Accurate laboratory results begin long before samples arrive at the laboratory. Proper field sampling techniques are essential for minimizing the potential for cross-contamination and ensuring data quality. Because PFAS compounds are found in many everyday consumer products, extra care should be taken during sample collection.
Advancing its commitment to supporting a comprehensive federal services program, Merit Laboratories has expanded its DoD ELAP accreditation to include Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) sample preparation.
Merit Laboratories is pleased to announce its participation in the 2026 International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds (Battelle Chlorinated Conference), taking place May 31 – June 4, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Recognized globally as one of the leading conferences for environmental remediation professionals, the event brings together scientists, engineers, consultants, regulators, and industry leaders to advance solutions for complex environmental challenges.
Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) is an increasingly accepted approach for characterizing soil contamination and reducing the uncertainty commonly associated with traditional discrete sampling methods. By collecting and combining multiple increments from a defined area, ISM is designed to provide a more representative estimate of mean contaminant concentrations within a designated decision unit.
Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) is increasingly used across the environmental industry to evaluate soil contaminants. Unlike traditional discrete sampling, ISM collects numerous soil increments that are combined, processed, and subsampled to produce more representative measurements of contaminant concentrations within a defined area.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has released the final Incremental Sampling Methodology and Applications reference guide. The MDEQ guide can be used by environmental professionals as a technical reference for using incremental sampling method (ISM) techniques to evaluate contaminated land while managing risk and future use. ISM is also known as Multi-Incremental Sampling (MIS), Incremental Composite Sampling (ICS), or Incremental Sampling Methodology (IS).
The DoD Environmental Data Quality Workgroup recently issued a fact sheet on detection and quantitation to assist project managers and data users of laboratory data for DoD projects. The EDQW guidance sheet is geared to assist project manager or other decision-makers that use environmental laboratory data to accomplish one or more of the following tasks for a DoD project:
The term summa canister is trying to go the way of other product names that have become generic titles for their intended purpose, like Kleenex and Band Aids. The term summa canister is used in the environmental industry by many professionals to describe the sampling media used for air sampling prior to laboratory testing. There is, however, inherent risk in believing that summa canister is an acceptable term that defines all air sampling media for TO-15 projects.
The rankings are out and three metals top the chart: arsenic, lead, and mercury. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released its 2017 list of substances at EPA-managed contamination sites posing the most significant risk to human health. A total of 275 substances are listed on the entire ATSDR 2017 Substance Priority list. Here are the Top 50 substances listed.
After receiving your analytical data report, do you ever wonder why all of the additional quality assurance-quality control (QA-QC) samples are analyzed and reported? The following definitions will help you better understand the various QA-QC samples commonly reported by Merit Laboratories and what they can mean for your analytical data.
Since the beginning of the EPA's Brownfields program in 1995, more than 27,000 properties have been assessed throughout the country, including more than 1,400 in the last fiscal year. A Brownfield property is one where the redevelopment or reuse of the property may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has announced that it will be hosting workshops on the Volatilization to Indoor Air Pathway (VIAP) to provide guidance and training on Vapor Intrusion (VI). The MDEQ will be conducting four workshops throughout the state. The workshops will provide information on the concepts and fundamentals of VIAP, steps associated with investigations, collection and use of evidence, information on the USDA soil classification system, mitigation strategies, and VI sampling methodology and supplies.
Many environmental projects and programs require that a laboratory provide a CLP-Like Level IV analytical data package for data reporting. A Level IV data package is a comprehensive report that allows a data validator to evaluate analytical data and determine usability, including analytical data results, quality control, and sample handling information. Level IV data packages are typically used for data validation purposes following the U.S. EPA’s National Functional Guidelines (NFG) for Data Review.
EPA 1311 or EPA 1312? TCLP or SPLP? When selecting the appropriate leaching procedure, it basically boils down to one key question. What type of environmental project is the leaching procedure supporting? The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) is performed as a waste characterization method to support waste disposal efforts for RCRA-listed compounds and elements. The Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) method is very similar to TCLP, but its project applicability differs significantly. SPLP is generally specific to soil samples and is performed to determine the potential of contaminants present in soil to leach into groundwater.
