For Immediate Release
June 21, 2011
Contact: Michael Cosson, 713.266.1599

Houston, Texas – Columbia Analytical announces that they can now achieve reporting limits five times lower than those set by EPA HRGC/HRMS methods 1613B, TO-9A, and 23, which analyze for dioxins and furans.

Columbia Analytical achieved these lower calibration limits because of the sensitivity of their AutoSpecPremier Mass Spectrometers, as well as because of the experience and technical expertise of their HRGC/HRMS operators. “The instrument calibration at Columbia Analytical is linear over a wider range of concentrations,” stated Michael Cosson, Columbia Analytical Client Services Manager, “resulting in more precise and reliable data than available with previous limits.”

Columbia Analytical has also attained some of the lowest estimated detection limits (EDLs) in the industry. While the Method Reporting Limit (MRL) is determined by the instrument’s initial calibration range, the EDL is the lowest detectable level specific to each analyte and sample. The EDL is calculated for each analyte by measuring the height of the noise and the signal height of the associated labeled standard.

Their new seven-point calibration, which includes an extra lowest point and an extra highest point, results in a calibration range extending five times lower and higher than typical limits for each method.

“We are incredibly excited to offer these new reporting limits. Our ability to determine analytes at such low levels will be a great benefit to our clients,” stated Cosson, “Clients are encouraged to ask their Project Managers for these new limits when setting up their projects.”

Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., headquartered in Kelso, Wash., provides a wide variety of analytical laboratory services including those in aerospace, automotive, engineering, government, mining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, transportation, utilities, and waste management industries.

Columbia Analytical will be hosting a webinar explaining the different reporting limits used in HRGC/HRMS testing, including an in-depth look at how estimated detection limits (EDLs) are calculated, on July 27^th at 10 a.m. CST. For more information on the new MRLs or to register for their webinar, contact Columbia Analytical at 713.266.1599 or visit their website at www.caslab.com.

Columbia Analytical Services announces their analysis of the B₁, B₂ and G₁, G₂ aflatoxins via liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS/MS).

Aflatoxins are potent natural carcinogens produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus or Aspergillus parasiticus. These fungi are known to grow on nuts, spices, milk, oilseed cereals and other agricultural products as well as in water damaged carpets. Aflatoxins have also been found in medicinal herbs contaminated by fungi. Aflatoxins have been classified as group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).The European Commission have set 4 μg/Kg limits for maximum total aflatoxin content in products for direct human consumption.

“Traditionally quantization of aflatoxins have been performed using thin layer chromatography, or more recently, liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD),” said Dr. Ewan Sinclair, Scientist for Columbia Analytical. “However, LC/MS/MS provides greater sensitivity and selectivity necessary for trace analysis of aflatoxins in complex food matrices.”

Columbia Analytical has developed special prep procedures for complex food matrices followed by LC/MS/MS for the analysis of these selected aflatoxins. Using this prep and analytical approach Columbia Analytical is able to achieve method reporting limits (MRL) of 2 μg/kg for aflatoxins B₁ and G₁, and 1 μg/kg for aflatoxins B₂ and G₂.

For more information on aflatoxins and LC/MS/MS technology contact Columbia Analytical online at http://www.caslab.com/Aflatoxin-Testing/ or call 360-577-7222.

KELSO, Wash. – Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. announced today that four of its laboratories have met the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) and each have been awarded a certificate of accreditation.

The recently accredited laboratories are located in Houston, Texas, Simi Valley, Calif., Rochester, N.Y., and Kelso, Wash. Columbia Analytical’s Houston facility is dedicated to high resolution analyses of analytes such as dioxin, furans and PCB congeners and the Simi Valley laboratory specializes in the analysis of ambient and indoor air pollution, stationary source emissions, process gas, and industrial hygiene samples. The Rochester facility, a full service laboratory, also offers air analyses and other specialized testing like that for perchlorate by LC/MS. The Kelso laboratory became DoD-ELAP accredited in November 2009 and specializes in non-routine, complex low-level analyses requiring a high degree of technical expertise.

The full scope of accreditation, including the list of analytes to which these accreditations apply, may be found on Columbia Analytical’s DoD ELAP webpage.

Columbia Analytical is an employee-owned, full-service environmental analytical laboratory testing network established in 1986 and headquartered in Kelso, Washington. Their expertise encompasses air, water, dioxin, biological, pharmaceutical, solid and hazardous waste analyses.

For more information contact Columbia Analytical at 360-577-7222 or visit their website at www.caslab.com.

Simi Valley, Calif. — A low cost testing option is now available from Columbia Analytical for detecting elemental sulfur (S8) in bulk drywall. The testing focuses on orthorhombic cyclooctasulfur (elemental sulfur: S8), a unique marker compound found only in drywall which causes corrosion. The test costs approximately $100 per drywall sample, depending on your project.

Columbia Analytical’s proven method for elemental sulfur uses gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC/ECD) and allows for rapid turnaround of sample results. The GC/ECD analytical technique offers comparable sensitivity to the GC/MS method also offered by Columbia Analytical, but at a substantially lower cost.

The low cost GC/ECD analysis allows clients to screen a large volume of drywall samples quickly for S8. Because drywall used in home construction can be from mixed sources, submission of multiple samples from one suspect home may be done to reduce the risk of false negative results. In addition, confirmatory analysis of drywall for S8 by GC/MS is still available and may be performed on the same sample as the GC/ECD analysis.

Roughly 5g (approximately 2”x2”) of bulk drywall material is all that is required for this new GC/ECD analysis. Results are reported in units of mg/kg. A result higher than 10 mg/kg is typically indicative of corrosive drywall, making it easy to identify “bad drywall.”

Columbia Analytical’s Research & Development team began laboratory analysis on suspect drywall in spring 2008. They have since analyzed several hundred drywall samples from homeowners, home builders and developers, environmental consultants/industrial hygienists, government agencies and contractors, as well as, domestic and foreign drywall producers as part of their method development.

Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. is an employee-owned, full-service environmental analytical laboratory testing network established in 1986 and headquartered in Kelso, Washington. Their expertise encompasses air, water, dioxin, biological, pharmaceutical, solid and hazardous waste analyses.

For more information on the laboratory analysis of problem drywall, contact Alyson Fortune at 978.501.2735 or visit Columbia Analytical’s website at www.caslab.com.

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