Emerald Environmental
ANALYSIS
EEI performs various substance analyses to include air quality, water, and soil.
Air Quality
Do you smell an unpleasant odor that just won't go away? Are you or someone in your household experiencing a health issue you just can't explain?
An air quality test for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) can be conducted which will alert you to the presence of a VOC in an amount greater than the permissible exposure limit as set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
VOCs are known to emanate from many building materials including some types of wood products, linoleum, paints, plastics, glues, wood preservatives and putty. These compounds can be toxic, in the right quantity, causing cancer or non-carcinogenic ailments.
An air quality analysis is conducted over a 24 hour period and results are normally returned in two weeks but can be expedited to as soon as 24 hours.
The air in your home can also be tested specifically for asbestos particles or mold fibers. These tests are normally returned in 24 hours for asbestos and 3-4 days for mold but can be expedited to as soon as 3 hours.
Water
Similar to air quality testing, you may want to analyze water if it smells or taste strange or if someone in your household is experiencing a health issue.
Water is commonly tested for its pH level, metals such as lead and iron, chemicals such as sulphur and chlorine, and biological contaminants such as bacteria, e. coli, coliforms, and legionella.
The source of the water is very important in determing what the issues might be as well as the environment within the building. If the water at the source tests normal, then understanding the delivery system within the building becomes essential in order to narrow down the location of the contaminant.
Water analysis consists of taking samples from various outlets throughout the delivery system and submitting them to a laboratory. Results are normally returned within 1-2 weeks but can be expedited to as soon as 24 hours in some cases.
Legionella testing is a 2 week minimum turn around time.
Soil
Soil can be contaminated by buried or spilled substances left for a significant period of time. You many want to test soil for bacteria, volatile organic chemicals (VOC), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pH.
The presence of bacteria is normally due to sewage contamination. Tests look for E. Coli, fecal coliform, total coliform, and fecal streptococcus.
VOCs and SVOCs are emiited as gases from solids or liquids. The presence of these gases are normally due to long term presence of these solids and liquids in the ground.
The presence of heavy metals and PCBs at toxic levels are largely due to old landfills that accepted industrial wastes, old orchards that used insecticides containing arsenic or fields that applied waste water or municipal sludge. Most common metals found are lead, mercury, cadmium and the metalloid, arsenic.
Soil analysis consists of putting soil in a glass jar and submitting it to a laboratory. Results are normally returned within 1-2 weeks but can be expedited to as soon as 24 hours in some cases.