Soil Testing for PCBs to Take Place at Massachusetts High School

In July, SouthCoast Today published an article about soil testing to take place under part of a concrete slab at a high school in the coastal town of New Bedford, Massachusetts. According to the report, workers would be taking state-mandated soil tests for polychlorinated biphenyls, more commonly referred to as PCBs. The high school was apparently built over land that was once used as a dump many decades ago. The article states that contaminated groundwater was identified seeping through the school’s floor all the way back in 2011.

PCBs are man-made toxic chemicals that persist in the environment and can bioaccumulate in living organisms. PCBs were manufactured in the United States up until the late 1970s when their production was banned due to health and environmental concerns.

“If PCBs are present in a building, anyone could be exposed to them by directly touching PCB containing materials and by breathing in contaminated air or dust,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “In the past, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications. The chemical compounds were used in such building materials as paints, mastics, sealants, adhesives, caulking, specialty coatings, electrical capacitors and fluorescent light ballasts. These PCBs can persist in old materials and contaminate surfaces, dust, soils and the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a structure. They can also be present, as appears to be the case in New Bedford, when former landfills or contaminated industrial sites are put to new uses. This is why it is so critical to perform testing to identify hazardous substances that may be present before new construction take place.”

To help identify and prevent exposure hazards associated with PCBs and other toxic substances, EMSL Analytical offers comprehensive indoor and outdoor testing services along with all of the sampling supplies required. EMSL has even created an educational video about PCBs that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/qMkihaoPlCk.

To learn more about PCB testing or other environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 45 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail