Asbestos. Lead. Radon. VOC.
Most buildings built before 1990 contain substances that can make you ill.
Before you buy, renovate or demolish: get it tested. Professional sampling, accredited laboratory analyses and real-time air monitoring. Scientific and personal: in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Burgenland.
Three paths to certainty
You're planning a renovation, you want to buy a property, or you have a specific suspicion. Same workflow, different trigger.
Pollutant check before renovation
You're planning a renovation, conversion or demolition. Before the contractor starts: which materials are problematic, what needs separate disposal, which protective measures are required? Thorough site inspection, professional sampling and accredited analysis, with a report that fits into the tender and work contract.
Pollutant Check before purchase
You want to know what you're getting into. Site inspection, sampling, accredited laboratory analysis and a clear assessment of whether the building is viable or not. Thorough, documented, no compromises.
Individual analyses in existing stock
Something doesn't feel right, and you want clarity. One material, a water sample, a specific room. Asbestos, MMF, lead, PCB, PAH, radon: targeted sampling, accredited laboratory analysis, clear interpretation. We discuss which analysis makes sense in the free initial consultation.
Pollutant management for multiple buildings? Solutions for businesses →
What's in your building?
Select the construction year. Find out which pollutants are typically to be expected.
Common pollutants
Recommended investigations
- Check water pipes for lead (drinking-water test)
- Lead paint on windows, doors, radiators
- Examine black adhesive and tar membranes for PAH
- Test impregnated roof timber for PCP and lindane
- Radon measurement in the basement and ground floor
Common pollutants
Recommended investigations
- Inspect fibre-cement sheets on roof and facade
- Check 1950s pipe insulation for asbestos
- Black parquet adhesive: PAH analysis
- Lead paint on windows and radiators
- Test roof timber for PCP and lindane treatment
Common pollutants
Recommended investigations
- Plasters, fillers and tile adhesives for asbestos
- Identify vinyl-asbestos floor tiles (Floor-Flex)
- Check sealants and elastic coverings for PCB
- Old mineral wool insulation (pre-1996) for MMF
- Night storage heaters for asbestos-containing insulation
- Radon measurement in the basement
Common pollutants
Recommended investigations
- Remaining fibre-cement on roof and facade (ban only from 1990)
- Insulation for old MMF (pre-1996)
- VOC indoor air measurement if unusual smells
- Radon measurement in the basement
Common pollutants
Recommended investigations
- If unusual smells: VOC indoor air measurement
- Assess newer insulation materials on a case-by-case basis
- Radon measurement in precautionary or protection zones
- For imported products: asbestos can occasionally occur
Which analysis fits your case?
Five analytical focus areas, each with its own workflow, methodology and pricing model. In the free initial consultation we clarify which one fits your case.
Asbestos & MMF
Fibre cement, fillers, plasters, tile adhesives, plus old mineral wool before 1996. Both via SEM-EDX in the same workflow.
Radon Measurement
Radioactive soil gas in basements and ground floors. Long-term measurement ≥3 months, passive dosimeters or real-time sensors.
Lead & Heavy Metals
Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Ni, Cu, Zn: in drinking water, paints, lacquers, wood preservatives and corrosion coatings. ICP-MS, accredited.
PCB Analysis
Polychlorinated biphenyls in joint sealants, floor coverings and electrical components. Common in 1955 to 1975 prefab buildings.
PAH Analysis
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in black parquet adhesive, roofing membranes, tar products and bitumen.
From enquiry to clarity
Four steps. One point of contact. No jargon.
Initial consultation
Call or write to us. Free of charge. We discuss whether and which investigations make sense. For immediate expert advice by video: 15 minutes, free.
Preparation call
Before sampling, we discuss the details together: by video or on-site with you. What are we testing? Where do we sample? Which components are critical? This saves time on-site and you know what to expect.
Sampling & analysis
We come in person, inspect the property and sample professionally. Samples go to an accredited partner laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025). Lab results in 3 to 10 working days.
Debrief & action options
We go through the findings together: what does each value mean, what's urgent, what can wait, what steps are available. Clear, no jargon. You leave the conversation with concrete action options.
Clearance measurement
After renovation, intervention or works: documented indoor-air measurement as evidence that no contamination remains: for authorities, buyers, tenants or simply your own peace of mind.
A scientist who understands your building
Ungiftig was founded by Dr. Maximilian Mandl, a geochemist with a PhD from ETH Zürich. Max analysed lunar rock and served as project manager at Nagra, responsible for the long-term safety of the Swiss deep geological repository.
We bring this analytical precision to an area that affects everyone: the materials in your building and the air you breathe. With our own sensors for real-time air monitoring and a clean-room laboratory background for the highest analytical quality and the experience to know which analysis answers which question.
Max remains your personal point of contact. No hotline, no caseworker. We come ourselves, take the samples ourselves, and personally explain what the results mean.
We are looking for new team members: scientists and engineers who want to make buildings safer. Open positions →
Pollutant management for businesses, schools or care homes? Solutions for businesses →
What sets us apart
Three reasons why we approach pollutants differently.
Nuclear background
From safety analysis of radioactive waste to building pollutant consulting. Those who have worked with highly radioactive waste find asbestos a manageable problem.
Independent of laboratory & remediation firm
No in-house laboratory, no stake in remediation companies. Our recommendation is always the best solution for you, not for a laboratory or a contractor.
Verification through to clearance
Not just measuring and reporting. Control samples, real-time monitoring, clearance measurement after completion. One point of contact from the first suspicion to the documented release recommendation.
What you should know
Before purchasing a property (especially built before 1990), before renovation or demolition work, or if you have health concerns, such as unusual smells, unexplained symptoms, or if you know that materials like fibre-cement sheets have been used.
No, and that is a deliberate choice. We work with accredited partner laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025) that specialise in the respective analysis. The value we add lies in the professional sampling, selection of the right analyses and clear interpretation of the results, not in individual instruments.
The site-inspection flat fee is €290 (up to 150 m², banded by floor area up to €590 for up to 600 m²). Laboratory analyses are charged per sample or element: asbestos from €63 per sample, lead in water €19 per element, lead in material €49, MMF from €63, clearance measurement from €690 per measurement point. Situational services (radon, VOC, PCB, PAH, wood preservatives, monitoring and quality control) receive a transparent quote after the free initial consultation.
During renovation work, fibres, particulate matter and volatile compounds can be released. Our sensors monitor air quality continuously, so problems are identified immediately, not days later in the laboratory.
Laboratory analysis takes 3 to 10 working days depending on the pollutant. Long-term radon measurements require at least 3 months. The result discussion follows within 3 working days of receiving the laboratory results; a written protocol is available on request (€90).
That depends on the pollutant, the matrix and the extent, and can only be quantified seriously after an inspection and analysis. One central rule from practice: proactively removing a localised, identified material almost always costs factors less than damage remediation after an incident (breakage, dust, contamination), and incomparably less than the long-term health consequences if the problem goes undetected. That is why measurement always comes first for us: a site-inspection flat fee of €290 plus situational sample costs gives you clarity in advance about which remediation is actually needed, at what scale, and which is not. You receive concrete remediation quotes after the analysis from independent specialist firms.
A negative result also has value: you have documented certainty about the materials tested, and a strong negotiating position when purchasing. The written protocol (€90) serves as evidence for buyers, tenants or authorities.
What clients say
Let's talk about your building
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Just call
Want to know which service is right for you? Call us. We'll discuss your project and plan the next steps.
+43 720 732 583Book video consultation
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