TESTING, TESTING, TESTING

Through its network of labs Chemtech offers a wide range of environmental testing. From Soils, Groundwater, Landfill Leachates, Effluents and wastewater, Ash and IBA, SRF and RDF, Biomass, Wood and Solid Wastes, we offer a wide range of testing on a wide range of matrices. If it isn’t in the list just ask and we’ll see what we can do…

Chemtech is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 2531 to ISO17025 and the Environment Agency’s MCERTS (Soils) Performance Standard. Click here for details. We also offer Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) testing with leachate analysis performed in accordance with BS12457 parts 1 to 3 in line with your requirements and that of your landfill operator, and we offer some of the fastest turnarounds in the industry, just ask about our 3-day service.

Our Technical Details Summary provides information on methods, accreditation, limits of detection (LoD) and sampling requirements. We are regularly looking to improve our service and are always investing in new instrumentation, so our Technical Details will change regularly. If you need further help to determine the best containers to use and understand holding times for tests to avoid deviation on receipt of samples, drop us a line and we’d be happy to advise.

Whilst we welcome enquires on any aspect of testing, we do offer tailored solutions in a number of key areas:

Waste characterisation and analysis

Current EC and Environment Agency regulations and guidance require waste producers, carriers and disposers and their advisers to classify waste material as either hazardous or non-hazardous. Permit restrictions are continually reviewed and tightened, and customers are legally required to follow the latest legislation. As the UK’s market leader in municipal waste analysis, Chemtech carries out timely and reliable WM3 hazard classifications of customers’ waste streams to ensure full, up-to-date compliance.

Energy recovery

Processed non-recyclable municipal waste can be used for RDF or Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) to recover energy and generate electricity, diverting it from landfill. Chemtech carries out waste-derived fuel analysis services for some of the UK’s leading waste processors, including net & gross calorific value, trace metals, and proximate and ultimate analysis. We offer on-site sampling services with robust fuel measuring and sampling (FMS) plans, ensuring reliable, representative and timely reporting of results. We also supply Energy from Waste facilities with routine testing of combustion residues, including Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA), as per the ESA Protocol, to ensure suitability for reprocessing.

Contaminated Land and Soil Quality

This is the bread and butter of our Durham site, offering soil testing for site assessment, remediation and risk assessment supporting developers, contractors and consultants. With a good range of ISO17025 and MCERTS accredited testing designed to support the contaminated land industry including Volatile and Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons, BTEX compounds and Volatile Organics, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Semi-Volatile Organics, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Metals, Cyanides, Phenols, Nutrients (Sulphate, Nitrogen species inc NO_x, Halides, etc.) and many more in both soil and associated groundwaters and laboratory generated leachates.

Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC)

Offering quick turnaround services for

• Full/Combines WAC
• Inert WAC
• Stable Non-Reactive Hazardous WAC
• Hazardous WAC

Using either the Single Stage (BS12457-2. NB BS12457-1 available as needed) or Two-Stage (BS12457-3) leachate preparation. Results are provided as standard with a supplementary format contrasting results with the threshold values taken from the 2003/33/EC:Council Decision of 19 December 2002.

Topsoil/Subsoil

We have specifically tailored suites designed to reflect the requirements of either BS3882 or BS8601, with bespoke reporting formats inclusive of the soil classification triangle and indicative comparisons to the threshold values listed in the British Standard.