Air Quality Testing Lab Houston, TX — Indoor Air, Mold, Asbestos, Silica & VOC Analysis
AIHA LAP-accredited air quality testing for Houston and Texas industry. In-house analysis for indoor air (IAQ), mold, asbestos, silica, dust and VOCs — with rush same-day turnaround available on samples received before 2:00 PM CST.
What Is Industrial Air Quality Testing?
Air quality testing is the scientific analysis of indoor, workplace and ambient air samples to identify, quantify and document airborne contaminants — mold spores, asbestos fibers, respirable crystalline silica, total and respirable dust, volatile organic compounds and combustion gases. It is the foundation of every OSHA PEL exposure assessment, every post-remediation mold clearance, every AHERA asbestos clearance, and the only legally defensible way to answer the question "is this air safe to breathe?"
As Houston's accredited air quality testing lab, AGT Labs operates a full-capability suite in-house: X-ray diffraction for respirable silica, phase-contrast and transmission electron microscopy for asbestos, direct microscopy for mold spore traps, gravimetric analysis for dust, and GC-MS for EPA TO-15 VOC profiles. No shipping to a network lab, no chain-of-custody uncertainty, no week-long wait for subcontractor results.
This page is the single reference for every air quality test AGT Labs performs. Use the service grid below to jump to any specific test — or contact our lab team for help scoping a sampling plan for your site.
Why clients choose AGT Labs
Indoor Air, Mold, Asbestos, Silica & Ambient Air Testing — One Accredited Houston Lab
Whether you need an IAQ investigation in a sick office, a mold clearance after a water loss, a pre-demolition asbestos survey, silica compliance data on a concrete crew, or ambient VOC monitoring for a fenceline program — every air quality test below is performed in our AIHA LAP-accredited Houston laboratory.
Indoor Air Quality Testing
Indoor air quality testing (IAQ) for offices, schools, healthcare and residential buildings. CO, CO₂, temperature, RH, PM2.5/PM10, VOCs and formaldehyde benchmarked against ASHRAE 62.1 and OSHA limits.
Indoor Air Quality TestingAsbestos Testing
Asbestos testing by NIOSH 7400 PCM for OSHA personal monitoring and NIOSH 7402 / AHERA TEM for final clearance, school inspections and fiber speciation. PEL 0.1 f/cc and 0.01 f/cc AHERA clearance supported.
Asbestos TestingMold Testing
Mold testing by spore trap, tape lift, bulk and swab sampling with direct microscopy and culturable bioaerosol analysis. Post-remediation verification, water-damage investigations and hidden-mold surveys for insurers and consultants.
Mold & Bioaerosol TestingCrystalline Silica Testing
Silica testing for respirable crystalline silica by NIOSH 7500 (XRD), built for OSHA 1910.1053 compliance at the 25 µg/m³ action level and 50 µg/m³ PEL. Critical for concrete cutting, sandblasting, foundry and stone fabrication.
Crystalline Silica TestingDust Testing
Dust testing for total dust (PNOR) by NIOSH 0500 and respirable dust by NIOSH 0600 gravimetric analysis. Supports OSHA PEL compliance, nuisance-dust investigations and ventilation-effectiveness surveys.
Total & Respirable Dust TestingWhat's Actually in the Air Around Your Workers & Occupants
Quick reference to the major airborne contaminants AGT Labs analyzes and the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) or equivalent guideline for each. Values shown are 8-hour time-weighted averages unless noted.
Respirable Crystalline Silica
Regulated under 29 CFR 1910.1053. Critical for concrete cutting, sandblasting, foundry, fracking and stone fabrication operations.
Airborne Asbestos
Regulated under 29 CFR 1910.1001. AHERA clearance at 0.01 f/cc. Required for demolition, renovation and abatement projects.
Respirable Dust (PNOR)
Particulates not otherwise regulated. Gravimetric analysis paired with silica-content determination for split-sample reporting.
Total Dust (PNOR)
Inhalable particulate fraction. Used in facility baseline studies, nuisance dust complaints and ventilation-effectiveness surveys.
VOC Profile (60+ compounds)
Benzene (1 ppm PEL), toluene, xylenes, chlorinated solvents and aldehydes quantified in a single Summa canister analysis.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Combustion byproduct from forklifts, boilers, vehicle exhaust and fuel-fired equipment. Measured by direct-read and sorbent methods.
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
Key IAQ marker for ventilation adequacy. OSHA PEL 5000 ppm (8-hr TWA). NDIR direct-read instrumentation used.
Mold Spores
Aspergillus, Penicillium, Stachybotrys, Cladosporium and others identified to genus by direct microscopy from spore-trap cassettes.
Every Method, Every Standard, Every Deliverable
Every air quality test at AGT Labs follows a published, defensible method. This is the master reference our clients use to confirm the right test is being run on their samples.
| Test | Method | Matrix | Detection Limit | Standard TAT | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respirable Crystalline Silica | NIOSH 7500 (XRD) | PVC filter, 10-mm cyclone | 5 µg/filter | 3–5 days | TWA vs PEL & AL (1910.1053) |
| Asbestos — PCM (personal) | NIOSH 7400 (PCM) | MCE 0.8 µm cassette | 7 fibers/mm² | Same day / 24h | f/cc TWA & excursion |
| Asbestos — TEM (clearance) | NIOSH 7402 / AHERA | MCE 0.45 µm cassette | <0.005 f/cc | 3–5 days | AHERA clearance or speciation |
| Respirable Dust | NIOSH 0600 (gravimetric) | PVC, 10-mm cyclone | 0.03 mg/filter | 3 days | mg/m³ TWA report |
| Total Dust (PNOR) | NIOSH 0500 (gravimetric) | PVC filter, open-face | 0.05 mg/filter | 3 days | mg/m³ TWA report |
| Mold Spore Trap | ASTM D7391 / direct exam | Air-O-Cell / Micro-5 | 1 spore/m³ | 1–2 days | Indoor vs outdoor comparison |
| VOC Profile — 60+ cmpds | EPA TO-15 (GC-MS) | Summa canister | 0.5 ppbV | 5–7 days | Full VOC ID + concentration |
| Formaldehyde (IAQ) | NIOSH 2016 (HPLC) | DNPH cartridge | 1 ppb | 3–5 days | TWA + STEL + action level |
| Carbon Monoxide | NIOSH 6604 / direct read | Electrochemical | 1 ppm | Same day | TWA vs PEL / ASHRAE |
| Carbon Dioxide | NDIR direct read | NDIR sensor logger | 1 ppm | Same day | Ventilation adequacy report |
When the Clock Matters, We Deliver
AGT Labs runs air quality analyses on a rolling basis. Samples received before 2:00 PM CST are logged the same day. Rush and same-day turnaround are available on most tests — contact the lab to confirm capacity.
PCM asbestos, mold spore traps, CO/CO₂ direct read. Sample in before 10 AM, results by EOD.
Silica XRD, respirable dust gravimetric, formaldehyde HPLC. Available Monday–Friday.
Default TAT for TEM asbestos, AHERA clearance and full IAQ investigations with multi-analyte panels.
EPA TO-15 full VOC profiles, culturable mold, speciated metal HAPs and non-routine investigations.
Industries We Serve Across Houston & Texas
Refineries, construction contractors, abatement firms, schools, healthcare systems, property managers, environmental consultants and industrial hygienists depend on AGT Labs for defensible air quality data every day.
We serve industrial and commercial clients across Texas — including Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park, Galveston, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Arlington, Austin, Round Rock, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Midland, Odessa and the Permian Basin. Sample pickup and on-site collection available throughout the Texas Gulf Coast and statewide via overnight courier.
The AGT Labs Air Quality Testing Process
Every project follows the same five-step chain-of-custody workflow — whether you're sending a single spore trap cassette or running a multi-day silica compliance survey with dozens of personal samplers.
Scoping & Kit
Call the lab or submit a quote request. We recommend the right method, ship (or hand over) a free sampling kit with cassettes, cyclones, pumps and COC paperwork.
Field Sampling
Your team or our certified industrial hygienists collect personal breathing-zone and area samples per NIOSH / OSHA / EPA protocol. On-site services available throughout the Houston metro.
Lab Intake
Samples received before 2:00 PM CST are logged same day. Chain of custody verified, sample ID assigned, analysis scheduled by requested TAT.
Accredited Analysis
Analysis performed in-house under AIHA LAP and ISO/IEC 17025 scopes using XRD, PCM/TEM, gravimetric, HPLC and GC-MS. QA/QC checks run with every batch.
Certified Report
PDF report delivered by email with method citations, detection limits, PEL / AL / ASHRAE comparisons and accreditation stamps. Raw data available on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often from Houston clients scoping an air quality project.
What is industrial air quality testing and why does it matter?
Which air quality test do I actually need?
How fast can I get air quality results?
Is AGT Labs accredited for air quality analysis?
Can AGT Labs collect air samples on-site, or do I ship them in?
What does an air quality test cost in Houston?
Do you provide defensible reports for OSHA enforcement and AHERA clearance?
Air Quality Testing Guides from AGT Labs
In-depth technical articles written by our Houston industrial hygienists — explaining the methods, regulations and sampling strategies behind every air-quality report we issue.
Asbestos Bulk Sampling: A Complete Guide to PLM and PCM Analysis
How EPA PLM (bulk), NIOSH 7400 PCM and NIOSH 7402 TEM methods work — plus sampling strategy for building materials, airborne fibers and post-abatement clearance in Houston facilities.
Read article → SilicaRespirable Crystalline Silica: Quartz, Cristobalite, Tridymite & XRD Analysis
Why OSHA's 50 µg/m³ silica PEL is so hard to hit on Texas fabrication and construction jobs, and how NIOSH 7500 XRD analysis separates the three silica polymorphs.
Read article → Respirable DustRespirable Dust Monitoring: NIOSH 0500, 0600 & OSHA PEL Compliance
Gravimetric dust sampling explained — cyclone vs impactor, total vs respirable fraction, and how to build a defensible particulates-not-otherwise-regulated (PNOR) compliance program.
Read article →Need Air Quality Testing in Houston? Get Results Fast.
Speak with our lab team today. Rush same-day turnaround available. Free sampling kits and on-site collection by certified industrial hygienists.