UKAS Accreditation Awarded for Pesticide Testing

The SOCOTEC company’s environmental chemistry laboratory in Bretby is now certified by the sole national accreditation body for independent testing organisations and held against internationally recognised standards.

If not managed correctly, pesticides – which are most commonly used in the agricultural industry – can sometimes leach from treated fields to other land, air and surrounding water sources. For land owners and developers, this is cause for concern, as even small amounts of some chemical compounds can pose a toxic risk to humans and other animals.

Independent Advanced Chemistry & Research services are legally required to address potential areas of contamination to ensure they are not polluted by dangerous levels of pesticides.

ESG uses advanced triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to accurately detect extremely low levels of pesticides in ground and surface water as well as in soils and leachate. The company’s environmental chemistry team makes use of a vast library able to identify hundreds of different pesticides and herbicides at part per trillion levels.

Tim Barnes, operations director, Energy & Waste Services, ESG, commented: “Pesticides can travel great distances through the environment. Helping minimise the hazard to people, livestock, and wildlife must be a priority for developers working on at-risk sites.

“Our environmental chemistry team can detect the smallest amount of pesticides and has unparalleled experience in testing for environmental pollutants. This new UKAS accreditation, once again, reassures our customers that our environmental chemistry services are of the highest possible standard.”