Analytical Capabilities

Environmental Analytical Services

SGS Accutest Laboratories has been providing clients with analytical chemistry data on environmental samples generated through sophisticated analytical techniques for over 50 years. SGS Accutest’s seven nationwide facilities have the combined capacity to analyze over 1,100,000 volatile organics by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS); 300,000 volatile organics by gas chromatography (GC); 600,000 samples for semi volatile organics by GC/MS and GC; 1,200,000 samples for metals by inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP) and ICP/MS; and 45,000,000 samples for various wet chemistry tests annually. Analysis can be performed on matrices of environmental concern with data delivery on a normal or accelerated schedule.

The SGS Accutest staff has extensive knowledge and experience applying analytical chemistry methods employed in environmental monitoring. This includes methods approved for Federal and State environmental regulatory programs and in-house methods developed for client’s unique analytical needs. This expertise combined with a quality assurance system that meets national and international standards enables the Company to consistently produce data of known and documented quality. In 2011, SGS Accutest logged in more than 107,500 projects, processed over 576,700 samples and reported well over 1,809,200 tests. All tests were performed within the framework of the SGS Accutest Quality Assurance System in compliance with method specifications, regulatory requirements and client specific data quality objectives.

SGS Accutest’s sample capacity and instrumentation diversity enables the laboratories to support client projects of varying complexity regardless of the analysis being conducted. The range of methodology supported by SGS Accutest is geared towards the analytical chemistry requirements specified by Federal and State regulatory programs. The instrument and analytical capability array also enables SGS Accutest to conduct analysis for non-standard pollutants of client specific concern, such as polybrominated diphenylethers, dioxins and furans using customized methods.

SGS Accutest routinely employs methods from the following compendiums:

• Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, SW-846 (USEPA);
• Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes (USEPA);
• Methods for Organic Chemical Analysis of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater (USEPA);
• Methods for the Determination of Metals in Environmental Samples (USEPA);
• Methods for the Determination of Inorganic Substances in Environmental Samples (USEPA);
• Methods for the Determination of Organic Compounds in Drinking Water (USEPA);
• Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air (USEPA);
• Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (APHA, AWWA.WEF); and
• Technical Standards – American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)