be weighed to determine the amount of respirable dust in your air ducts. If the levels are too high, we recommend that you have your air ducts cleaned.