TestAmerica Experts to Present at 2018 National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC)

TestAmerica, the leader in environmental testing, is pleased to announce that four of its esteemed Experts will deliver presentations at the 2018 National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC).  The Conference, held August 6 – 10 in New Orleans, will feature more than 180 presentations and posters, and brings together a diverse group of scientists and managers from a wide range of environmental professions.   
 
Dr. Mark Bruce, Corporate Technical Director at TestAmerica, will deliver the first of TestAmerica’s four presentations on Monday, August 6.  Entitled Improved Accuracy of Dissolved Hydrocarbon Gas Analysis in Water, Dr. Bruce’s presentation will discuss the methods currently available for dissolved hydrocarbon analysis, which is often utilized during predrill studies in support of hydraulic fracturing activities.  There are currently no fully validated USEPA methods for dissolved gas analysis, however, water based reference materials are being developed for use as external proficiency test samples to demonstrate method performance. TestAmerica has implemented its own approach to the analysis of dissolved hydrocarbons, including the development of a water reference material, which includes water phase calibration standards to improve the accuracy of the final results. 
 
Also presenting on Monday, Dr. Kesavalu “Doss” Bagawandoss, Laboratory Director at TestAmerica’s Nashville facility, will deliver a presentation entitled Sampling Methods for Dissolved Gases.  The presentation will examine the sampling methods currently in use for collecting samples for dissolved gases, and discuss whether these methods appropriately capture the dissolved gases present in the water bodies being sampled.  Dr. Doss will offer information on closed sampling methods, including those available in ASTM and API methods.
 
Speaking as part of the Resolving Method Differences with Best Practices series of discussions on Tuesday, August 7, TestAmerica Corporate Technical Director Dr. Richard Burrows will deliver a presentation entitled Best Practices for Calibration and Calibration Verification. Over the last 40 years, each EPA program has developed their own set of methods with varying requirements for activities, such as calibration and quality control, even though the analytical technology is essentially equivalent. During his presentation, Dr. Burrows will explore the differences between the four major EPA programs, utilizing the analysis of volatile organics in water using purge and trap and GC/MS as a guide, and will provide recommendations for a common solution.
 
On Thursday, August 9, Dr. Burrows will offer another presentation on the topic of calibration, entitled Collaboration on Calibration. Calibration, the process utilized to effectively translate a signal into a concentration, is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of any analytical method.  Recent recognition of problems with historical use of a correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination as measures of the quality of a calibration necessitated a collaborative effort to adopt the relative standard error as an option in both Part 136 and SW-846 methods.  Dr. Burrows’ presentation will examine whether these changes were sufficient to ensure reliable calibration, and whether more collaboration is needed.   
 
Karla Buechler, TestAmerica’s Technical Director, will also present on Thursday on the topic of PFAS analysis.  Ms. Buechler’s presentation, The Analysis of Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) - Challenges and Best Practices, will focus on the analysis of PFAS compounds, a family of synthetic compounds used in a wide variety of industrial and commercial products such as aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), metal plating, semi-conductors, paper and food packaging, coating additives, cleaning products and pesticides.  The chemistry and analysis of PFAS is unique and challenging, with no consensus best method for all environmental matrices. The USEPA published Method 537, Version 1.1 in 2009, which was designed to be applied to drinking water matrices only.  Several other methods have been published for PFAS, and environmental laboratories have adopted Method 537 and developed significant modifications to meet the needs of additional matrices.  Although modifications are similar amongst laboratories, the opportunity exists for labs to make unique and unqualified modifications, leading to data variability over time and between labs.
 
Each of TestAmerica’s presenters at the 2018 NEMC are also featured in TestAmerica’s Ask the Expert program.  The program, which provides interested parties with direct access to TestAmerica’s subject matter experts, also features a series of live webinar presentations on pertinent environmental topics.  For additional information on the program, or to view a list of upcoming and recorded webinars, please visit TestAmerica’s Ask the Expert Webinars website.
 
About TestAmerica
 
TestAmerica is the leading environmental testing firm in the United States, with over 80 locations providing innovative technical expertise and comprehensive analytical testing services. Specialty analyses include source, ambient and indoor air, water quality, compliance, desalination, shale gas, specialty organics, emergency response, industrial hygiene, dioxins, drinking water, sediments and tissues, PFAS and emerging contaminants, explosives, treatability studies, Federal/DoD, and radiochemistry and mixed waste testing.
 
TestAmerica affiliate companies include EMLab P&K, the leader in analytical microscopy and indoor air quality; and TestAmerica Air Emissions Corp. (METCO Environmental), specializing in air emissions testing. TestAmerica currently employs more than 2,000 professionals dedicated to exceptional service and solutions for our clients’ environmental testing needs.
 

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TestAmerica Laboratories, Inc.

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