Certified Chemistry Laboratory                     Laboratory Staff and Contacts                           Lab Brochure (Adobe PDF) Laboratory Capabilities PELA operates a full service analytical environmental laboratory. PELA's certified chemistry laboratory has an approved Comprehensive Quality Assurance Plan with the following capabilities: Safe Drinking Water Act, 40 CFR, Part 141 & 143 Drinking Water Analysis 62-550 EPA Priority Pollutants Waste Water Analysis NPDES, 40 CFR Part 122 Haz. Waste Characterization, 40 CFR part 261. [TCLP, reactivity, ignitability] Underground Storage Tank Testing 17-770 RCRA Compliance Testing SW-846 The laboratory analyzes solids and liquids for a variety of organic, inorganic, bacteriological, and radiological parameters. Analytical Quality Control...Precision and Accuracy PELA's laboratory personnel are dedicated to maintenance of quality control programs that assure the highest possible degree of accuracy and precision. Procedures and results are routinely checked and verified against standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Bureau of Standards (NBS), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Stringent compliance criteria for quality control are performed on a quarterly basis. Quality control is an integral part of PELA's laboratory routine. A routine quality assurance program is an essential part of the analytical process. The minimum requirements for each analytical run are as follows: Calibration, Initial & Verification: A series of four standards are utilized to initiate any type of analysis. Continuing Calibration Verification: An EPA quality control check sample or an NBS Control standard is analyzed every ten samples to assure calibration accuracy during an analytical run. Method Blank Analysis: The method blank is to control any contamination from reagent or preparation. Matrix Spike Analysis: For each group of ten samples or less of a similar matrix, a spike sample analysis is performed. Duplicate Sample Analysis: At least one duplicate sample analysis is performed on each group of ten samples of a similar matrix. GC/MS Requirements: DFTPP is verified prior to all analysis Laboratory Affiliations and Certifications Include: USEPA ASTM USGS USOSM Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services Alabama Department of Environmental Management Five Florida Water Management Districts Tennessee Department of Health and Environment Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection Georgia Department of Natural Resources Instrumentation-Partial Equipment List Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP) Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAA) Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (GFAA) Mercury Auto Analyzer Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC) Alpkem Auto Analyzer High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) Gas Chromatographs (GC) with different detectors Electron Capture Detector (ECD) Flame Ionization Detector (FID) Electrolytic Conductivity Detector (Hall) Nitrogen Phosphorus Detector (NPD) Photoionization Detector (PID) Closed System Purge and Trap GC/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) The HPLC and Gas Chromatographs are interlinked to the Turbochrom Chromatography Computer System. This system calibrates and processes the chromatographic data for the GC instruments to be ready for final reporting. PELA is managing laboratory data within an information management structure by the implementation of Analytical Automation Specialists, Inc. LABWORKS LIMS. All instrumentations are interfaced with the LIMS for Good Automated Laboratory Procedure (GALP) and automated data collection. Senior chemists with years of experience in analytical, physical, and research chemistry, as well as geochemistry and biochemistry, directly supervise all work in PELA's laboratory. Strict adherence to company Standard Operating Procedures for Quality Assurance/Quality Control is maintained at all times. Standard-Turn-Around A standard-turn-around-time of three weeks or less (routinely ten working days) is provided in performing laboratory analyses for samples collected by PELA's professionals. A turn around time of 24 hours is available by special request. Monitoring programs are designed for specific requirements. The monitoring is performed on a regular basis for government, industries, and individuals. Personnel are completely familiar with the use of specialized sampling devices and proper procedures for collecting corrosive, ignitable, radioactive, or other hazardous materials.