Sickness in the Office…

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Sickness in the Office…

Envirochem were recently approached by a television production company who were concerned about sickness within the office and needed some monitoring carried out to determine whether the source of the sickness was the building itself or other factors. In a similar case, we were approached by a medical centre after people had felt unwell in a certain area of the facility.

For the first case, the client requested humidity and temperature readings along with tests for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to rule out several potential reasons for the persistent sickness, such as a faulty air conditioning system.

For the second case, we were requested to carry out tests for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and for bioaerosols for similar reasons to the first case.

At Envirochem we are able to carry out tailored occupational monitoring, sampling and analysis, providing a bespoke service for each individual client.

For more on this service or for more information on all our services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below

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Wallpaper or paint testing for arsenic content

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Occasionally at Envirochem we get requests to test wallpaper or paint for arsenic content.

Some Victorian properties still contain wallpapers with the specific dark blue/green colour or pattern called Scheele’s green. When in-situ and in good condition it does not pose a health threat. In this way it is similar to lead containing paints – when they are in good condition or have been painted over with a new paint there is only a small risk, with the largest uptake routes being dust via hand-to-mouth and accidental consumption of flakes or chipped paint. But when the surface starts to break down there is the potential for lead containing dust to be released, disturbed and inhaled.

However, with arsenic containing wall papers there is an additional and interesting effect. If the paint or wall paper becomes damp, then a specific type of mould can grow on the wall paper that can metabolise the arsenic in to a volatile form of arsenic called arsene. This arsene gas can then be inhaled by the occupants. Even if concentrations are low, prolonged exposure can lead to arsenic bio-accumulating in the body. It was this that is believed to have contributed to the death of Napoleon when imprisoned on the island of Elba.

We have had an example when owners of a hotel were experiencing a range of health issues months after a flood. Envirochem found the classic green Victorian wall paper in some rooms and behind a wardrobe, which was still damp, and mould was growing on the wall paper. Hospital tests found elevated levels of arsenic in the two hotel owners.

The method of analysis for arsenic in paint is analogous to our recently UKAS accredited method for lead and chromium in paint.

For more on this service or for all our services please contact us on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

 

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Envirochem offers topsoil quality testing to BS3882:2015 as well as various other kinds of soil analysis

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Topsoil is the top 10 to 30 cm of soil in the ground, it differs from soil beneath this layer by having an organic matter content. Organic matter is the essential ingredient of any topsoil, it contains the essential nutrients that plants and micro organisms feed off and also improves the structure of the soil by enhancing drainage and locking in moisture around plant roots.

When choosing topsoil for purchase or looking to sell soil as topsoil it is important for the soil to be analysed for contamination and fertility. It is also important to take into account what the topsoil will be used for as different topsoils are fit for different purposes.

Topsoil are typically sourced from site clearance operations prior to development or virgin soils, not from soils recovered from building works and skip waste, which can contain large quantities of both physical and chemical contaminants.

Envirochem offers topsoil quality testing to BS3882:2015 as well as various other kinds of soil analysis. This comprehensive suite of tests includes vital analysis for crop growing such as soil pH, potash content, loss on ignition, soil organic matter, particle sizing and analysis for phytotoxic elements like copper, nickel and zinc.

 

For more on this service or for all our services please contact us on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Lead and Chromium in paint testing

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For many years lead and chromium based paints were used because of their strong colours, resistance to corrosion and speed of drying. Despite their useful properties these paints are in fact harmful, with lead being a particularly hazardous component of these paints. Unfortunately the uptake of lead into the body is very easy with a common pathway being as simple as dust via hand-to-mouth, making children common victims of lead poisoning. The effects of exposure to lead are devastating to young children, particularly those under the age of 6, with symptoms such as hearing loss, stunted growth, delayed development and nervous system damage.

Lead and chromium based paints were commonly used in buildings and homes built before 1978, when their use was outlawed. Lead and chromium based paints can be a whole range of colours such yellow, bright red, green colour or even a white. These sort of paints were used as both primers and top coats.

Paint samples that we receive are digested in Aqua Regia using microwave digestion and subsequently analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometry (ICP-OES) using our UKAS accredited procedure (please note, Envirochem is only accredited for the analysis of Lead and Chromium in paint and not the sampling of lead and chromium in paint).

 

For more information on this and all our other services please call us on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below.

 

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Envirochem offer the full range of Asbestos Air Monitoring Services geared specifically to meet the requirements of your project, in accordance with HSG 248.

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Our growing fleet of asbestos analysts are provided with fully equipped mobile laboratories allowing for on-site analysis of air samples and instant certification upon completion of analytical monitoring.

Whilst the majority of our workload is undertaken during normal working hours from Monday to Friday, our team of analysts are available for overnight and weekend work. We will always endeavour to assist at short notice with any local emergency situations which may arise.

Reports and certificates are provided on-site in printed format, along with a digital copy of all documentation available via email.

We offer a variety of air monitoring options;

  • Background Air Monitoring
  • Leak Air Monitoring
  • Four Stage Clearance Air Monitoring
  • Reassurance Air Monitoring
  • Personal Air Monitoring

 

For more information please call us on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

 

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Atmospheric emissions monitoring

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Over the past few weeks, we have teamed up with a local car part manufacturer to test their atmospheric emissions produced from using paints, solvents as well as any dust through grinding or buffering with the manufacturing processes. They have four local sites, which all have different units housing a different process, and therefore a different hazard. We have tested for particulates, isocyanates found in paints and other solvents and volatile organic compounds, to make sure their filter systems are working correctly.

If this is something you need carried out at your site, please make an enquiry through the form below or call us on 01329 287 777.

 

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Envirochem offers a large range of colourimetric testing

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Envirochem offers a large range of colourimetric testing including ammonia, COD (chemical oxygen demand), cyanide, free and total chlorine, and more.

Ammonia is tested for largely because the amount of ammonia in waste water must fall under a certain limit for it to be disposed of safely into the environment. Most of our samples for Ammonia come from water treatment plants, companies testing their water discharge and from care homes that have their own water treatment facilities.

Please fill out the form below for more information on this service and our other services.

 

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Metal content analysis for landfill acceptance

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Recently at Envirochem we have noticed that more and more landfills are requesting additional testing along with the normal Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria test (WAC test or Leachate test). Typically these include: metal content of air dried sample, speciated TPHs (total petroleum hydrocarbons, either as banded or aliphatic/aromatic split) and speciated PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons).

Envirochem laboratories offer these services to their clients; therefore, we would advise contacting the landfill site or waste receiver to check if the additional analysis is required to save you time. We will always retain samples for a period of time and can carry out additional testing at short notice.

If you would like to contact Envirochem regarding our services please fill out the attached form or call us on 01329 287777

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Cruise ship advanced wastewater Purification testing

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With the summer season in full swing, We have had regular cruise ship visits at the Southampton Port to test their Advanced Wastewater Purification. On board we liaise with the Environment Officer and Engineers to take the samples, and measure pH and chlorine directly after the samples are taken. We then return the samples to the lab for chemical and biological testing. The analysis is then sent out to  our Canadian client who looks after the assessment of many of the fleet that dock in Southampton.

 

For this service or for any of our other services please fill out the form below or call on 01329 287 777

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New GC-MS and GC-ECD

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New GC-MS and GC-ECD

Our laboratory now boasts a new Gas Chromatograph – linked Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) and a new gas chromatograph with electron capture detector (GC-ECD)

These two new instruments both increase and update our laboratories capabilities.

The new GC-MS is more sensitive and is equipped with a splitter allowing one injected sample to be separated on the column and then analysed by mass spectrometry for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as simultaneously being analysed for petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH, mineral oil).

The PAHs are tested either as total or speciated (EPA 16), similarly the hydrocarbons are tested as total or speciated or banded (CWG banding with aromatic / aliphatic split)

This new GC-MS / FID is therefore allows two analyses to be run at the same time on the same sample. Doubling our throughput, and reducing turnaround times for both soil and water extracts.

The new GC-MS also allows more rapid analysis of Coal Tar samples.

New method development is under way on the GC-ECD that will allow massively improved detection limits for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides in water.

 

For more information on this and all our services please fill out the form below or call us on 01329 287

 

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