Environmental Business Journal® (EBJ), a business research publication, which provides high value strategic business intelligence to the environmental industry*, has honored 50 companies for revenue growth, acquisitions, innovative project designs, technology applications, new practice areas, social contributions and industry leadership in 2011.
TestAmerica Laboratories, Inc. is pleased to announce that it was chosen to receive the EBJ award for Industry Leadership.
"In what is widely regarded as a stable market, a number of companies exceeded the norms of low single-digit growth with double-digit growth or ambitious ventures into new practice areas or technology development," said Grant Ferrier, president of Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI, San Diego), publisher of Environmental Business Journal.
TestAmerica was recognized for the Ask the Expert Webinar Series, which is designed to provide a forum to share technical expertise with the environmental community and to enhance the knowledge and awareness of the participants in understanding these complex laboratory issues. Additional information on this award can be found on the Environmental Business Journal website.
The 2011 EBJ awards will be presented at a special ceremony at the Environmental Industry Summit X in Coronado, Calif. on March 14-16, 2012. The Environmental Industry Summit is an annual three-day event hosted by EBI Inc.
* Environmental Business Journal provides strategic information and market forecasts for executives involved in 14 business segments, including environmental remediation, water & wastewater, air pollution control, environmental consulting & engineering, hazardous waste, instrumentation, pollution control equipment, waste management, resource recovery, and solid waste management.
About TestAmerica
TestAmerica is the leading environmental testing firm in the United States, with over 90 locations providing innovative technical expertise and comprehensive analytical testing services. Specialty analyses include source, ambient and indoor air, water quality and aquatic toxicity, compliance, desalination, shale gas, specialty organics, emergency response, industrial hygiene, dioxins, drinking water, sediments and tissues, PPCPs and emerging contaminants, explosives, Federal/DoD, and radiochemistry and mixed waste testing.
TestAmerica affiliate companies include EMLab P&K, the leader in analytical microscopy and indoor air quality; QED Environmental Systems, Inc., the leading supplier of groundwater sampling equipment and remediation pumping systems; and TestAmerica Air Emissions Corp. (METCO Environmental), specializing in air emissions testing. TestAmerica currently employs nearly 2,800 professionals dedicated to exceptional service and solutions for our clients’ environmental testing needs.
About the EBJ Business Achievement Awards
In October-December 2011, Climate Change Business Journal solicited nominations for the EBJ Business Achievement Awards. Nominations were accepted in 200-word essays in either specific or unspecified categories. Final awards were determined by a committee of EBJ staff and EBJ editorial advisory board members. (Disclaimer: company audits were not conducted to verify information or claims submitted with nominations.)
About EBI
Founded in 1988, Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI, San Diego, Calif.) is a research, publishing and consulting company that specializes in defining emerging markets and generating strategic market intelligence for companies, investors and policymakers. EBI publishes Environmental Business Journal®, the leading provider of strategic information for the environmental industry, and Climate Change Business Journal®, which covers nine segments of the Climate Change Industry. EBI also performs contract research for the government and private sector and founded the Environmental Industry Summit, an annual three-day event for executives in the environmental industry.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Ask The Expert: Evaluating Airborne Thermal Decomposition
Ask the Expert Question:
We are looking at torch-cutting steel cable wrapped in plastic and want to do air monitoring. What is the best way to test? And what kind of test we should do?
TestAmerica Expert: Michael McGee
Expert's Response:
From your inquiry, it appears that you would be interested in evaluating the airborne thermal decomposition products of plastic coating on metal cable and perhaps airborne metals concentrations.
Evaluation of the metals air concentrations would be the most straightforward. The process involves determining the metals composition of the metal portion of the cable and collecting air samples for those metals utilizing NIOSH Method 7300, a capability that TestAmerica offers to analyze air samples.
The measurement of thermal decomposition products from burning plastic is much more challenging. The main issue is that the thermal decomposition products produced depend on quite a number of variables, including the type of plastic and the temperature of the melting or burning plastic. Potentially, a long list of contaminants could be generated, including carbon monoxide, vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, a variety of hydrocarbons, particulates and other chemical constituents. The chemical composition of smoke from burning plastic would be expected to vary considerably with the temperature of the plastic, and the temperature of the plastic would vary a great deal over time. For an overview of this issue relating to PVC coatings or material, read NIST's "Toxicity of the Pyrolysis and Combustion Products of Poly (Vinyl Chlorides)."
TestAmerica can analyze air samples for most of the constituents associated with thermal decomposition of plastic material. The challenge is identifying the constituents to measure. For an overview of exposure assessment planning, view Testamerica's webinar presentation on Exposure Assessment Planning.
If the smoke coming off burning plastic is the main concern, then it might be best to avoid burning the plastic by physically cutting away the plastic material from the areas on the cable where the torch will be used to cut the cable. Short of that, it may be possible to utilize local exhaust ventilation to draw away the plastic thermal decomposition products away from the worker utilizing the torch.
We are looking at torch-cutting steel cable wrapped in plastic and want to do air monitoring. What is the best way to test? And what kind of test we should do?
TestAmerica Expert: Michael McGee
Expert's Response:
From your inquiry, it appears that you would be interested in evaluating the airborne thermal decomposition products of plastic coating on metal cable and perhaps airborne metals concentrations.
Evaluation of the metals air concentrations would be the most straightforward. The process involves determining the metals composition of the metal portion of the cable and collecting air samples for those metals utilizing NIOSH Method 7300, a capability that TestAmerica offers to analyze air samples.
The measurement of thermal decomposition products from burning plastic is much more challenging. The main issue is that the thermal decomposition products produced depend on quite a number of variables, including the type of plastic and the temperature of the melting or burning plastic. Potentially, a long list of contaminants could be generated, including carbon monoxide, vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, a variety of hydrocarbons, particulates and other chemical constituents. The chemical composition of smoke from burning plastic would be expected to vary considerably with the temperature of the plastic, and the temperature of the plastic would vary a great deal over time. For an overview of this issue relating to PVC coatings or material, read NIST's "Toxicity of the Pyrolysis and Combustion Products of Poly (Vinyl Chlorides)."
TestAmerica can analyze air samples for most of the constituents associated with thermal decomposition of plastic material. The challenge is identifying the constituents to measure. For an overview of exposure assessment planning, view Testamerica's webinar presentation on Exposure Assessment Planning.
If the smoke coming off burning plastic is the main concern, then it might be best to avoid burning the plastic by physically cutting away the plastic material from the areas on the cable where the torch will be used to cut the cable. Short of that, it may be possible to utilize local exhaust ventilation to draw away the plastic thermal decomposition products away from the worker utilizing the torch.
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