What is the Importance of Environmental Testing?
The increased worldwide attention focused on environmental testing has heightened the demand for instrumentation, including sensitive analytical instruments to identify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Environmental testing is used to make regulatory decisions by conducting risk assessments and is ultimately used to protect public health.
What Are Key Considerations for Environmental Testing and Analysis?
Compliance with regulatory bodies such as EPA, ASTM, NIST, ISO, etc. is of paramount importance for environmental analysis laboratories. In the United States, most environmental analyses conducted for EPA compliance are expected to adhere to Good Laboratory Practices Standards. Standards such as this not only encompass instrumentation and methods but also data reporting, QA practices, and numerous other parameters to ensure data quality and integrity.
Many of the environmental analysis test guidelines come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and some key guidelines include:
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
- Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Plan 15)
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
- Regulations for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
