Count of inorganic asbestos fibers in air by Scanning Electron Microscopy with microanalysis (SEM-EDS), in accordance with ISO 14966:2019. This is the recommended technique for assessing worker exposure and certifying clean areas.

With the asbestos OEL (8-hour TWA) at 0.01 fibers/cm³, UNE-EN 689 requires being able to quantify down to 10% of that value (0.001 fibers/cm³). SEM-EDS reaches that level with feasible sampling volumes—around 1,080 L of air, versus the more than 5,000 L the optical method would need—resulting in shorter sampling times and a lower logistical burden. Its advantages over optical microscopy:

• Quantification at the level required by the standard with a lower sampled air volume.
• Fiber differentiation by composition: elemental analysis (EDS) confirms the composition of each fiber and distinguishes asbestos from other inorganic fibers.
• Lower visibility limit: detects finer fibers, below the threshold of optical microscopy.

Teletest Analytika is the first ENAC-accredited entity in Spain for this test (No. 910/LE2640, under UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017).

Enquiries and tailored quotes: higiene@teletest.es · +34 932 12 33 45