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ESG, the UK’s leading provider of testing, inspection and compliance services, has been awarded UKAS accreditation (1015) for a range of specialist tests for environmental pollutants. Its laboratory in Bretby is certified to internationally-agreed standards to determine the presence of dioxins, furans and the WHO 12 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils and ashes, as well as for low-level mercury in water.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) – such as dioxins, furans and PCBs – are highly toxic chemicals which can sometimes be found in dangerous levels within soil and ashes. Their presence in the environment can be a result of emissions from industrial processes, such as chemical manufacturing and smelting, or from leaching from landfill refuse. Organisations and environment agencies use independent specialist chemistry services to ensure our soils and water are not contaminated by dangerous levels of these pollutants.
Even small amounts of mercury and most of its compounds can be toxic. This is why advanced chemical testing processes are required to detect extremely low levels. ESG uses Cold Vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy (CV-AFS) analysis to accurately determine low quantities of mercury present in water samples down to parts per trillion levels. ESG offers a wide range of mercury analysis including services for speciated inorganic and methylmercury.
Declan Burns, managing director, Energy & Waste Services, ESG, commented: “Determining the presence of harmful levels of mercury and POPs is vital if we are to protect our environment and our food chain. The next few years are sure to be a very busy period for property developers in the UK and we’ve recently seen a significant rise in demand for our mercury analysis services, in particular.
“Our team has extensive knowledge and experience in detecting environmental pollutants and this UKAS accreditation reassures our customers that our specialist chemistry services are of the highest possible standard.”
For more information about ESG’s testing and analysis services, click here
