Professional air testing laboratories provide critical analytical services for environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, and health risk assessment. These facilities offer specialised testing for various air matrices including soil gas, indoor air, and fenceline monitoring. The services are designed to support environmental consultants, industrial facilities, and regulatory agencies with accurate, reliable data.
Leading Air Testing Laboratories
Several prominent laboratories operate within the environmental testing sector, each offering distinct capabilities and accreditations. These facilities maintain specialised equipment and employ certified methods to ensure data quality and regulatory compliance.
Merit Laboratories
Merit Laboratories positions itself as a national leader in environmental testing with particular expertise in air analysis. The laboratory maintains multiple certifications and continuously invests in the latest instrumentation and training procedures. Their commitment to quality ensures accurate data for various air testing applications.
Merit Laboratories offers the following air analytical testing options:
- EPA Method TO-15: Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in diverse air sample types including soil gas, soil vapor, indoor air, and other air matrices
- EPA Method TO-17: Analysis of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs/PNAs) in air samples
- Method 325B: Support for fenceline monitoring programs for benzene analysis
The laboratory is NELAP-accredited for the analysis of VOCs by TO-15. Merit Laboratories also performs Method 325B to support fenceline monitoring programs. The laboratory maintains a large stock of sample collection media to support air projects, including bottle vacs, canisters, flow controllers, and helium shrouds.
For air sampling, Merit Laboratories has made a quality commitment to providing clients with Silonite™ Ceramic Coated canisters instead of traditional summa canisters. According to information from Entech, sampling rates rather than sampling times represent the enabling condition, taking the canister volume out of the equation. A smaller canister size allows shorter sampling times when collecting based on flow rate, such as for soil gas, which improves efficiency and reduces the amount of tracer gas needed. Using large, cumbersome 6-liter summa canisters adds additional expense in shipping and exposes analytical results to potential false negatives.
To set up air testing projects, Merit Laboratories can be contacted at 517.332.0167, via email at [email protected], or by completing their air project form.
Pace® Laboratories
Pace® Laboratories brings over three decades of experience to air quality testing and analysis. The company offers advanced, comprehensive air quality testing services with a focus on meeting data objectives through quality delivery. Their approach emphasises personal service, ethical standards, data transparency, and high-level support.
Pace® operates an Air Center of Excellence, which represents the largest air lab testing facility in the country. This centralized model brings together professionals with deep air testing and analysis experience while adding significant capacity to address various needs. The facility delivers thought leadership, best practices, research and development, and support services.
The company focuses on customers' challenges and air testing needs by combining skills of air professionals from a range of disciplines. This multidisciplinary approach offers broad subject matter expertise that contributes to superior customer outcomes. Pace® also offers Air Flow Measurement Products, which are described as indispensable for critical applications from air permitting to meteorological monitoring. The Streamline Family of products is engineered for excellence and designed for customer needs.
ALS Global
ALS offers decades of experience providing robust air testing capabilities across the United States. The company provides extensive test methods, sampling media, and technical expertise to help ensure clients receive data on time.
ALS maintains NELAC/ISO-accredited laboratories in multiple locations including Simi Valley, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Queens, New York. These facilities have the scale needed for high-volume, high-complexity testing and fast turnarounds. ALS supports various applications from vapor intrusion investigations to RNG plant emissions monitoring.
Alpha Analytical
Alpha Analytical operates an environmental air testing laboratory with the largest capacity for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) analysis by EPA Method TO-15 in the Northeast. The facility is located off Interstate 95, just south of Boston, with easy access to the NE corridor.
Alpha Analytical maintains the largest inventory in the Northeast of silica-fused lined sample canisters, which facilitate consistent cleaning over time, and flow controllers with digital gauges that simplify field use. The laboratory can respond quickly to requests with reliable quality media for collecting critical samples. For multiple canister orders, media is provided in commercial crates to make larger projects flow smoothly. Within their service area, media is delivered and picked up at the site or office through the support of an in-house courier service network and service centers.
Alpha Analytical provides all the media for the methods they support. An important consideration in air sampling is ensuring proper surface sealing to prevent air above the surface from causing negative bias during sampling. An alternative that has been gaining traction is the water dam method, which is best applied to concrete slabs in good condition. This method uses water to confirm the surface seal.
Technical Capabilities and Methods
Volatile Organic Compounds Analysis
VOC analysis represents a core capability across leading air testing laboratories. EPA Method TO-15 is the standard method for VOC analysis in air samples. This method covers the collection and analysis of VOCs in air samples using canister-based sampling techniques. Laboratories must maintain specific accreditations and capabilities to perform this analysis accurately.
The choice of sampling media significantly impacts data quality. Modern laboratories have moved toward Silonite™ ceramic-coated canisters as superior alternatives to traditional summa canisters. These advanced canisters offer several advantages including reduced shipping costs, lower risk of false negatives, and improved efficiency for certain sampling applications.
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons Analysis
PAHs/PNAs analysis using EPA Method TO-17 provides critical data for assessing exposure to these compounds, which are common environmental contaminants. This method requires specialised equipment and expertise to ensure accurate quantification of these complex compounds in various air matrices.
Fenceline Monitoring
Method 325B specifically supports fenceline monitoring programs for benzene analysis. Benzene serves as the representative compound used to measure overall emissions from refineries in the United States. This monitoring approach provides continuous or periodic assessment of facility emissions and their impact on surrounding areas.
Sample Collection Media and Equipment
Canisters and Collection Devices
Air testing laboratories maintain extensive inventories of sample collection media. These include:
- Canisters: Modern silica-fused lined canisters provide superior performance compared to traditional options
- Bottle vacs: Specialised containers for specific sampling applications
- Flow controllers: Equipment with digital gauges that simplify field operations
- Helium shrouds: Specialised equipment for specific sampling scenarios
The availability of quality media is essential for successful air testing projects. Laboratories with large inventories can support multiple simultaneous projects and respond quickly to urgent requests.
Field Support Services
Leading laboratories offer comprehensive field support including:
- Media delivery and pickup within service areas
- In-house courier service networks
- Commercial crates for large quantity orders
- Technical support for sampling procedures
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
Laboratory Certifications
NELAP accreditation represents the gold standard for environmental laboratories performing air analysis. This accreditation ensures laboratories meet rigorous quality standards for:
- Personnel qualifications
- Equipment calibration and maintenance
- Quality control procedures
- Data validation and reporting
ISO accreditation provides additional quality assurance through internationally recognised standards. Laboratories maintaining both NELAP and ISO accreditation demonstrate commitment to the highest quality standards.
Data Quality and Transparency
Modern air testing laboratories emphasise data transparency and quality assurance. This includes:
- Clear reporting of detection limits and uncertainties
- Comprehensive quality control data
- Flagged criteria exceedances
- Accessible data formats for client review
Customer Support and Project Management
Technical Expertise
Leading laboratories provide access to technical experts who can assist with:
- Method selection and applicability
- Sampling design and planning
- Regulatory compliance questions
- Data interpretation and evaluation
Online Tools and Data Management
Modern laboratories offer sophisticated online tools for data management:
- Data merger tools: Allow consolidation of multiple sampling events into single electronic files
- Screening criteria checkers: Compare results against multiple regulatory standards simultaneously
- 24/7 customer portals: Provide secure access to data and reports
- Excel export capabilities: Facilitate client data management and analysis
These tools enable efficient data evaluation and help clients quickly identify criteria exceedances and assess results in context.
Application Areas
Vapor Intrusion Investigations
Air testing laboratories support vapor intrusion investigations, which assess the migration of VOCs from contaminated soil or groundwater into indoor air. This requires specialised sampling and analysis to evaluate potential health risks and regulatory compliance.
Industrial Emissions Monitoring
Facilities require regular monitoring of emissions to comply with permits and regulations. Air testing laboratories provide the analytical support necessary for:
- Continuous emissions monitoring systems validation
- Stack testing and source emissions
- Fenceline monitoring
- Ambient air monitoring
Indoor Air Quality Assessment
Indoor air quality testing helps assess potential health impacts from building materials, occupant activities, and external contamination sources. Laboratories analyse samples for VOCs, PAHs, and other compounds that may affect occupant health and comfort.
RNG Plant Emissions Monitoring
Renewable natural gas (RNG) plants require specialised emissions monitoring to ensure compliance with environmental permits. Air testing laboratories provide the technical expertise and analytical capabilities needed for these complex facilities.
Project Setup and Contact
Setting up air testing projects with these laboratories involves straightforward processes. Most laboratories offer multiple contact methods:
- Direct phone contact with technical staff
- Email communication for project inquiries
- Online project request forms
- Dedicated customer portals for existing clients
When initiating projects, laboratories typically request information about:
- Project objectives and regulatory requirements
- Sample types and matrices
- Required methods and detection limits
- Timeline and deliverables
- Site-specific considerations
Conclusion
Professional air testing laboratories provide essential services for environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, and health risk assessment. Facilities such as Merit Laboratories, Pace®, ALS, and Alpha Analytical maintain specialised capabilities, modern equipment, and accredited methods to support diverse air testing needs. These laboratories emphasise quality, data transparency, and customer support while offering comprehensive analytical services for VOCs, PAHs, and other compounds across various air matrices. Their expertise and infrastructure enable accurate, reliable data delivery for applications ranging from vapor intrusion investigations to industrial emissions monitoring.