Asbestos Testing Insights - What Is The Data Saying In 2023
As 2023 comes to a close we take a look at this year's data from our asbestos testing database and provide you with the insights.
Who Are We?
Asbestos-sampling.com is the UK's leading asbestos testing kit provider, allowing consumers to take a sample of suspect material and send it off for testing to our dedicated UKAS-accredited laboratory. All reports are confidential and not shared with any 3rd parties giving our customers piece of mind and autonomy to test suspect materials around their properties. Our data is therefore unbiased.
Data Source
The data used within this article is based on, a sample size of 5,338 asbestos samples. We feel this data size gives an accurate representation of asbestos testing in the UK in 2023.
The Data
What is the most common material tested for asbestos?
Our data reveals that the most tested material from our data set was Artex (Otherwise referred to as Textured Coating). Artex accounts for a staggering 60% of samples submitted to us in 2023.
| Type | % of Total Samples Submitted |
|---|---|
| insulation board | 14% |
| artex | 60% |
| cement pipe | 1% |
| cement roofing | 9% |
| floor tiles | 10% |
| insulation | 6% |
Which Materials Are Most Likely To Contain Asbestos?
We now look at the percentage of samples which came back positive (asbestos fibres found within the sample submitted). This data gives us an idea of the likelihood that a certain material type contains asbestos. Our data shows that Cement roofing products are the most likely to contain asbestos with over 64% of samples returning positive results (sample contains asbestos fibres).
| Type | Positive Samples |
|---|---|
| insulation board | 32% |
| artex | 17% |
| cement pipe | 57% |
| cement roofing | 64% |
| floor tiles | 43% |
| insulation | 2% |
Which Regions Contains The Most Asbestos?
The below data breaks down positive samples by region. For example, in the East Midlands, 29% of AIB (insulation board) samples came back positive and 48% of floor tile samples came back positive. The "Positive Samples" column is the percent of positive samples of all samples submitted from that area.
| Region | Insulation Board | Artex | Cement Roofing | Floor Tiles | Insulation | Positive Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 29% | 14% | 57% | 48% | 0% | 21% |
| East of England | 45% | 31% | 83% | 53% | 0% | 38% |
| Greater London | 35% | 21% | 54% | 40% | 3% | 27% |
| North East | 29% | 21% | 73% | 29% | 8% | 28% |
| North West | 32% | 17% | 64% | 36% | 6% | 25% |
| Scotland | 43% | 13% | 69% | 41% | 5% | 23% |
| South East | 39% | 28% | 64% | 57% | 0% | 36% |
| South West | 44% | 27% | 70% | 44% | 0% | 36% |
| Wales | 31% | 28% | 81% | 44% | 0% | 34% |
| West Midlands | 43% | 17% | 67% | 58% | 4% | 28% |
- Sample size of less than 10 has been ignored
- Types where the average sample size is less than 5 have been ignored
Summary
- Out of 5,338 samples analysed, 30.4% (1622) tested positive for asbestos, whilst 69.6% (3716) tested negative (no asbestos detected).
- Artex / Textured Coatings are the most tested sample type.
- Cement Pipes are the least tested sample type.
- Cement Roofing samples are the most likely to be positive.
- Insulation samples are the least likely to be positive (however they are one of the highest risk product types)
