Reducing Occupational and Community Exposure to Hazardous Materials: The Role of Advanced Technology in Commercial Environmental Laboratory Analysis

Advancing Quality and Standardization for Environmental Metals Analysis
Oral Presentation

Prepared by L. Lacount
Eurofins Environment Testing Northwest, LLC, 5755 8th Street E, Fife, WA, 98424, United States


Contact Information: [email protected]; 253-337-3785

ABSTRACT

Hazardous chemical exposure remains a significant challenge in both environmental compliance as well as within a commercial environmental laboratory. Advancing technologies are strengthening environmental compliance by enabling real-time employee monitoring, improving analytical precision through updated instrumentation and technology, and enhanced digital compliance platforms through state and federal agencies. Compliance data integration and improved laboratory detection limits using state of the art technology can assist both the commercial environmental laboratory as well as overall population health by identifying emerging health risks, indicating the strong need for proactive compliance strategies, and even mitigating the long-term health impacts contaminants of concern can have on an individual or community. Traditional compliance methods, which are based on periodic sampling and manual processes, could be insufficient to mitigate these emerging risks and meet changing OSHA and EPA standards for monitoring and emissions.
Advancements in instrumentation such as the introduction of ultra-sensitive detection technologies like those found in advanced mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, and ICP-MS/MS), updated sample introductions systems utilizing ultrasonic nebulization such as that found in ICP-OES, and advanced gas sensors such as photoionization detectors (PIDS) in VOCs have led to a drive in lowering reporting limits down to part per trillion levels. Together these technological advances can enhance the oversight of hazardous chemical exposure, reduce regulatory risk, and support more effective and sustainable environmental protection to both communities and employees.