Environmental Chemistry

Analytical Balance routinely performs organic, metals, and traditional wet chemistry analyses on a variety of matrices.  The laboratory has been heavily involved since its inception in the analysis of drinking water for bacteria, and has evolved to include all of the metals and other inorganic parameters as well as the organic chemicals which best describe whether the water is potable.  These services have been provided to municipalities, well drillers, individual homeowners, establishments serving the public including restaurants, day care centers, nursing homes, and others.

We analyze (or have analyzed) the drinking water from nearly all of the municipalities with public water supplies in eastern, southeastern central Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  In combination with the drilling community and the innumerable private wells being tested by Analytical Balance, the laboratory has analyzed tens of thousands of samples for bacteria in the past, and thousands of organic and inorganic samples for persons to assist them in determining whether their water is safe to drink.  In conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Supply (through their schedules), we assist these suppliers of public drinking water in meeting their mandated sampling and analysis requirements.  These analyses include all of the required parameters as specified in the Safe Drinking Water Act.

In addition, the laboratory has been involved in the analysis of waste waters from industries who discharge into rivers, streams, ponds, lakes or sewer systems as well as in the analysis of samples from ground water monitoring wells at landfills and manufacturers, for the cranberry industry and others.  These analyses run the spectrum from gas chromatographic to metals to other inorganic analyses for single and/or multiple point discharges, and assist these businesses in determining whether they are in compliance with local, state or federal regulations.

Our team of field samplers have sampled sites ranging from both operating and closed landfills, cranberry receiving plants, car washes, industrial effluents, pools, beaches, etc.  We routinely set schedules so you know that the laboratory will remember to do the sampling should you “forget.” 

Other bacteriological analyses performed include samples from recreational areas, swimming pools, ice milks (from fast food shake machines and others), yogurts, yeasts and molds, milk samples, fruit drinks, and swabs from utensils or dishes from restaurants and similar establishments.  Microbiological analysis is able to be performed for bacterial speciation requests.