JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. announces the addition of Christy Draper to their eastern technical sales force.

Draper joins Columbia Analytical with 21 years of experience in the environmental laboratory field, where she has held positions as Senior Analytical Chemist and National Account Executive. Draper has expertise in the EPA Safe Drinking Water program, Department of Defense programs, and many aspects of environmental testing.

“Draper will focus on the southeastern sector of the US and will also work with national accounts in the Eastern Region,” said Bob Wyeth, senior vice president of Columbia Analytical. “Her expertise will provide our clients technical depth and resources for their projects.”
 
Draper’s other skills include 40 hours of OSHA training, field sampling and testing support and advanced SCUBA, including research diving. She has a BA in Biology and Chemistry and did her Masters Degree work in Marine Biology. She is a current Board Member of the NW Chapter of Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, has served as past Pensacola Post President for the Society of American Military Engineers and is a member of AWWA. Draper resides in Pensacola, Florida.

Established in 1986, Columbia Analytical is an employee-owned, full service analytical laboratory network. Headquartered in Kelso, Washington, their network is comprised of seven laboratories in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, Texas and Washington. Their expertise encompasses air, water, dioxin, biological, pharmaceutical, and solid and hazardous waste analyses.

For more information on Columbia Analytical please contact Draper at 850.377.1535 or check out the company’s website at www.caslab.com.

Kelso, Wash. — Robert Wyeth, senior vice president of Columbia Analytical Services, will speak about the efforts toward national environmental laboratory accreditation and the activities of The NELAC Institute. Wyeth’s presentation will be for the National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC) to be held August 10-16, 2008 in Washington, DC.

“It will be a history, current status and a prediction of where we are going while avoiding the pitfalls and taking advantage of the positive aspects of accreditation,” said Wyeth.

The conference’s 2008 program features four keynote presentations as well as 140 technical and poster sessions. Wyeth’s presentation will be offered on Thursday, August 14, 2008 entitled, ‘Moving Forward on National Accreditation.’ He will also be available during the conference for questions.

The NEMC was initiated in 1985 as part of EPA’s efforts to foster a partnership among the agency, the regulated community, the public, state regulatory agencies, and the other members of the monitoring community.

Wyeth has more than 35 years in the environmental testing industry and is currently a technical and regulatory expert for Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The NELAC Institute and the Environmental Sciences Section of the American Council of Independent Laboratories.

For more information on the conference or Wyeth’s presentation visit Columbia Analytical’s website at www.caslab.com or contact Wyeth at 716-860-9108.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., announces expansion of its Phoenix, Arizona, laboratory with the addition of new gas chromatography mass spectrometers (GC/MS), autosamplers and microbiological testing capabilities.

“Adding capabilities and capacity has been a natural part of our growth since our purchase of the Phoenix property earlier this year,” said Steve Vincent, president of Columbia Analytical. “These investments reinforce our long-term commitment to serving Arizona and the Southwest region.”

As part of its growth strategy, Columbia Analytical has also launched a client access web portal where clients can obtain their lab reports and other documents online.

“Our new web system will add value to our customers by offering access to detailed project data at their convenience,” said Beth Proffitt, vice president of corporate business development and acting laboratory director. “We are excited about our growth and are looking forward to providing even better service to our clients through these changes.”

Proffitt was recently promoted to the position of vice president, corporate business development and has been in the environmental laboratory industry for more than 21 years. She will continue to provide support and operate from the Phoenix location.

“Beth is an outstanding resource to have in the Southwest region,” said Vincent. “She will be expanding her efforts on our regional and national markets. We are now hiring to fill Beth’s former lab director position as well as other new analyst positions in the Phoenix laboratory. We take pride in our experienced staff and look forward to our future growth.”

For more information on Columbia Analytical, please contact Steve Vincent at 360.577.7222 or Beth Proffitt at 602.437.0330 or visit the company’s website at www.caslab.com.

Columbia Analytical has completed the implementation of the National Council of Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) Method AQ-S108.01 for the determination of anthraquinone in pulp and paper products.

In response to California’s listing of anthraquinone with Proposition 65, many companies are proactively having their products tested for anthraquinone in advance of the ruling’s effective date. This procedure is currently being performed by Columbia Analytical as written and released by NCASI.

Columbia Analytical has been in consultation with NCASI scientists over the past year in preparation for this action by the state. This preparation enabled Columbia Analytical to be in position to offer the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) procedure in time for pulp and paper operations to comply with the regulation.

Columbia Analytical is currently analyzing for anthraquinone in samples for multiple organizations.

For more information on anthraquinone analysis, please contact Jeff Christian at 360-501-3316 or Ed Wallace at 360-577-7222.

Columbia Analytical Tucson Laboratory is excited to announce the arrival of their new LECO TruSpec Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulfur (CHNS) Analyzer with Oxygen Module and Auto Samplers.

The addition of this new equipment will enable Columbia Analytical to increase capacity for CHNS analyses and analyze difficult matrices for oxygen.

“We can analyze CHNS on a single aliquot of sample, thus reducing the amount of the sample needed. Oxygen analyses can also be performed on organo-metallic samples and samples containing fluorine,” stated Lab Manager Ralph Poulsen. “The instrument is easily switched from CHNS to oxygen and stabilizes within an hour versus up to a day with other instruments.”

TruSpec analyzers operate at a higher pyrolysis temperature (1,250 vs 950C) which is critical in breaking organo-metallic and oxygen bounds and it uses IR detectors which eliminates the need for a gas separation column that is easily poisoned by low concentrations of fluorine in the sample.

“Oxygen analyses times will be greatly improved from approximately five to six minutes to less than two minutes,” said Poulsen. “This new analyzer also supports compliance to FDA Regulation 21 CFR Part 11 and AOAC, AACC, AOCS, ASBC and ASTM approved methods of analyses.”

For more information on micro-elemental testing, contact Ralph Poulsen, Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. at 520-573-1061 or visit their website at www.caslab.com.

A Professional Development Course (PDC) entitled “Tools of the Trade — Vapor Intrusion Investigation for the Industrial Hygienist” was recently co-taught by Alyson Fortune of Columbia Analytical at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exhibition (AIHce), May 31-June 5, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minn. The all day interactive training course was presented by Alyson Fortune, Bharti Ujjani, CIH and Peter Granholm, CIH, PG along with Helen Dawson, PhD. from USEPA Region Eight.

Ms. Fortune taught the air sampling, laboratory analysis, and data evaluation section of the PDC. This section compared and contrasted the available air sampling media options for vapor intrusion, described in detail the concept of using helium as a leak testing tracer for soil gas sampling, and showed an example of a typical air laboratory report, which pointed out key features consultants should examine when reviewing vapor intrusion data.

In its first year, the Vapor Intrusion PDC was sold out and ranked in the top 25% of all PDCs. AIHce is a premier annual event for thousands of practicing industrial hygiene and environmental health & safety professionals.

Ms. Fortune is an Air Quality Scientist with Columbia Analytical in Simi Valley, Calif.

KELSO, Wash. – Congressman Brian Baird, representing Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, recently toured the expansion of Columbia Analytical’s Kelso, Washington, laboratory facilities. The expansion doubled the size of the company’s Kelso operations.

As chairman of the Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, Rep. Baird was particularly interested in the innovative instrumentation used in the laboratory, such as the gas chromatograph triple quadrapole mass spectrometer (GC/MS/MS). With help from the Cowlitz Economic Development Council (CEDC), Columbia Analytical qualified for a deferral on Washington state sales tax, making it easier to attain the high-tech equipment.

“Because of his interest in science and technology, Rep. Baird enjoyed seeing how our laboratory has grown and how state government is helping spur economic growth in this area,” said Jeff Christian, Kelso Laboratory Director.

After touring the laboratory, Congressman Baird spent the afternoon with Columbia Analytical employees, answering questions about various current events taking place in the state and in the country. Founded in 1986, Columbia Analytical is an employee-owned national laboratory network, with operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Texas, and Washington. The company employs more than 200 people at its Kelso, Washington, headquarters.

For more information on Columbia Analytical, call 800-695-7222 or visit the website at www.caslab.com.

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Contact:
Dee O’Neill
360-577-7222

www.caslab.com

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Jeff Christian, Kelso Laboratory Director, discusses the GC/MS/MS instrument with Congressman Baird, Paul Brachvogel, Kelso City Manager, and Todd McDaniel, Kelso City Council.

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In response to their significant business growth in recent years, Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. announces the opening of their new 18,000 square foot laboratory facility in Jacksonville, FL.

Columbia Analytical provides high-quality, cost-effective and innovative chemical and biological analyses for potentially hazardous substances in air, water, sediments, tissues, solids, wastes and other matrices.

“Columbia Analytical Services’ Jacksonville operation has grown over 50% in the past three years, and our relocation to this new, custom-designed laboratory facility is in response to this growth and success. We are pleased to be a trendsetting analytical services provider here in Florida, and we will continue to grow and add new capabilities to meet the expectations and needs of our clients,” said laboratory director, Greg Jordan.

To celebrate the opening of this new laboratory, the company is planning an Open House event on the afternoon of June 20, 2008.

Founded in 1986 and a leader in the commercial laboratory industry, Columbia Analytical is employee owned, with over 300 people nationwide, with operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Texas, and Washington. For more information on Columbia Analytical’s capabilities, or their Open House, call 904-739-2277 or visit their website at www.caslab.com.

KELSO, Wash. – Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., one of the nation’s leading environmental testing laboratories, today unveiled its new corporate identity with a revised logo and redesigned website. The company’s website address is www.caslab.com.

“The new company logo was designed to freshen our look and reflect Columbia Analytical’s professional and technically-advanced capabilities,” said Ed Wilson, director of information technology and marketing. “Our marketing materials now position us as technical experts as we plan for an internet-focused and service-oriented future.”

The new website provides expanded information about environmental testing, pharmaceutical testing and a variety of other scientific topics featured in a new educational section. The educational content includes technical articles, industry acronyms, technical poster session brochures, a “clickable” periodic table, information on sample holding times and container types, and a free technical newsletter. An industry news page also allows users to post their questions and interact with the laboratory managers.

“One of the challenges of the website redesign was to effectively communicate technical information, but in a simple and visually-interesting manner,” said Trent Mueller, webmaster. “We accomplished this in part by providing concise information upfront while offering the option of clicking to read deeper into technical content. We also added many illustrative photos, charts, and examples to help keep the reader engaged.”

Columbia Analytical is an employee-owned, full-service environmental analytical network with seven laboratories in the United States. Services include testing of air, water, soil, sediment, tissues, pharmaceutical materials, and solid and hazardous waste.

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Contact:

Dee O’Neill
360-577-7222
www.caslab.com

Press Links:

View our Press Kit to download logos/images.

Learn more about the New Website.

A recent article in the journal Pediatrics has raised further questions about the presence of phthalates in the environment. They note that certain phthalates, found in numerous baby care products, may lead to developmental and reproductive toxicity in infants.

Phthalates are synthetic chemicals that are used to make vinyl products flexible and soft. They also make products like nail polish harder to chip and make fragrances last longer. They are found in many industrial and common household items, including PVC plastics, cosmetics, personal care products (including most lotions, shampoos and powders), plastic toys, vinyl products and almost all products with fragrance. Phthalates are also used in medical devices, and numerous items our homes and cars. Essentially, phthalates are everywhere.

Phthalate testing is problematic due to their wide spread use and background levels can lead to false positive results.  Therefore the laboratory must eliminate background sources of phthalates and ensure that quality control data supports that the analysis is free of these interferences. Although there are a number of analytical testing alternatives, the most common way for a laboratory to test for phthalates is using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer operated in selected ion monitoring mode (GC/MS/SIM). This GC/MS/SIM technique is currently being used by Columbia Analytical Services in similar studies investigating phthalates in medications, ambient air, and other applications related to human health risk. Columbia Analytical has performed analytical testing for phthalates for over 20 years.

For more information on testing for phthalates, contact Jeff Christian, Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. at 360-577-7222.

Chemical structure of butyl benzyl phthalate