WILMINGTON, NC (APRIL 1, 2021) – Enthalpy Analytical, LLC (“Enthalpy”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Montrose Environmental Group, Inc., is proud to announce its ultra-trace laboratory in Wilmington, NC, has received certification from the State of Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories to examine drinking water in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 533. The new validated method focuses on short chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — those with carbon chain lengths of 4 to 12. EPA Method 533 complements EPA Method 537.1 and can be used to test for 11 additional PFAS. Using both methods, a total of 29 unique PFAS can be effectively measured in drinking water.
Along with Enthalpy’s Department of Defense Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program certification, the EPA Method 533 certification complements Enthalpy’s previous certification for Method 537.1, allowing the lab to expand its analysis of drinking water samples containing PFAS. With this primary accreditation, Enthalpy is now authorized to provide EPA Method 533 testing for Federal agencies, municipalities and industrial clients within the State of Florida, and other areas that accept the certification. Enthalpy is pursuing secondary state certifications as required.
“Our newest PFAS accreditation for EPA Method 533 demonstrates Enthalpy’s commitment to the rapidly evolving PFAS measurements landscape,” said Bryan Tyler, Enthalpy’s Vice President of Environmental Laboratory Services. “Investment in accreditations and scope expansions shows our commitment to helping investigate, remediate and solve contamination problems from ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS. With this accreditation our development efforts do not end, but pivot to evaluating the Total Organic Fluorine which serves as a complimentary measurement to PFAS analysis as well as evaluating PFAS in air with EPA Other test Method 45 (OTM 45).”
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industrial and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in a variety of product applications ranging from cookware, food packaging, and personal care products to industrial uses such as semiconductor coatings, firefighting aqueous film-forming foam, metal plating, and more. PFAS have been a growing public health concern, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and can build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife. According to the CDC, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans, including adversely affecting growth, learning and behavior in infants and children; lowering a woman’s chance of getting pregnant; interfering with the body’s natural hormones; increasing cholesterol levels; affecting the immune system; and increasing the risk for some cancers. For more information on health risks related to PFAS, please visit www.epa.gov/pfas.
“Being able to analyze drinking water using both EPA 537.1 and EPA 533 allows for the best possible determination of human health hazards in drinking water,” said Dr. Bryan Vining, Laboratory Director at Enthalpy. “EPA 533 is especially helpful in assessing those PFAS chemicals that were introduced as older PFAS compounds were phased out due to their potential threat to human health.”
About State of Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories
Florida’s Bureau of Public Health Laboratories (BPHL) contributes to a healthier Florida through quality laboratory practices. In addition to providing accurate and reliable clinical and environmental laboratory testing to protect Floridians from potential public health risks and emergencies, BPHL also certifies environmental laboratories to ensure that all laboratories providing testing services for Floridians are adhering to the national standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). BPHL is a recognized accreditation body through the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP).
About DoD ELAP
The Department of Defense established the DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) in October 2009 to provide a unified DoD program through which laboratories can demonstrate competency and document conformance to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories as implemented by the DoD Quality Systems Manual for Environmental Laboratories (DoD QSM). Using third party Accreditation Bodies operating in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity Assessment – General Requirements for Accreditation Bodies Accrediting Conformity Assessment Bodies, the DoD ELAP was established to: Promote interoperability among the DoD Components; Promote fair and open competition among commercial laboratories; Streamline the process for identifying and procuring competent providers of environmental laboratory services, and; Promote the collection of data of known and documented quality.
About Enthalpy Analytical, LLC
Enthalpy Analytical, LLC (“Enthalpy”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Montrose Environmental Group, Inc., (“Montrose”) providing environmental laboratory services as part of Montrose’s Measurement and Analysis division. Enthalpy operates ten accredited laboratories across the United States., Within the network Enthalpy has laboratories that specialize in analysis of air, soil, water, and sediment. For more information, visit Enthalpy Analytical at www.enthalpy.com.
For follow-up questions or additional information, please contact Kelly Swanson at: kswanson@montrose-env.com
