Polluants.ch
Frequently asked questions about surveys and radon
Which survey should you choose, when should you act and how can you prepare the next steps? Find answers to common questions about building pollutants and radon.
Which survey should I request?
Simply describe the building and planned work. A building pollutant survey, often called an “asbestos survey”, can investigate asbestos, lead, PCBs, PAHs and HBCD. The scope is adapted to the materials concerned; some assignments focus solely on asbestos.
When should I contact you before work?
As soon as the project is defined, so the results can inform site preparation and, where necessary, the permit application. The survey must precede work on the relevant materials. Visit and analysis times are specified in the quotation.
Can a pollutant be identified from a photograph?
A photograph can guide identification but cannot confirm or rule out a pollutant. Depending on the situation, a visit, sampling and analyses are necessary. Avoid drilling, breaking or sanding a suspect material.
What does the report contain, and what if a pollutant is found?
The report locates the materials examined, presents the results and specifies recommendations and investigation limits. A positive result does not always require immediate removal. If work affects a polluted material, the necessary precautions or remediation must be arranged beforehand.
How does radon diagnosis work?
A continuous electronic measuring device is installed in each room in contact with the ground. Recording generally lasts one week. It allows comparison between rooms and over time, and helps identify possible entry or transfer routes. You receive a report with interpretation and mitigation recommendations where necessary.
How does it differ from a recognised long-term measurement?
A diagnosis lasting around one week helps us understand the building and prepare solutions. This short diagnosis is non-recognised and does not replace recognised long-term measurement, which assesses the average concentration under the FOPH protocol. For dwellings: at least 90 days during the heating season, from October to March; a full year is recommended.
Do you also carry out radon mitigation work?
Yes. We design and implement a solution suited to the building: ground depressurisation, ventilation or sealing. We check its effectiveness after the work. A long-term measurement completes the verification.
I already have radon results: what should I send?
Send us the report, measurement dates and rooms concerned. We analyse them to determine whether an intervention can be prepared or whether further investigations are useful.
Which documents are needed for a quotation?
The address, construction period, project description and desired timeframe are enough to start. Plans, photographs and existing results help us refine the quotation. You can contact us even if you do not have all these details.
Where do you work, and in which languages?
Based in Corcelles, in the canton of Neuchâtel, we work throughout Switzerland depending on the assignment. We can communicate in French, German, English or Spanish.
The next step
Your project deserves
a clear starting point.
Describe the building and what you are planning.
Documents can follow later.
We can communicate in French, German, English or Spanish.