Under New Regulations, All New York Schools Must be Tested for Lead

In September, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed a new legislation (S.8158/A.10740) which mandates that all schools in the State of New York test drinking water for lead contamination by the end of 2016. In the past, schools were not required to test their drinking water for lead, nor were they required to notify the public or government officials of results after testing was completed. Under the new regulations, every school must conduct a lead in drinking water analysis and lead test results must be reported to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH). Tests must be completed every five years or sooner after the first round is complete.

According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lead exposure to children can lead to serious health issues, including damage to the brain and nervous system. Symptoms associated with lead exposure can include behavior problems, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia. In rare cases, exposure to lead can cause seizure, coma or death.

“Lead is a toxic heavy metal that even at low levels of exposure can have long-term side effects for children as they grow and develop,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Lead can enter a water source through the corrosion of plumbing materials. Buildings built before 1986 used lead in pipes, fixtures and solder. EMSL offers an extensive list of drinking water analysis, including lead, total coliform, nitrate, nitrite, turbidity, iron, manganese, pH and E. coli.”

EMSL is a Nationally Accredited Environmental Laboratory approved by the New York State Department of Health at its laboratory corporate headquarters for the testing of lead and other regulated metal contaminants utilizing EPA test methodologies 200.8 Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and EPA 200.9 Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (GFAA). EMSL offers an extensive list of drinking water analysis, including lead, copper and other metals (EPA 200.5), total coliform, nitrate, nitrite, turbidity, pH and E.coli.

To learn more about drinking water analysis, please visit www.EMSL.com or www.WaterTestKitEMSL.com. To view a complete list of EMSL’s laboratory locations, accreditations and capabilities, please visit www.EMSL.com. For more information about EMSL’s testing services, please call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com .

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail