|
June 2007
We recently installed and validated a new Teledyne / Tekmar Fusion TOC system. NLS has performed TOC analysis for over 10 years and our prior system was more than adequate for routine analyses of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. However, lately newer drinking water programs have made extreme accuracy at very low TOC concentrations necessary. We feel the decision to upgrade our system will be a real benefit to our drinking water clients with this specific need.
May 2007
On May 16th 2007, Northern Lake Service, received certification by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for use of EPA method 200.8 – metals by ICP/MS. The new ICP/MS system (the Varian 820) offers a number of immediate and future benefits for our clients. The technology provides some sample streamlining, leading to shorter project turnaround times for some of our drinking water clients. ICP/MS can also achieve very low detection limits and excellent low-end confidence, eliminating difficulties in meeting some of today’s compliance standards. This will be of great benefit for years to come as the regulatory communities push limits even lower.
In the future, we hope to use this instrumentation (with additional hardware) to provide our clients with metals speciation testing – a concept not currently common in the environmental compliance arena but gaining recognition for its usefulness in a number of applications.
January 2007
We are please to announce that we have received full approval for the five EPA methods required for UCMR2 testing. (See November 2006 below.) NLS will be one of only a handful of labs nationwide to achieve this. The instruments and knowledge gained through the development of these methods will allow us to beginning testing for other environmental contaminants that we expect will become prevalent in the next couple years. These include certain pharmaceuticals, personal care products and other endocrine disruptors.
November 2006
We have recently submitted the last of our approval packages for the EPA’s UCMR2 program. This program monitors US drinking water sources for currently unregulated compounds. The resulting data is used by the EPA to determine whether or not regulatory standards should be established for those compounds. Although the program itself has not been fully promulgated yet, laboratory preparation has been proceeding for several months. By the time monitoring begins in 2007, Northern Lake Service, Inc. will be approved for Nitrosamines by GC/MS/MS (EPA 521), Pesticides by GC/MS (EPA 525.2), Fire retardants by GC/MS (EPA 527), Explosives by GC/MS (EPA 529), and Herbicides by LC/MS/MS (EPA 535).
October 2006
Alachlor ESA, a breakdown product of the commonly-used pesticide LASSO, recently made the front page of the Wisconsin State Journal (September 28, 2006). This compound, which has displayed adverse health effects when administered to laboratory animals, has been detected in a significant number of private wells in Wisconsin. There is no drinking water standard for Alachlor ESA and the Wisconsin legislature has stalled with its own groundwater standard, however, considering the potential health implications and frequency of detection, interest in this compound will likely remain high.
NLS is currently developing a method for the detection of Alachlor ESA and a number of other pesticide breakdown products, in response to the EPA’s UCMR2 program. (This program looks for as-yet unregulated compounds in a representative sample of US drinking water sources, to determine whether or not Federal standards should be developed.) We hope to have development work completed and EPA approval by mid January 2007.
June 2006
NLS recently received word that we have been granted certification for the analysis of Drinking Water samples for Diquat by EPA method 549.2. With this certification, NLS is able to run all but one of the currently required methods for Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs). Development of last remaining method, for chlorinated acids, is progressing. Our current list of drinking water certifications is the most extensive of any laboratory within the state of Wisconsin.
May 2006
We recently received results from our first round of certifications samples (PE’s) for 2006. 99.3% of the 801 pieces of data generated for these studies was within acceptable range. Seven analysts measured 15 compounds/elements to the exact study value.
Northern Lake Service has maintained a 99+% average over the past six years running on performance evaluation samples. Over that period we have generated nearly 10,000 pieces of certification data.
April 2006
Construction of our new 3100 sq. ft. addition is progressing nicely. This expansion, which connects our two existing buildings, will contain a large instrument room and a clean room for low-level metals. It will also include a new reception area, new shipping area, conference room, and field prep area. If all goes as planned, we should be occupying this new space by the time NLS celebrates 32 years in business on June 1, 2006.
March 2006
Pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and other personal products as environmental contaminants recently made their way from scientific journals into the main-stream media. NLS recognizes that these compounds pose a serious potential threat to human and environmental health. With this in mind, we have made a significant capital commitment to instrumentation for the detection of them. The learning curve may be a bit longer than most of our recent method development efforts, but we hope to be up and running within the 2006 calendar year. Over the next few years, we expect to see interest in these compounds in drinking water, wastewater, groundwater and surface water.
Relatively New...
October 2005
New QC Information for Analysis for Low-Level MERCURY by EPA Method 1631E.
NLS was the first laboratory approved by Wisconsin DNR for this analysis in March of 1997. The approval was based on demonstrated performance and was not a certification, such as we have for the standard analysis for mercury. We routinely analyze performance evaluation (PE) samples for mercury in water and soil samples, but have not been required to do so for the low-level method.
Because we at NLS take QA/QC very seriously, we thought we should also analyze a PE sample for low-level mercury. In conjunction with the National Performance Evaluation Analysis Program for low-level mercury, we recently analyzed a PE sample obtained from Environmental Resource Associates (an approved PE sample provider)
The assigned value for this PE sample was 27.8 ng/l (ppt) and the Acceptance Limits of the analysis were 21.4 to 34.2 ng/l. NLS reported a value of 27.2 ng/l (ppt), which was only 0.6 ng/l from the assigned value. Our analysis of this PE sample was extremely accurate!
This is another indication of the priority we put upon providing accurate and precise data to our clients. And how successful we are at doing just that!
February 2005
NLS completes development and receives certification for Method 531.1 -- Measurement of N-Methylcarbamoyloximes and N-Methylcarbamates in Water by Direct Aqueous Injection HPLC with Post Column Derivatization and Method 547 -- Determination of Glyphosate (Roundup) in Drinking Water by Direct Aqueous Injection HPLC, Post-Column Derivatization, and Fluorescence Detection
January 2004
Method development and validation have been completed for the analysis of Cyanazine in drinking water. This method utilizes the same extraction and GC/MS technology as EPA method 525 but requires a different sample preservation protocol and separate analysis. It is generally required during the testing of new municipal wells.
Final Reports by email.
Sample Confirmation by email.
December 2003
In preparation for the 2004 drinking water season, NLS has refined our processes for data submission directly to the DNR. This can be done via traditional paper forms or electronically. You can notify us on your 2004 bottle order or sampling paperwork if you would like to take advantage of this convenience.
November 2003
NLS completes validation requirements for EPA method 1631 rev. E "Mercury in Water by Oxidation, Purge and Trap, and Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometery" giving us a detection limit of 0.21 ng/L (parts per trillion) in wastewater.
September 2003
NLS began using the Idexx QuantiTray system to provide quantitation of E. coli bacteria in wastewater samples. This is an EPA-approved "most probable number" test that was developed in response to new EPA regulations which track E. coli rather than the traditional method of tracking fecal coliform bacteria.
May 2003
The Department of Defense under the Navy Installation Restoration (IR) Program performed an on-site laboratory evaluation on May 6, 2003 to assess the capability of Northern Lake Service, Inc. to support IR Projects. The "Conclusion" of the DoD/Navy Assessment Report states, "Northern Lake Service, Inc. has the staff, facilities, and equipment necessary to support Navy IR projects for the tests subject to review. The laboratory has demonstrated general compliance with Navy requirements.
Since 2001, NLS has developed and been granted certification to perform the following EPA Drinking Water Methods:
June 2002
525.2 - Determination of Synthetic Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Liquid-Solid Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.
July 2001
504.1 - 1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB), 1,2-Dibromo-3-Choropropane (DBCP), and, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane(123TCP) in water by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography.
August 2003
505 - Analysis of Organohalide Pesticides and Commercial Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Products in water by Microextraction and Gas Chromatography.
August 2003
548.1 - Determination of Endothall by GC.
515.4 - Acid herbicides by GC (currently under development).
Additionally, we have developed and been granted certification for the following EPA UCMR Drinking Water Methods:
February 2003
524.2 - UCMR List 1 Volatiles in water by Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.
June 2002
525.2 - UCMR List 1 Semi Volatiles in water by Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.
February 2002
526 - Determination of Selected Semi Volatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.
February 2001
NLS volatiles personnel developed a method to measure
methanol levels in pulp and paper mill effluents. This method is able to separate
many of the common constituents in this matrix and has been approved by
NCASI. NLS is currently working with a client and NCASI to evaluate the
effects of preservation on low-concentration samples.
Update: NLS has also validated analysis for the HAPs compounds also for the pulp and paper industry.
July 2001
We gained certification for heterotrophic plate count through the
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. We will continue to
expand our bacteriological capabilities as methods and regulatory needs evolve.
April 2001
NLS organics personnel analyzed several commercial sources of the target compounds (including perchloroethane or Perc) of Wisconsin's new Dry Cleaning Environmental Response Program (DERP) and are ready to receive samples for this type of analysis. The new program provides funding (through DERF) and guidance for remediation of sites impacted by dry-cleaning chemicals. For more information on the program see the DNR web page.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/aw/rr/financial/dryclean.html
New volatile compounds
In addition to the compounds for the DERP program, we have validated
methods for several other volatile compounds. These include compounds that
are target analytes for pharmaceutical and industrial pretreatment clients and the
SDWA UCMR program. These include:
- 1,4-dioxane
- Amyl acetate
- Ethanol
- Isopropyl acetate
- Nitrobenzene
- Pentachloreoethane
Comm 83
This legislation will require wastewater monitoring by many small, private businesses. Northern Lake Service has maintained certification for wastewater testing since the inception of lab certification in Wisconsin and can provide pricing and qualification information to any plumbing contractor, engineering, firm or other business who expects to be involved in this program. For this information please call Tracy or Andy at (715) 478-2777.
Coliform Bacteria Testing
Don't be fooled by laboratories offering 24-hour turnaround at a premium price on coliform bacteria tests. The tests itself takes only 24 hours and, since it has a very short holding time, it should be set up soon after reaching the laboratory. NLS usually prepares coliform tests within one hour of receipt and will call any client with test results on request AND still provide the service at our every-day low price.
|
What's New 
