The Importance of Specialist Chemical Analysis

SOCOTEC’s Becky Batham, explains the importance of chemical analysis to both the environment and public safety. 

Specialist chemical analysis plays a vital role in helping to lessen industry’s impact on the environment as well as keeping people safe by ensuring the construction materials we use every day are of the highest quality. There are many different types of chemical analysis services. The following are some of the most important tests for our health, wellbeing and the environment.

Air quality testing

The UK’s national emission reduction targets are legally binding measures that control the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by factories and power stations over a five year period. To stay below the threshold of these limits in accordance with the UK National Air Quality Strategy, UK industrial stacks, power stations and incinerators must be able to accurately and quickly record their emissions using chemical analysis methods.

As well as taking solid phase tubes samples, organisations can record real time measurements of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and oxides of nitrogen levels in their emissions using advanced air testing kits and ensure that their environmental impact remains below legal limits.

BTEX testing

Indoor air quality is another important issue that can be addressed by using chemical analysis. BTEX monitoring is one of the most crucial air testing services for the industrial environment. If you didn’t know, BTEX refers to the chemicals benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene.

BTEX chemicals come from a variety of sources, mainly industrial activities and vehicle emissions, and are harmful when ingested. The most common source of exposure to BTEX compounds is from breathing contaminated air, which is why indoor air quality tests and chemical analysis are vitally important to preventing ill health.

SOCOTEC’s chemical analysis teams support a range of industries with tests to help monitor the level of BTEX chemicals and other harmful substances in soils, air and gases.

Metal testing

As well as undergoing structural tests, building materials also go through a series of chemical analysis tests to ensure they meet current building standards. SOCOTEC’s teams of metallurgists will conduct on-site investigations and laboratory examinations to assess metal performance, ensuring the quality of products as well as compliance with regulations.

By using ICP analysis (Inductively Coupled Plasma) methods, we are able to trace metals in chemical and petroleum samples. In industries such as rail, where lubricants are used extensively in machinery, ICP analysis is vital for ensuring ultra-high product standards and reliability.