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ESI's laboratory is a National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) member, one of the very few accredited members in the U.S.
- United States NVLAP Accreditation Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)
- United States NVLAP Accreditation Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
State-of-the-art air clearance monitoring sample analysis following the completion of Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) asbestos abatement projects is mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Laboratories performing the EPA analysis by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) are required to be accredited in the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). The TEM method is used for air, water, soil, sludge, food and other materials that are friable or non-friable. TEM is also used for test method #7402, which is mandated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods D-5755, D-5756, D-6281, D-6480, D-6281 and EPA 600/J-93/167, gravimetric and Chatfield analysis methods.
The United States National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require that materials that are suspect or may contain asbestos mineral fibers (asbestos-containing material or ACM, ACBM / presumed PACM / regulated RACM) be analyzed by Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM). Laboratories that perform PLM must be accredited by NVLAP. The PLM method includes both visual estimation and point counting of bulk materials that are both friable and nonfriable. NIOSH 9002 and EPA 600/R-93/116 methods.
The NVLAP accreditation program is administered by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Accreditation is granted to laboratories that have demonstrated competency in their ability to meet the Quality Control (QC) management, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), and the technical competency requirements of NVLAP. All requirements and proficiency pertain to quality control systems; personnel; test accuracy, calibration methods; equipment performance; and measurement traceability. Accredited laboratories have undergone thorough laboratory on-site inspections for one week every two years, generate and maintain stringent QC records, and participate in rigorous semi-annual proficiency testing. Approximately 50 laboratories in the United States are accredited for TEM and PLM analysis.
ESI's laboratory is a proud accredited NVLAP member, one of only six accredited laboratories in Illinois alone.
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