Staffordshire Scientific Services
Environmental
Materials testing
Staffordshire Scientific Services can offer a testing service for a wide range of products and raw materials to British Standard specifications where applicable. This service is popular amongst architects, building and civil engineering companies as well as with public sector highways and environmental health departments. Materials tested include:
- Concrete: composition, chloride, sulphate, BS1881
- Aggregates: BS 812 Pt 117
- Mortar: quality of the mix
- Paint: pigment, solvent content, lead
- Soil: BS 1377 Part 3, contamination
- Red shales: sulphate content
- Blastfurnace slag: BS 1047 sulphate content etc.
- Brickwork: BS 3921
- Aerosol preparations: Propellants
- Road marking paints: Composition
- Wood preservatives: Presence of active ingredients
- Metals and alloys: Composition/impurities
Where necessary, physical testing of these materials can be arranged through the Staffordshire County Council Highways Laboratory which is NAMAS accredited.
The above list is not exhaustive and laboratory staff will be pleased to discuss your individual requirements.
Environmental
Surface and Ground Water
Surface and ground waters are generally sampled for environmental reasons such as pollution control, source identification or amenity value. Investigations include long term monitoring to detect any possible contamination at an early stage or can be restricted to "one-off" samples relating to a specific pollution incident. Staffordshire Scientific Services can offer expertise in sampling, chemical and bacteriological analysis of environmental waters and the presentation of interpretative reports from the test results.
Plant and Soil Analysis
Staffordshire Scientific Services offers analysis of nutrients, phytotoxins, pesticide and herbicide residues in soil and plant samples. This service is of value to those local authority departments and commercial organisations involved in the management of parks, gardens, playing fields, weed and pest control and where investigation of possible malicious damage to soil or plants is suspected. Scientific staff can visit sites to investigate plant disorders and advise on soil sampling.
Contaminated Land
A complete service for the assessment of contaminated or derelict land prior to redevelopment or reclamation can be provided. This service includes a preliminary site inspection, defining a sampling strategy, executing a sampling programme, chemical analysis and provision of an interpretative report. This process would be undertaken with close co-operation from the client so that undue testing, and therefore cost, is avoided. Although it is desirable that scientific staff are involved from the beginning, the laboratory will be pleased to take part at any stage in the investigative process. Throughout the investigation, Staffordshire Scientific Services will be available for consultation with other regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Agency.
Air Pollution
For over 30 years Staffordshire Scientific Services have been involved in this type of work and can offer analysis for a wide range of airborne pollutants. The monitoring of emissions from particular factory processes, open excavations and as part of National Surveys have all been undertaken. Interpretative reports are provided where appropriate.
Examples of the type of services the laboratory can offer are:
- Particulate Matter
- Airborne Dust
- Airborne Fibres
- Airborne Metals
- Acidic Gases
- Alkaline Gases
- Flammable Gases
- Organic Vapours
Where applicable, methods of sampling and analysis are those specified in the Environmental Health and Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substance series of documents published by the Health and Safety Executive.
Other Services 1
Introduction
Staffordshire Scientific Services provides a comprehensive analytical service to local government, commercial organisations and members of the public. When it is able, the laboratory offers free advice on matters of a scientific nature and on legal matters where they form part of the statutory duties of the Public Analyst. Our Scientific officers have contacts through professional bodies, such as the Association of Public Analysts, and colleagues in other parts of the scientific profession; if we are unable to provide an answer we probably know 'someone who can'.
Chemical Emergencies
Scientific staff employed by the laboratory attend chemical emergencies at the request of the Police, Fire and Rescue Services and Environmental Health Inspectors. Chemical spillages, unknown chemicals and fly-tipped materials are identified and advice on safe handling is given.
Collaborative Trials
As part of its commitment to providing a thorough, high quality service the laboratory is a regular participant in inter-laboratory collaborative trials organised by the E.E.C., Food Standards Agency, the Midlands Quality Standards Panel of LACOTS, the Association of Public Analysts, British Standards Institute and the Analytical Methods Committee of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The laboratory provides an identification and fibre counting service. On-site sampling, identification and monitoring services can be arranged if required.
Other Services 2
Petroleum Act Analysis
Staffordshire Scientific Services provides an analytical and flash point testing service to officers enforcing licences issued under the:
- Petroleum (Regulation) Acts 1928 and 1936
- Petroleum (Mixtures) Order 1929
The enforcement of this legislation is a statutory duty undertaken principally by the Fire and Rescue Service and Trading Standards Services
Indoor Air Quality
Staffordshire Scientiñc Services has undertaken "Comfort Surveys", usually in office environments, where some factor in the workplace has affected the health of employees and consequently their ability to carry out their duties, This phenomenon is sometimes known as "Sick Building Syndrome" and often there is no obvious reason although there are instances where a single cause has been found.
Investigations are designed to meet the client's specific requirements but usually contain the following key elements
- Ventilation
- Humidity and temperature
- Carbon dioxide content
- Oxygen content
- Dust
- Solvent or other gaseous pollutants
- Swimming Bath Water
For the health and safety of members of the public, monitoring of the chemical and bacteriological quality of swimming bath water should be undertaken routinely either at the poolside or by laboratory analysis. A variety of disinfectant chemicals and methods of treatment are used at swimming pools and Staffordshire Scientific Services offers an analytical service for operational control and problem-solving in the event of complaints from the public or treatment failure.
Typical difficulties include:
- Complaints of eye and skin irritations due to over-chlorination
- Poor bacteriological quality due to under-chlorination
- Cloudy water
- Damage to lining of the pool
- Corrosion or limescale disposition in plant
In addition to monitoring the effectiveness of the disinfectant systems, the laboratory reports on the poor water balance (Langelier Saturation Index).
Other Services 3
Waste Disposal
Regulations impose controls over the disposal of all waste materials and particularly 'special waste'. The laboratory carries out analyses to identify wastes and to determine the extent of contamination so that appropriate procedures for disposal are implemented. Materials are submitted as a result of fly-tipping by the roadside, on wasteland or farm excavation by the construction industries. Staffordshire Scientific Services offer this service to local authorities, industrial waste producers, civil engineering companies, landfill site operators and the regulatory bodies.
The types of samples submitted include:
- Tip leachates: Tip effluent (leachate) from water courses in the vicinity of the landfill, boreholes and treatment lagoons are taken and analysed for pollution parameters. The National Rivers Authority impose consent conditions to discharge effluent to water courses. Water companies use analytical data for calculating the cost of discharging liquids to the sewer and Staffordshire Scientific Services can offer an independent analysis when there is a dispute.
- Solids: Materials such as industrial filter cakes, foundry sand, sewage sludge, process wastes from metal finishing, food industry waste, slurries, solvents and contaminated soils are examined for total contaminant concentrations. Pollutants leachable into water can also be determined. The laboratory has investigated miscellaneous fly-tipped materials varying in toxicity from cyanide and asbestos to chalk and talc.
- Landfill Gas: Landfill gas is produced when domestic refuse or chemical waste decomposes and consists of methane and carbon dioxide. Staffordshire Scientific Services has instrumentation for on-site monitoring of these gases.
- Radiation Monitoring Our environment contains a continuous background of radiation from the ground, air and outer space. Man-made radiation associated with nuclear energy is an emotive issue, particularly after the Chernobyl incident. Staffordshire Scientific Services has the equipment to monitor foods, milk, water, soils and herbages for total Gamma radionuclides,
Water
Introduction
The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations and The Private Water Supplies Regulations relate to the quality of water intended for human consumption and list prescribed maximum concentrations for over 50 parameters.
Regulation
Potable water samples originate from planned monitoring of public supplies and private supplies such as wells, boreholes and springs. These are analysed to assess compliance with the chemical and bacteriological requirements of these regulations,
The laboratory undertakes a low cost routine analysis which covers 30 of the most important chemical and biological parameters required to assess suitability for human consumption but will also provide analytical data. All reports are issued with comments or interpretation as appropriate.
Analysis of waters submitted for compliance with The Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water in Containers is also undertaken.
Consumer Complaints
Complaints usually arise from discolouration, taste and odour problems, particulate matter and metallic contamination. The laboratory investigates the complaint, reports the findings and, where appropriate, offers advice in resolving the problem.
Water Hygiene
The laboratory offers a service to Local Authorities and private contractors engaged in water quality and hygiene. Tests are carried out for the presence of residual sterilising agent and bacteriological quality following maintenance or replacement of hot and cold water supplies. Metallic contaminants, particularly Lead and Copper, can also be determined if requested.
Quality Assurance
Participation in the external Quality Assurance scheme "Aquacheck", organised by the Water Research Centre at Medmenham, is an essential part of our commitment to provide a thorough and professional service to the client and this is being reinforced further by United Kingdom Accreditation Service accreditation.
Further information is available on request relating to Surface and Ground Water and Swimming Bath Water.
Last Modified:
11/11/2005 13:26:51
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