Many widely used building materials, such as insulation, adhesives, and composite wood products, can contain harmful substances like asbestos, formaldehyde, and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Over time, these chemicals may off-gas into indoor air, contributing to long-term health and environmental concerns.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has linked exposure to indoor air pollutants with respiratory conditions, skin irritation, and an elevated risk of certain cancers.1 As a result, ensuring buildings are not only structurally sound but also chemically safe is becoming an increasingly important part of responsible construction and design.
A critical step in this process is identifying hazardous substances in materials early, before they’re installed in homes, offices, or other occupied spaces.
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Understanding FTIR Spectrometry
FTIR spectrometry is based on a simple yet powerful principle: molecular bonds absorb infrared radiation at characteristic frequencies. By analyzing how a sample absorbs IR light across a spectrum, FTIR generates a detailed molecular fingerprint unique to the compound in question. What distinguishes FTIR from other techniques is its breadth—it can identify both organic and inorganic compounds across a wide chemical range, with applications in transmission, reflection, and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) modes.
This flexibility makes FTIR ideal for building materials, which often present heterogeneous compositions or are embedded in layered systems (e.g., paints on drywall, adhesives beneath flooring). Critically, the method is non-destructive and requires minimal preparation: the sample can often be tested in situ, with no solvents, reagents, or extensive pre-treatment.2 That efficiency is key in construction settings, where time and material constraints are the norm.
Advantages of FTIR in Material Analysis
FTIR’s broad spectral range means it can detect multiple substances in a single scan. That includes not just VOCs and plasticizers, but also fibers like asbestos and gases like formaldehyde. Because it’s non-destructive, samples remain intact, which is a big advantage when working with finished products or limited material quantities.
Another benefit is simplicity. The technique requires minimal sample preparation—usually just a quick cleaning or contact with an ATR (attenuated total reflectance) crystal—and no solvents or harsh reagents. That translates to lower waste and easier handling.
Recent advancements have made FTIR tools more portable, too. Now, inspectors can carry instruments directly onto construction sites for real-time analysis, removing the need for lab processing. This capability speeds up inspections and decision-making, significantly reducing downtime and cost.3
Applications in Construction and Renovation
On-site, FTIR is increasingly used to screen materials for health risks across a wide range of applications—from insulation and flooring to adhesives and wall panels.
In older buildings, insulation is often a key concern. FTIR can detect types of asbestos, like chrysotile and amosite, which were commonly used in legacy materials.3 When it comes to flooring, particularly vinyl and laminate, FTIR helps identify chemicals such as phthalates and formaldehyde, which can off-gas over time and affect indoor air quality.4
Sealants and adhesives, especially those used in structural and finish work, may contain isocyanates or solvent residues. FTIR can quickly assess these materials to ensure they meet safety standards. Similarly, for wall panels made from MDF or particleboard—materials that often use urea-formaldehyde resins—FTIR supports safer sourcing by identifying harmful emissions before installation.
In every case, the technique delivers fast, accurate insights that align with evolving building codes and environmental health guidelines.
Meeting Regulatory Expectations
FTIR’s role isn’t just technical; it’s also regulatory. Across the globe, construction materials are subject to strict safety standards. In Europe, REACH regulations require manufacturers to disclose and register the chemical makeup of their products.5 In the US, OSHA mandates assessments for exposure to hazardous substances like asbestos and formaldehyde.6 In Canada, WHMIS ensures that hazardous ingredients are properly labeled and documented.7
FTIR helps organizations meet these requirements with on-site, real-time chemical identification. It also supports verification of safety data sheets (SDS), helping inspectors and auditors confirm that documentation matches what’s in the material. This streamlines both compliance and risk mitigation.
Case Study: FTIR in Asbestos Detection
While FTIR’s capabilities are well-established in controlled lab settings, its value becomes particularly clear in high-stakes, on-site environments where decisions must be made quickly. One such example comes from a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, which illustrates how portable FTIR can directly impact safety, workflow, and regulatory outcomes during renovation projects.
In this case, a municipal building undergoing renovation raised concerns due to potentially outdated insulation materials. Contractors suspected the presence of asbestos, a material banned in many regions but still commonly found in older structures. Rather than sending samples to a laboratory and waiting days for confirmation, the team deployed a portable FTIR spectrometer on-site.
Within an hour, analysts identified clear spectral absorption peaks associated with chrysotile asbestos, most notably around 1040 cm-1 and 940 cm-1.3 This rapid confirmation allowed the team to halt construction activity immediately and initiate certified asbestos abatement procedures. The quick response helped mitigate exposure risks for both workers and building occupants while ensuring full compliance with OSHA standards and local environmental regulations.
Equally important, the spectroscopic data was archived for documentation, simplifying both insurance reporting and post-project audits. In scenarios like this, FTIR serves not just as a diagnostic tool, but as a critical decision-support system, bridging the gap between detection and action in real time.3
Limitations and Complementary Techniques
However, FTIR, while powerful, is not all-encompassing. Its spectral resolution limits its ability to distinguish between compounds with highly similar functional groups. Additionally, it cannot detect elements that do not exhibit IR absorption, such as heavy metals like lead or mercury.
This is where complementary techniques provide additional granularity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) can break down VOC profiles with far greater specificity. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) excels at elemental detection, particularly for metals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) offers high-resolution imaging and compositional analysis at the microstructural level.8
Rather than viewing FTIR as a standalone solution, it’s more accurate to position it as a high-efficiency front line: a screening method that guides when and where to deploy deeper analytical resources. When integrated into a layered diagnostic workflow, it delivers both breadth and agility.
Looking Ahead: Portability, AI, and Data Integration
As technology advances, FTIR is becoming even more valuable. Portability is improving with each new generation of handheld devices. Software developments, particularly in AI-driven spectral analysis, are also helping to reduce interpretation errors and shorten the time from scan to insight. In high-volume or large-scale projects, these gains can scale quickly, enabling faster risk assessment across multiple sites or material lots.
Ultimately, FTIR is emerging not just as a diagnostic method but as part of a broader framework for chemical safety in the built environment. Its speed, versatility, and field-readiness position it as a critical tool for any construction or renovation team looking to minimize toxic exposures and enhance long-term building performance.
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References and Further Reading
- World Health Organization (2010) WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: Selected pollutants. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789289002134
- Griffiths, P. R., & de Haseth, J. A. (2007). Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN: 9780471194040 https://doi.org/10.1002/047010631X
- Lee, T., Mischler, S. E., & Wolfe, C. (2024). Classification of asbestos and their nonasbestiform analogues using FTIR and multivariate data analysis. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 469, 133874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133874
- Lim, J., et al. (2014). Behavior of VOCs and carbonyl compounds emission from different types of wallpapers in Korea. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(4), 4326–4339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110404326
- European Chemicals Agency (2024) REACH regulation overview. European Chemicals Agency. https://echa.europa.eu
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2021). Hazard communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.osha.gov
- Government of Canada. (2023). Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/occupational-health-safety/workplace-hazardous-materials-information-system
- Ma, C., et al. (2025). Review of in-situ non- and micro-destructive techniques for pigment analysis in architectural heritage. NPJ Heritage Science, 13, 222. https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01675-1
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