Monitoring lead in air

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A new client of Envirochem within the oil and gas industry, have contacted our occupational hygiene team to help with monitoring lead in air.

This is while their contracted workforce are stripping and servicing old storage tanks ready to be used again. We have set up both personal and static background monitoring within the tanks, and all activity in and out of each tank across the day is logged to work out the personal exposure.

We will now analysis the samples back at our lab to check the dust concentration of both inhalable and respirable dust, as well as metal content using our ICP-OES, with the primary focus being the lead concentration.

We offer testing for a range of Anions

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Chloride is the anion of Chlorine and is very soluble in water; it is an important part of sea water and table salt. Chloride is often tested for in various water and soil samples, residues after fires and in concrete water.

When plastics burn in the event of a fire they can produce chloride. The chloride can then settle on surfaces, such as concrete, it then absorbs water and creates a corrosive substance that can attack the structure of the building.

We also offer testing for other anions such as Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrite, Bromide, Phosphate, Sulphate and Sulphide.

For more on this service please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

 

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Vehicle fume monitoring

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This week we have teamed up with our local council to carry out vehicle fume monitoring, within a maintenance workshop located in a car park. This was to analysis the exposure to nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulates that are produced from the cars and then diffuses into the workshop where several employees work.

This is initial monitoring using gas diffusion tubes and also a particulate monitor which are set up for a week, to identify the current levels of the fumes. From this further monitoring will take place and even a plan for a new extraction system to elevate the concerns for the employees; depending on the results of the analysis.

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

 

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Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) testing

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The continued and increasingly widespread occurrence of occupational related lung diseases in the UK has lead to stringent guidelines and requirements for Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV).

Nearly a decade ago in May 2008, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published a new guide (HSG258) on LEV for various occupations, such as designers, installers and examiners, as well as guidance for employers and their employees who depend on sufficient LEV for their wellbeing.

COSHH regulations require that all LEV systems to be tested every 14 months to ensure that they are operating well enough to protect workers who depend on these systems for their safety. Systems that require testing include all oil mist, welding fume, smoke and dust extraction units. These examinations must be undertaken by competent personnel who work and provide reports according to HSE standards. Inadequate testing can result in employers being prosecuted, insurance being invalidated and employees getting ill.

For nearly 30 years Envirochem has provided comprehensive LEV testing in accordance with HSG258 guidelines. An Envirochem examination measures air flow speed (velocity) of air being extracted from the source and in the ductwork. These results are then compared to recommended velocities set by the HSE. Our vast experience in the area of occupation hygiene allows us to provide practical advice and recommendations.

 

For more on this service please fill out the form below or call us on 01329 287 777

 

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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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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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