Welcome to the Lab. We are the Environmental Organics and Metals Section.
Environmental Organics
The Environmental Organics section focuses on testing for various organic compounds in environmental water samples to assess contamination and potential health risks, ensuring compliance with regulations, and guiding remediation efforts.
Organics refer to compounds containing carbon, which are either naturally occurring or produced by human activities. For example:
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): like gasoline, paint thinner, and some cleaning products
- Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs): such as pesticides, herbicides, and PCBs
- Pesticides and Herbicides: chemicals used to control pests and weeds
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): synthetic chemicals now banned due to their toxicity
- Phthalates: chemicals used to make plastics flexible
- Disinfection by-products (DBPs): compounds that form when water disinfectants are used
- Total Organic Carbon (TOC): a measure of the total amount of organic carbon in a sample
Contact person: Edward Adams, (207) 287-6433
Environmental Metals
The Environmental Metals section is comprised of two metals labs, one that specializes in water samples, and the other that specializes on a collaborative project with Maine's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP).
Maine is unique. About 40% of the state's citizens use a private well, compared to the US average of 15%. In addition, the wells drilled in the state often need testing to assess safe levels of arsenic, lead, manganese, and uranium.
The water lab conducts routine testing of drinking water samples from public utilities, private wells, homes involved in CLPPP cases and also works collaboratively with the DEP to examine surface waters in the state. Data generated by our lab is captured in the Maine CDC MaineTracking Network. Use the maps located under the Private Well Water and Public Water Supply icons to assess the risks in your area.
The second lab digests and evaluates dust wipes, soils, and paint chips from residences suspected of high lead concentrations. In the process of quantifying the lead present, the CLPPP may conduct a remediation project at the residence, and the lab again performs an analysis of samples from that location to assure that the remediation project was successful.
Contact Us
If you have questions or need advice on how to correct a problem, contact Edward Adams at (207) 287-6433 or EnvironmentalOrganics.HETL@maine.gov.