Environmental Aggregate Organic Constituents Analysis
The presence of tens of thousands of potentially toxic organic compounds in soil, water, and waste products in the environment makes the analysis of organic compounds more challenging than for the limited number of inorganic (elemental) analytes. Organics constituents are often regulated at ppb (parts per billion) level and often occur in complex mixtures in contaminated samples, complicating identification and quantification. Environmental chemists often rely on wet chemistry techniques to understand the condition of the environment they are studying such as groundwater, water bodies, and even soil.
BOC Sciences offers a wide range of environmental organic analysis services. Combined with precise instrumentation and rigorous processes, our labs can safely handle samples from virtually any matrix - drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil, oil, sludge, and more. We have established various wet chemical analysis procedures that involve decomposing environmental samples with reagents such as acids, dissolving them in solvents, and using different measurement methods to identify and quantify the target organic constituents.
General Analysis Procedure
Sample preparation for organic analysis varies depending on the sample type and matrix. For many compounds, samples are typically prepared by extracting the soil, sediment or water sample with an organic solvent such as methylene chloride, acetone or hexane; this solvent phase is then 'cleaned up' by extraction into another organic solvent to remove interfering compounds. The extracted analytes are quantified using a GC or HPLC procedure.
Why Cooperate with BOC Sciences
- Dedicated to providing fast, accurate data analysis and reporting
- Multiple reporting platforms to deliver electronic data delivery formats
- Many deliverable data are customized to individual customer needs
One-stop Services for Environmental Organic Analysis Testing
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Determination
It has been demonstrated with a lot of research data that organic contamination can reduce ion exchange capacity and lead to harmful biological growth, making treated water unsafe for life forms in nature. The concentration of total organic carbon in liquid and solid samples is one of the most important screening parameters in water and environmental analysis. Therefore, for both water quality assessment and waste treatment, total organic carbon is an important indicator of organic contamination need to be assessed. Our chemists are able to provide rapid and accurate determination of total organic carbon in liquids and solids. Whether you want to determine TOC in ultrapure water, drinking water, surface water, seawater, wastewater, soil eluate, soil, sediment or solid waste, we offer a variety of quantification methods including manual, potentiometric, and titration, depending on the customer's choice.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Determination
Chemical oxygen demand is a measure of the oxygen required for the chemical oxidation of organic waste in water. Therefore, COD can be used to assess the quality of water and wastewater. The wet chemical method is a widely used methodology for COD analysis, in which a sample is digested at high temperature under acidic conditions in the presence of strong oxidizing agents (e.g. potassium dichromate, potassium iodate, potassium permanganate), and after digestion, the degree of oxidation is measured by indirectly calculating the electrons consumed in the reduction process. BOC Sciences has accumulated many years of experience in wet chemical analysis, and our chemists can help you measure water quality using both titrimetric and photometric methods.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Determination
Industrial wastewater treatment processes and effluents from livestock activities contain excessive amounts of organic matter, which are currently the main pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. BOD measures the amount of oxygen consumed by the microorganisms to oxidize the organic matter present in water, and this test is often required in discharge permits as a means of determining the extent of water contamination. BOC Sciences' BOD measurement service can accurately assess the amount of biodegradable organic matter in wastewater, sewage and contaminated water bodies in the environment. Our BOD testing services can be applied to a variety of water quality monitoring processes including water treatment, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operations, polluting industries, fish farming, aquaculture, hydroponic systems, and environmental control. We mainly use the dilution method of wet chemical analysis to conduct BOD testing, including three measurable categories: total BOD (tBOD), soluble BOD (sBOD) and carbonaceous BOD (CBOD).
Total Organic Halides (TOX) Determination
Total organic halides in soil and sediment is an important indicator that is widely used to detect whether a soil or underground aquifer is contaminated. Many halogenated organic compounds are highly toxic to human health, some of them are even carcinogenic, so their presence can be a clear indication of anthropogenic toxic contamination. Organic halides include organic halides (AOX), extractable organic halides or purgable organic halides (POX). BOC Sciences has been specializing in organic halides measurements using microcoulomb titration, and we offer a variety of standard and adapted methods for specific sample applications. Our chemists are able to perform rapid and accurate total organic halides analysis in a wide range of liquid and solid matrices.
Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) Determination
Petroleum-based chemicals such as oil, grease, gasoline and other hydrocarbons are harmful to the environment and need to be removed effectively. In addition, wastewater containing fats, oils, waxes, etc. can form unsightly films and interfere with the biological life of surface waters. Fats, oils and grease is often described as a pollutant because it is discharged in wastewater, causing buildup in sewers and subsequent blockage of sewers. Many industries need to ensure that they do not exceed the limits of their oil/fat discharge permits. BOC Sciences offers solvent extraction and gravimetric determination in wet chemistry techniques for the determination of FOG in industrial and domestic water wastes.
Loss on Ignition (LOI) Testing
As a wet chemical analysis method often used in inorganic analytical chemistry, loss on ignition describes the process of measuring the change in weight of a sample after it has been heated to a high temperature causing some of its contents to volatilize. Volatile materials lost from the sample include water and carbon dioxide from carbonates. In recent years, LOI testing has been widely employed to measure the organic content of samples such as soil, cement, sludge and waste. Our experts are able to provide comprehensive LOI testing services to determine the amount of organic material in various materials such as sediment, sludge, soil and waste.