With decades of analytical experience under our belts and nationally recognized staff, Brooks Applied Labs shares this knowledge with clients by offering: Please contact us today to find out more about these services.

EPA 1669: Ultra-Clean Sample Collection Training

BAL routinely provides certified-clean sampling equipment, on-site sample collection services, and sample collection training courses such as our EPA Method 1669 Sampling Class. In order to monitor for compliance with the stringent ambient water quality criteria required by the Clean Water Act, the EPA developed a number of performance-based analytical methods specifically for the measurement of metals at ultra-trace levels (low-ppb to low-ppt). These include:
  • EPA Method 1630 (methylmercury)
  • EPA Method 1631 (low-level mercury)
  • EPA Method 1632 (arsenic speciation)
  • EPA Method 1638 (metals by ICP-MS)
  • EPA Method 1640 (metals in seawater by ICP-MS)
During the development of these methods, the EPA found that one of the greatest difficulties in obtaining reliably accurate data for metals at low-level concentrations was due to sample contamination. Therefore, samples to be analyzed by any of the above methods must also be collected according to the procedures described in EPA Method 1669. Similarly performance-based, EPA Method 1669 requires special procedures to minimize and monitor for contamination, including the use of ultra-clean pre-tested sample collection containers and other field-sampling equipment, a two-person sample collection procedure (“clean hands/dirty hands”), and the collection of field quality control samples (equipment blanks, field blanks, field duplicates, etc.).

Laboratory Consulting

Analyzing samples for metals speciation and ultra-low level metals requires an entirely different approach than for most other metals analyses, and the issues that many laboratories encounter can be difficult to resolve without the resources and experience that only decades of performing these complicated procedures can provide. Brooks Applied Labs offers comprehensive consulting services provided by our senior analytical chemists and technical director, who possess a cumulative experience of over 60 years in the field of specialty metals analyses. Consulting services are available to serve laboratories of any size interested in developing the specialized systems and practices necessary to produce consistently high quality metals data, in addition to environmental consulting firms and other consumers of the data produced by laboratories that are interested in ensuring the quality and defensibility of the data they are receiving. Some of the specific consulting services that Brooks Applied Labs offers include:
  • authoritative metals laboratory audits
  • accreditation assistance (ISO 17025, NELAC, Dept. of Defense, and state)
  • configuration/evaluation of laboratory set-up
  • prevention of laboratory contamination
  • preventing species changes through proper sample handling
  • development/evaluation of standard operating procedures
  • development/evaluation of well-documented quality assurance protocols
  • data review and validation