Technological watch
Enthalpy Analytical Receives DoD’s ELAP Accreditation
WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enthalpy Analytical (“Enthalpy”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Montrose Environmental Group, Inc., is proud to announce that it has received the Department of Defense Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (“DoD ELAP”) certification at its Wilmington, NC, ultra-trace laboratory. This accreditation allows the lab to analyze samples containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and dioxins/furans, for Federal agencies and municipal and industrial clients requiring this certification.
Enthalpy received this qualification through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America. The process to obtain the DoD ELAP certification is long and rigorous and requires a significant commitment and investment in quality systems, employee training, and analytical method development.
“We’re proud of our DoD accreditation and view this as validation of the significant strides we’ve made toward building a world-class laboratory focusing on the ultra-trace analysis of environmental contaminants,” said Dr. Bryan Vining, Laboratory Director at Enthalpy.
In May 2019, the DoD released version 5.3 of the Quality Systems Manual (“QSM”) that included updates to laboratory requirements for PFAS analysis. Enthalpy will now be compliant with QSM version 5.3 by holding the DoD ELAP accreditation. “We believe the accreditation combined with the stringent requirements of the QSM manual provides our clients additional assurance that our results are accurate and defensible, as well as providing confidence to make critical compliance, engineering, and health-risk decisions,” said Vining.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in a variety of product applications ranging from cookware, food packaging, and personal care products to industrial uses such as semiconductor coatings, firefighting aqueous film-forming foam, metal plating, and more. PFAS have been a growing public health concern, according to the CDC, because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife. According to the CDC, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans, including adversely affecting growth, learning and behavior in infants and children; lowering a woman’s chance of getting pregnant; interfering with the body’s natural hormones; increasing cholesterol levels; affecting the immune system; and increasing the risk for some cancers. For more information on health risks related to PFAS, please visit www.enthalpy.com.
Enthalpy received this qualification through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America. The process to obtain the DoD ELAP certification is long and rigorous and requires a significant commitment and investment in quality systems, employee training, and analytical method development.
“We’re proud of our DoD accreditation and view this as validation of the significant strides we’ve made toward building a world-class laboratory focusing on the ultra-trace analysis of environmental contaminants,” said Dr. Bryan Vining, Laboratory Director at Enthalpy.
In May 2019, the DoD released version 5.3 of the Quality Systems Manual (“QSM”) that included updates to laboratory requirements for PFAS analysis. Enthalpy will now be compliant with QSM version 5.3 by holding the DoD ELAP accreditation. “We believe the accreditation combined with the stringent requirements of the QSM manual provides our clients additional assurance that our results are accurate and defensible, as well as providing confidence to make critical compliance, engineering, and health-risk decisions,” said Vining.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in a variety of product applications ranging from cookware, food packaging, and personal care products to industrial uses such as semiconductor coatings, firefighting aqueous film-forming foam, metal plating, and more. PFAS have been a growing public health concern, according to the CDC, because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife. According to the CDC, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans, including adversely affecting growth, learning and behavior in infants and children; lowering a woman’s chance of getting pregnant; interfering with the body’s natural hormones; increasing cholesterol levels; affecting the immune system; and increasing the risk for some cancers. For more information on health risks related to PFAS, please visit www.enthalpy.com.
This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 837761.
