What on earth? – Eurofins Environment Testing

This article is part of a new series on Eurofins’ testing services.

A healthy environment is synonymous with quality of life, and this fact has become more and more apparent over the past century. Keeping the environment safe for humans, animals and wildlife is now a high priority for governments, businesses and members of the public.

Take a look at your surroundings and think about the indoor and outdoor spaces you frequent. How many environment tests do you estimate are involved in keeping you safe?

To understand the scope of Eurofins Environment Testing’s services, you first need to grasp the enormity of the environment itself. From air, water, and soil to sediment, waste, and building materials, Eurofins Environment Testing analyses every matrix that makes up or impacts the environment, as the global leader in the environment testing market.

Building materials

Eurofins Environment Testing laboratories analyse the composition of building materials to ensure that materials used will not leach heavy metals or chemicals into the soil.

Paint

Eurofins Environment Testing companies inspect paint chips for lead, a heavy metal that was commonly used in paint production in the past. High exposure to lead has been acknowledged as dangerous to human health.

Drinking water

Before water reaches your tap, it is analysed by Eurofins laboratories a number of times – at the reservoir, before and after treatment, and finally at the tap spout! The water is tested for the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, emerging contaminants, pharmaceutical and disinfectant residue, harmful bacteria, and much more.

Wastewater

How many times a year do you flush the toilet? Eurofins Environment Testing supports the water recycling process from start to finish, testing the water piping systems and determining the levels of contamination present.

Eurofins Environment Testing laboratories can also monitor wastewater for viruses to give an indication of outbreaks in the local community before people even report symptoms or test positive for a disease. This capability was a valuable tool during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indoor air

When it comes to indoor air, Eurofins Environment Testing laboratories can assess ventilation and determine pollutant loads through volatile organic compound testing, which identifies industrial solvents in the air. These are emitted by varnish, carpets and upholstery, and may be particularly concentrated in offices and communal spaces.

For areas abundant in Radon, a harmful gas, Eurofins Environment Testing companies have pioneered Radon tests to analyse indoor air.

Outdoor air

Eurofins Environment Testing’s air monitoring services can assess the impact of traffic-related emissions or emissions from nearby industrial plants on outdoor air quality. Eurofins companies have pioneered sampling and analytical techniques to analyse harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from outdoor air.

Want to learn more about Eurofins Environment Testing’s services?

Check out Chapter 3 in our new book, The Story of Eurofins – From humble beginnings to a global leader .